When kids misbehave, why do some dads leave it for Mom to handle? As dads, we need to sign up for the entire role of being a father.
Teens: An Example of Fatherly Self-Control
By controlling ourselves, we can foster a closer relationship when it seems like our teens want to pull away.
“You’re the worst dad ever!” How do you respond?
Kids say and do some pretty crazy things, and it’s good for dads to respond to teach and correct them. But there also needs to be balance.
Leverage Life Moments for Your Kids’ Future
How to Be a Better Dad by Brian Phipps – Paint a picture of a preferred future for your kids, and leverage every life moment to help them accomplish it.
Teaching Kids to Be Responsible
Disciplining kids when they already feel bad for their actions is tricky. Here are two tips for teaching kids to be responsible when they’ve messed up.
3 Tips for Sibling Rivalry
As fathers, we want our kids to learn to get along. But often our goal becomes ending the ruckus as soon as possible rather than helping them learn.
4 Qualities of CALM Fathers
A calm father makes his children feel comfortable and secure, and increases the opportunities to experience the real joys and rewards of fatherhood.
Parenting Challenges: How Do You Decide Which Approach is Best?
Sometimes you’ll get lucky and have great success by going with your gut. But since you want to give your kids the very best, it makes a lot of sense to look outside for help.
16 Things to NEVER Say to Your Kids
Have you ever said one of these to your kids? Dads, our words have power to tear down or build up. We can learn better ways to get the message across.
3 Tips for Dads of “Haughty” Teens
It isn’t that teens have lost their minds, or gone berserk. They’re really just figuring out what life is all about, testing what they’ve learned from Dad and Mom.
Shape Honesty: 1 Way to Train your Child in Integrity
When I learned that my son had lied to me, I thought about confronting him, but I was afraid that approach might not help him learn from the situation. So, here are the principles I tried:
The Secret to Showing Children Respect
Our love and respect for our kids shouldn’t be based on a sense of our rights, or even what we think a child deserves. Our respect for them has to be selfless, active, and not dependent upon our mood or their behavior.
Categories
Welcome to the fathers.com fathering library.
On the left you will see how our blogs and articles are categorized. Choose your stage in the fathering journey under Your Kids, click on a specific situation that applies to you, or browse through the items in our hot topics and fathering fundamentals. Also, check out Tools for the Journey – short downloadable pieces with tips for specific challenges.
Don’t Miss the Good Stuff
Has springtime arrived for you yet, dad? During the past few weeks, we turned our clocks back for Daylight Savings (at least most of us did), we’re enjoying tournament basketball and all its madness, and this week came the first day of spring. Maybe that isn’t a big...
“I Want to Know About Fatherhood”
A few years back, we received an e-mail from a man who isn’t a father and doesn’t want children, but his wife does. Here’s what he wrote: I want to know more about fatherhood. Most of what I read says that I’ll learn to love poopy diapers, sleepless nights, constant...
Daughters, Legacy and Thinking Backward
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Most of you dads have played sports at some point in your life—and if not, maybe you competed in debate, music, science, or some other pursuit. And I’m sure you know that every single time you step onto the field or court, you...
Spiritual Equipping: Raising Kids to Be Discerning
Mike served eleven years in prison. He comes from a family of ten children, and at one time, six of his family members were locked away. Collectively, they have given America’s prisons nearly 100 years of their lives. Mike has learned a lot because of his hardships,...
How to Actively Listen to Your Child
We live in a world of distractions. And dad, your child is not one of them. There have never been this many different things competing for our attention. As they add more apps and capabilities to our smart phones and more streaming services with more interesting...
Kids Need a Dad Who Loves (or Respects) Their Mom
As dads, we need each other. One of the best ways to grow as a father is to meet regularly with other like-minded guys. We see that other dads share some of the same experiences, and we’re more likely to open up about our own issues. As dads, we’re not alone, and we...
3 Questions for Dads on Providing for Your Family
What does it mean to provide for our children in today’s world? ... especially as roles and expectations have changed pretty drastically in the past few generations. Yes, providing is still an important aspect of being a dad. And along with Protecting our children,...
Protecting Our Kids: Body, Mind and Heart
Fatherhood has changed a lot in the last few generations. In some ways that’s good, and we could surely find some changes that are not so positive. But if we went back 50 years and asked an average person about what a father’s role is, there’s a good chance the answer...
Kids Need Consistent, Reliable Dads
What makes a good umpire in baseball? Is it flawless eyesight? Confidence? Decisiveness? Experience? Maybe the ability to deal with angry managers? Yes. Yes. And yes. But if you ask the players, most likely the quality at the top of their list would be something...
3 Ways to Better Know Your Children (and Avoid Some Surprises)
As dads, maybe the feelings we want to avoid the most are the disappointment, confusion, and remorse of being surprised by a major issue or challenge in a child’s life ... Someone your 9-year-old son has been chatting with online turns out to be a predator. Your...
Dad: Live Out an Unwavering Commitment
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. There’s one factor that’s far and away the most important indicator that a man will succeed with his children: his commitment to them. The most effective fathers have a driving passion and an unfailing motivation to do their best for their...
New Year, Better Dad
Dad: this isn’t about a resolution. (Unless you’re into that.) Whatever you want to call it, the beginning of a new year is a natural time to make a positive change or start a new habit. And you should at least consider some ways to grow as a father. Reflect on what...