“As a result of the pandemic, how have you grown in your fathering role?” These past months have shone a light on our relationships with our kids—revealing the good and bringing us face-to-face with some areas where we need to grow.

“As a result of the pandemic, how have you grown in your fathering role?” These past months have shone a light on our relationships with our kids—revealing the good and bringing us face-to-face with some areas where we need to grow.
“What barriers or obstacles have you faced in your fathering as a result of the pandemic?” No less than 11 common themes surfaced that are worth mentioning—which reflects the wide variety of situations and challenges experienced by today’s dads.
As fathers, we can’t predict the future, but times of testing should motivate us to step up as leaders for our children and families, and be prepared as best we can.
Each father has an opportunity to learn and grow because the past several months have brought some needed clarity in certain areas.
Taking advantage of this time to engage your kids in a new way should be considered a great victory. Here are some unexpected ways to connect with your kids.
Feeling anger or frustration isn’t the problem. It’s what you do with those emotions that’s key.
Here are a few ways we all might do things differently, whether it’s a brand new activity or a re-commitment to something we have done in the past.
There are many negative forces that have invaded our homes and threaten our children’s innocence. Maybe we need to use this season of social distancing to build a wall of protection around our families to help us get back to positive habits and reestablish right priorities.
As our lives have been altered and somewhat put on hold because of the danger, let’s view this as an opportunity to grow, bless others, and find new ways to keep strong bonds with our children.
Each of your children is unique and special. You had your first baby and had the incredible privilege of relating to and learning about that one for a few years. Then a second one came along, and that child was totally different in hundreds of ways. Maybe you had some...
Dad: are you ever confused or frustrated as you try to figure out what makes your kids tick? One of the key fundamentals of fathering is Awareness of our children—simply getting to know them better. As dads, we should make it our mission to gain insight into who they...
Dad: you have some remarkable women in your life—your mother and your kids’ mom. And you can play a big role in making Mother's Day truly memorable for them. Ideally, you would already have some plans in place by now. Maybe you have thought through what she...
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Dads: In the past few weeks I’ve had a 47-second video go viral, with nearly 2.6 million views and counting on Instagram! (And honestly, I suspect a good number of the views, likes and shares are coming from daughters and wives...
For many years, our staff had opportunities to read children's essays about their dads, and then interview some of the dads related to our Father of the Year Essay Contests. The contests gave kids opportunities to write about their dads, and we were always amazed at...
Darren is a frustrated father of a two-year-old. You might be thinking, Yeah, so? That’s normal. In many ways, it is normal, and it’s easy to understand why parents came up with the phrase, “terrible twos.” Many young children go through that phase where they need to...
When was the last time you were surprised by your own impatience or insensitivity? Maybe you were in a store or a restaurant and the people on duty were not very attentive to your needs. The situation dragged on long enough to make you pretty frustrated—you deserved...
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Once a father, always a father. That simple truth reveals that fathering is a process that lasts from the birth or adoption of your first child until the day you die. And really, we could say it begins when you start preparing for fatherhood....
by Jay Payleitner There are a ton of things you take for granted that would be empowering to a ten-year-old son or daughter. That includes stuff you learned so long ago that you don’t even know you know. Examples? How to reset the circuit breakers. How to shut off...
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...
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...
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...