“What’s really important?” “Are we working hard but going in the wrong direction?” “Who’s raising our kids?” “What is success?”
Work or Family: Where Are You Indispensable, Dad?
We shouldn’t feel guilty for being committed to our jobs, but all dads should continue to ask themselves, Where am I most indispensable?
Just Have a Good Time NOW. (See Video)
This short but powerful video "Dad & Me" was contributed to us by Vincenzo Giovannini, who wrote the screenplay. He wrote about this project: We wanted to bring awareness to the importance of being part of your child's life. As technology has progressed and has...
5 Tips to Balance Being Dad
One of the most important things a dad has to learn is balance- balancing work, friends and extracurricular activities with being a husband and father. Here are NCF's top 5 Tips to Balance Being Dad in our weekly Tools for the Journey!
Priorities vs. Lifestyle, and a Really Cool Machine
by Jon Alexander A few years ago, a drawing by my 4-year-old daughter sparked a conversation that would spawn an app, start a business and begin reconciling our lifestyle with our priorities. (See the video below for more on the story.) For most of my professional...
5 Tips for Dads Who Travel
Are you a dad who travels for work? Download our FREE Tools for the Journey: 5 Tips for Dads Who Travel! Five Tips for Dads Who Travel
A 10-Year-Old’s List Becomes a Daddy Wake-Up Call
Have you heard of Mohamed El-Erian? He’s a multimillionaire. Until May 2013, he was chief executive of the PIMCO investment fund, one of the largest in the world. His annual earnings were estimated to be more than $100 million. Why did Mr. El-Erian step down from such...
The Legacy of a Workaholic Dad
Last week’s blog included part of an essay from a 5th grader about what makes his dad so great. Today we feature another essay, although this one is much more sobering. Here’s what one girl wrote about her father: Just one of the many adventures...
Job / Life Satisfaction – Cinderella Man
Our role as providers for our families weighs heavily on us at times—especially when work is scarce.
4 Ways to Manage Work So You Can Be a Better Dad
Dad, would you rather have joy or cash? The question might sound absurd, but nearly all dads are challenged by the daily struggle between work and family as they compete for our time, attention and energy. Maybe the better question is, Is your life reflecting your...
Share Your Work World with Your Kids
Did you take your child to work this week? If you did, fantastic! For your child, it was probably much more than just a fun day away from school where he or she played games on your computer while you got work done. It's good to embrace your role in giving your child...
Do Your Kids Drive You Crazy?
Sometimes, our kids drive us crazy ... totally batty ... up the wall. At times it requires a tremendous amount of effort to make the shift from being driven CRAZY by our kids, to honoring them as a high priority. Here’s a story about Andrew, a dad who just wants a few...
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.
Dad, do you shirk discipline?
A few years back, a research study on parental discipline emerged from the Australian Institute of Family Studies, and here's the big headline for fathers: Dads are largely shirking discipline duties. "When it comes to disciplining the kids, there's been a role...
Treat Your Daughter Like Royalty
Insights Straight from Girls by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Dads, I'm here to give you an all-access pass behind the curtain of a girl’s heart from the vantage point of a few courageous girls who shared their thoughts. Romance and royalty. I wonder what it is...
Laugh with Them. Cry with Them.
by Jay Payleitner Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. - Romans 12:15 When our kids come to us with emotional news, why do we often reflect the opposite emotion back to them? I will never forget a brief conversation I had with my dad my...
5 Ways to Make a Difference for Your Son
According to recent research, boys in our country are "fragile." And this isn't a new idea. Similar things have been written for almost the past 30 years. When compared to girls, boys generally show much higher tendencies to struggle with issues such as: learning...
Single Fathers: Press On
by Matt Haviland Is it possible to be a great father as a single dad? The short answer is, “Absolutely!” However, since being a single parent brings a variety of outside factors and dynamics, we may have to take a slightly different approach. It will surely look...
4 Qualities of Growing Dads
Howard, who grew up without a dad, became a father in his teens and has struggled for years with the demands of raising five children, especially since he never had a male role model. Working two jobs, he was always too tired for his kids and made excuses instead of...
The Best Things to Say When Kids Are Competing
What’s the best way to handle ourselves at our kids’ sports events? Brad was frustrated by his son’s baseball schedule. After spring sign-ups, the family was notified the team would be starting “spring training” right away, and those pre-season skill-building sessions...
“Why is my father always angry?”
There’s a powerful fathering insight that some of us need to hear and take to heart, and it comes from our online search data. Quite a few people come to fathers.com using search terms like: “how do I deal with my angry dad”“why is my father always yelling at...
The Paradox of “No Guarantees”
As dads, there’s a truth we need to embrace—and the earlier in the fatherhood journey that we do it, the better: Our kids don’t come with guarantees. Some of the most powerful examples of this are found in the tragic episodes of violence that crop up in news feeds all...
Meeting Your Children’s Basic but Important Needs
For quite a few years, our staff at NCF had the privilege of interviewing dads as part of essay contests and Father’s Day celebrations around the country. Those interviews brought out the unique and often inspiring ways each man expressed his commitment to his...
A New School Year: 3 Tips for Dads
Your children just started school or are about to go back, and that should be a big deal in your mind—whether they’re starting kindergarten or the last year of graduate school. They will mature and be shaped in incredible ways during coming months, and of course you...
Intentional, Joy-Filled Fathering
When someone announces, “I’m going to be a dad!” it’s a reason to celebrate. When one father made that announcement, his wife quickly followed with a report on his recent surge of activity at home. Apparently his joy and anticipation inspired him to rearrange their...