Your children may honor you on Father’s Day. And you can do something similar for your dad or a significant father figure.
3 Features of a Letter Dads Need to Write
Gaining insights about our fathers (or lack of a father) will give us needed perspective on our own fathering.
Kids Need to Hear “I’m Proud of You”
All children—at any age—need to be blessed verbally by their dads. Something isn’t quite complete without it.
Neil’s Father’s Day Tribute to His Dad
Neil’s dad wasn’t perfect, but he demonstrated the kind of commitment that it takes to be an effective father.
Overcome Your Father’s Shortcomings
How to Be a Better Dad by Sam Jones. “My challenge was figuring out how to give my children something I never received from my father.”
Inspiring Video: Is This Your Future?
By Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Dad, do yourself a favor and watch this 3-minute video: “Beginnings. The older you get, the more rare they become.” “Endings are too often on my mind. I pray for new beginnings.” This video challenges us to think about beginnings and endings. I...
Forgiving a Dying Deadbeat Dad
by Rashad Smith "Your dad has cancer that has spread all over his body..." was the text message that I received from my sister Keisha who heard the information from our Uncle Barney who has been more than a father than Bobby could dream of. I texted back, "That's...
3 Ways to NOT Bully Your Kids
as told to Brock Griffin / fathers.com We are just finishing up National Bullying Prevention Month, and it’s definitely worth recognizing in today’s world. We would all be wise to learn more about the challenges related to bullying and find ways to be part of a...
Build (or Rebuild) Your Legacy: A Tale of Two Fathers
Dan, Jerry, and Vonnie: stories from people in hospice care that illustrate the powerful, multi-generational impact we all have as fathers.
Make Moments with Your Kids
by Ryan Nelson: I could probably father so much more effectively if I would just invite my kids alongside me as I do the things I love.
Family Background video: City Slickers ‘Best Day’
A meaningful conversation involving powerful memories of childhood ... and dads.
Home Run Addresses "The Hurt Inside" for Men and Fathers
Corey Brand is a Major League Baseball all-star. But off the field he is haunted by memories of his past, and his life is spinning out of control. After a DUI and team suspension, Corey’s agent sends him back to his hometown to rebuild his reputation, and volunteers...
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...