Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield: Why not adopt a new tradition and create lasting memories of positive interaction with your daughter?
What’s Your Plan for the Holidays, Dad?
Think of thanksgiving as a test or a warm-up, dad. Start planning how you’ll be fully engaged during the Christmas season with your family.
3 Ways Dads Can Be Intentional on Thanksgiving
Jay Payleitner: If the days are moving too quickly, that’s all the more reason to approach the holidays with thoughtfulness & purpose.
Dad Tucks In
by Jay Payleitner: The benefits are many. Mom gets a break. Dad gets a clear assignment and a daily chance to spend one-on-one time.
4 Truths About Dads, Being Role Models, & Past Mistakes
Having children and trying to raise them to be responsible people should make us look more closely at ourselves.
Is Your Father an Example or a Lesson?
Whether our dads were mostly positive or negative in our lives, they have a profound impact on how we father our kids.
Fatherhood and the Waiting Game
Waiting on our kids isn’t fun. But being there shows them over and over that they are worth our time, effort, patience, and perseverance.
Dad: Communicate High Value to Your Kids
We dads too easily let our cell phones, our work schedules or even our hobbies rule our lives at the expense of investing in our children.
A Public Commitment to Fatherhood
Be a model of committed fathering—not perfect, but always looking to improve and grow. Be unashamed about your desire to succeed as dad.
Military Dads & the Price of Freedom
Let’s appreciate military dads for the sacrifices they make and what they go through as they try to stay connected with their families.
9 Ways to Leap Beyond Father’s Day to Dad Awesome Day
Jeff Zaugg: Please don’t settle for “Dad Average” on Father’s Day or any day. The “Dad Awesome” approach is about intentionality.
What to Do When You Dread Father’s Day
Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield: If you feel angry, sad or confused on Father’s Day, here are some truths to hold to and suggested steps to take.
Categories
Welcome to the fathers.com fathering library.
Nurturing Daughters
More and more research is finding that “a key component of a woman’s sense of worth is rooted in her experience with her father.” Cute little girls just love to be hugged by their daddies. It’s nurturing at its best. Yet before you know it, she has become more than...
Value Your Daughters’ Opinions
Nicole Gallagher was the behind-the-scenes producer for ABC News’s American Agenda. I got to know her over the phone when she was working on a piece that focused on fathering. From our first conversation, I knew this woman had a high sense of self-esteem and a...
Daughters and Sports
Here’s something that some dads rarely consider. Daughters can be athletes, too! As a matter of fact, girls need to learn about teamwork, good sportsmanship and the thrill of victory just as much as boys. According to a recent article in the Kansas City Star, high...
A Father’s Heart for Daughters
There are a lot of reasons for you to be a loving father to your daughter. She’ll have a more positive view of men in general. More self-esteem as a woman. She’s more likely to stay sexually pure until marriage and have a healthier view of sexuality. But, today, I’d...
A (Re)Vision for Fathers & Society
by Dr. Ken Canfield I believe it’s good to plan for the future as fathers so we’re better prepared for the changes and challenges that our kids will bring our way. It’s also good to have dreams and aspirations for what we want to be, like setting high goals that...
Dad: Harness the Power of Sibling Competition
by Jay Payleitner Competition between siblings (or cousins) is a great tool for dads. While you can still outsmart them, there are all kinds of ways you can shape and motivate your kids and they won’t even know it. Got a pile of bricks that need to be moved from here...
Fathering Is Worth Doing Badly
Here at fathers.com, we want all dads to do their best. Be devoted to your children. Make them a top priority. Commit yourself to being there for them through all the ups and downs of life. Give them lots of encouragement and affirmation. Teach them skills and...
Questions to Help Dads Connect Heritage & Legacy
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Becoming a father is life-changing in many ways, as all dads know. At some point, often during the first few weeks or years of fatherhood, there is a kind of nexus between the past and the future in each man’s journey. Regarding the past,...
Tension with Our Kids’ Mom Deeply Affects Our Fathering
When there’s tension with your child’s mother, it impacts everyone. That might be an odd message to convey so soon after Valentine’s Day, but we all know what real life is like all the other days of the year that aren’t our anniversary or a special date night. And for...
A Dozen Activities to Help You Win Your Daughter’s Heart
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC With Valentine’s Day less than a week away, here’s a reminder that the holiday isn’t reserved only for romance between sweethearts. It’s also an opportunity for a girl to be treated in an extra special way by her dad, thus...
Winning and Losing in Father-Child Contests
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Bob’s two teenage sons were challenging him in many ways physically—arm twisting and wrestling and so on—and they talked about racing him to see if they were faster. It leads to a common question for dads: What’s the impact of winning or losing...
One Way to Restore Hope to Your Fathering
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. What keeps a dad motivated and hopeful? That’s a key question that I’ve been pondering and researching for some time, and I’ll have more on this in the coming weeks and months. I’m more and more convinced of this: Hope is a powerful force and...