Doing our job well as fathers requires some teamwork—and the most common, most important partner is our children’s mother.
A Request for Moms: Help Us Make Our Home a Hangout
by Jay Payleitner – The dividends include stronger family relationships, deeper conversations, and peace of mind.
Kids vs. Romance: Connecting with Your Bride
Having kids should not put an end to romance. Actually, just the opposite. Dad and Mom need to be even more intentional about their marriage.
Great Dads Honor Moms
Part of the How to Be a Better Dad series – Most of us aren’t alone in our efforts to shape our kids, and we should recognize the many benefits moms bring.
Rudy’s Legacy: 25 Ways to Live Out Healthy Manhood
How do you live a life that leaves a legacy? First and foremost, you need to live according to your beliefs—healthy beliefs that encompass your faith, your family, and your friends.
Valentine’s Day: Make them Feel Loved
Each relationship is unique, whether it’s a couple or father and child, and it’s fine to take an approach that works for you—as long as it also works for your spouse or child, and makes them feel loved and appreciated.
4 Fatherly Responses to Grief and Loss
The Canfield family recently announced a big loss in our lives—the passing of my wife of 43 years, Dee, who was also a mother to five, mother-in-law to four, and Nana to twelve. Being by her side for the past few months really opened my eyes to the reality of death...
Involved Fathering Helps Your Marriage
This week we’re highlighting some insights that Justin Batt shared during our recent fathering radio special. Justin started a weekly habit of creating fun and memorable activities with his kids. For him, it worked out best on Saturdays because that’s when his wife...
3 Valentine Gifts Your Wife Will Love
By Dr. Ken Canfield Hey, dad, what are you giving your wife this year for Valentine’s Day? Ideally, you have plans well under way, but knowing how many men typically operate, consider this your one-week reminder. I encourage you to pool all your creative energies for...
8 Ways to Appreciate the Mothers in Your Life
Make sure you honor and express gratitude on Mother's Day this year. Moms are awesome! They deserve Mother's Day to be awesome too. Mother's Day is a perfect time to work with your kids to create special gifts, spoil your mom (and your wife), and make memories as a...
How I Saved My Marriage (Dedicated to My Sweetheart)
by Richard Paul Evans My oldest daughter, Jenna, recently said to me, “My greatest fear as a child was that you and mom would get divorced. Then, when I was twelve, I decided that you fought so much that maybe it would be better if you did.” Then she added with a...
241 Love Notes: Romantic Gestures for Husbands (and Dads)
What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever heard about a husband doing for his wife? One of the best happened about three years ago, from a couple in Canada, Devin and Crystal. (And it wasn’t even on Valentine’s Day.) Devin is a Navy seaman who said good-bye to his...
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.
What to Do When You Dread Father’s Day
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Father’s Day is an occasion to celebrate, no doubt about it. It might even be a day for dads to recommit themselves to loving and investing in their children in meaningful ways. That’s what all of us are about at fathers.com. But...
A Script for Your Call with Dad on Father’s Day (Or Any Day)
by Jay Payleitner Traditionally, Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for phone calls. So where does that leave dads on Father’s Day? Well, maybe fewer calls are made because talking with the old man is more frustrating than talking with mom. Too often...
Each Child Is Different! 3 Important Truths for Dads
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...
Important Father-Child Interviews
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...
Mother’s Day: Tips for Dads to Honor Moms
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...
What Dads of Daughters Need to Know in 3 Words
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...
Being a Committed Dad is “Far Past Amazing”
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...
Young Kids & Behavior Issues: Mean What You Say
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...
Dad: Look Below the Surface
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...
Your Fathering Journey in 6 Stages
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....
A Gift for Your Ten-Year-Old
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...
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...