Each new school year brings excitement, hope and sometimes, uneasiness for our children. Recently my college-age son and I fell into a conversation that lasted the better part of an evening.
Raising Your Most Important Crop
This morning when it came time to release the steers from the trailer, I turned to my partner and said, "Here's a good job for you, Charlie."
So Charlie climbed on the fender and began fumbling with the latch. Triumphantly, he pulled the pin but couldn't get the handle free of the chain. The cattle nervously stomped inside. It probably took Charlie two minutes to find the combination, but finally the handle gave way, the gate swung open and the steers bolted to freedom.
How Dads Can Educate Tomorrow’s Leaders
Fathers have always played an important role in their children’s education. Ancient Egyptian texts, early American writings and other historic sources have placed the primary responsibility for educating a child specifically on his father.
Teens Who Don’t Care About School
When your high school junior or senior is on the verge of dropping out, what can you do?
David and his wife are struggling with their 17-year-old daughter. Her attitude is, “I don’t care about school.” She’d rather be hanging out with her friends.
Shaping Your Future Worker
Dad, don't you wonder—and worry—about your child's future career path? If your kids are like mine, people started characterizing them from an early age: "Wow, she has long fingers. She'll be a great piano player some day." Or, "He loves to push buttons and figure out how things work. I bet he'll grow up to be an engineer."
Read With Your Children
Read a good book lately—with your kids?
Let me take you back a few centuries. A Massachusetts Colony law enacted in 1644 stated that heads of households should be responsible for teaching their children to read. Not a bad law.
Teaching Discernment
The continuing barrage of negative media influences—particularly violent video games—challenges fathers to teach their children skills in discernment. A recent Gallup poll found that the “Grand Theft Auto” series is extremely popular among adolescent boys. Even though it received an “M” rating (intended for mature audiences) by the entertainment software rating board, 71% of boys and 34% of girls between the ages of 13 and 17 have played the game.
Fathers and Education
All fathers can play a critical role in their children’s education. Research shows that when fathers are involved, their children learn more, perform better in school, and exhibit healthier behavior. Seeking to assess the level of father involvement in children’s education, the National Center for Fathering conducted a national random sample in October 1999. The survey contacted 894 men and women and requested their responses to questions related to their children’s education.
You and Your Child’s Teacher
There are many things you can do to ease the transition into a new school year. If your kids are like mine, they already have the scoop on their new teachers. Mrs. So-and-so is strict; Mr. So-and-so is really hard; Mrs. So-and-so lets you get away with anything.
Dad: The Ultimate Educator
Clark Smith knows that he, like all dads, has an important role in educating his children. Here are some key ways he has tried to do that.
FATHERS: the Foundation of Education
Challenges in Education
Few would argue that education is one of our children's supporting pillars of success. Yet many of our public school systems across this nation are in need of help. This was a key issue in last year's presidential campaign for both candidates and materialized as the President's "No child left behind" education campaign.
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.
New Dad Feels: Enthusiasm and Cost
For most men, being a new father ignites some new feelings that don't really come from any other experiences in life. Maybe you're a new dad who is in the middle of this, maybe these thoughts will bring back some fond memories, or maybe you're preparing to be a...
Let’s TALK: 4 Keys to Connecting with Your Daughter
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Dad, there’s something important you need to know about your daughter. Here it is, short and to the point: When a girl or woman knows and feels she is loved by her dad, she will have: greater confidence stronger inner fortitude...
What Makes Your Child Laugh?
As a father, it's good if you actively observe April Fool's Day—not by playing cruel tricks on your children, but by celebrating those relationships with lots of laughter. Victor Borge said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." You already...
Dad: Your Faith Matters to Your Kids
Holy Week is a great time to remind and challenge you about one of the most profound ways you can influence your children—in faith and spiritual matters. There’s a wide range of approaches to faith, just like there are many different traditions for the Easter holiday....
Encouraging Our Daughters
Psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers recalls the spirited discussions around the family dinner table she had when she was growing up. Their family discussed politics, world events and other goings-on of the day. One day, the topic was President Roosevelt’s attempt to...
When Your Daughter “Becomes a Woman”
What are some needed strategies for us dads to how to navigate life with our daughter when she starts her monthly cycle? You have to admit it’s foreign territory for a dad. In a nutshell, I recommended that you not make a big deal out of it, but continue to show your...
Mature Conversations With Your Daughter
A dad named Allan wrote to me, not asking should I teach my daughter about sex, but how should I? You see, he’s a single dad. And, he’s wondering, should I find a woman to talk to her? I commend Allan for recognizing the importance of this area of his daughter’s life....
Take Your Daughter to Work
I’m reminded of one father who instilled the value of hard work into his daughter. Harry regularly took his daughter Demi to work with him, where she learned the value of hard work, honesty, and generosity. When she grew older, she went to work for him every day, and...
Purity Conversations With Your Daughter
In a world that is sexually spinning out of control, what can we do to protect and support our daughters in this caustic environment? Now, we know that girls are wired uniquely different than boys. Where boys may be lured in more by the visual temptation, it’s the...
Reflection Dad / Lunch with Daughter
teve had an important lunch appointment. He had traveled several hundred miles, and he was more than a little nervous. But this meeting wasn’t to cut some business deal. It was to start a new relationship. His luncheon partner was his daughter. Michelle had left home...
Daughters and “the Gender War”
by Dr. Ken Canfield Some time ago, I spent a week in the mountains with my daughter Sarah on a father-daughter retreat. For me, it was a cleansing, refreshing time; for Sarah, it was a time of empowerment and blessing to be all God meant her to be. That week...
Daughters and “The Real Thing”
How would you train someone to spot a counterfeit bill? Well, you’d probably make them aware of the common methods of copying the original, and you’d point out telltale signs of fakery. But most of all, you’d want that person to be very, very familiar with the real...