When you appreciate your wife, you let your children know that your marriage is important, and you set a great example for them.
Ways to Honor Mom – the Real MVP
Have you and your kids been busy making plans and arrangements to make Sunday a special day? Mother's Day is an opportunity to honor one of the most important contributors within the family: our mothers and our children’s mothers. You’ve probably heard calculations...
Your Relationship to Your Child’s Mother – Reflections from When Harry Met Sally
Older couples talk about their memories and lives together. (A nice feature from the movie that not many people probably remember.)
Your Relationship to Your Child’s Mother: “Dancing in the Minefields”
Music video of the song by Andrew Peterson. “It was harder than we dreamed, but I believe that’s what the promise is for.”
Video / Your Relationship to Your Child’s Mother – Fireproof: Salt and Pepper
An object lesson about being committed to your spouse “for better or for worse ...” Do you need to recapture that sense of lifelong commitment in your marriage?
The Dad/Mom Team and Partnership Video – Everybody Loves Raymond
At its best, parenting is a partnership, where mom and dad work together to bring about what’s best for the kids ...
Video / Your Relationship to Your Child’s Mother – Fireproof: Fight Scene
Does this scene ring true in your marriage? Marriage is difficult. It’s made up of two very different people who don’t always see eye-to-eye. It takes a lot of work and sacrifice! But it’s worth working on—for yourself and for your children.
Are you doing your ‘fair share’ at home?
1,200 married moms were polled about their parenting habits, focusing on how they share responsibilities with their spouses. The headline was an attention-grabber: “Working and Stay-at-Home Mothers Feel Like ‘Married Single Moms.'”
Family Dynamics in a Tough Economy
If we’re taking lemons and making lemonade, what silver lining can we find about a dad being out of work or underemployed?
The Best Gift for Your Wife
How many ads for chocolate, flowers, jewelers and restaurants have you seen or heard during the few weeks leading up to Valentine's Day? Some of us would do well to invest in those items and opportunities to help demonstrate love to our wives.
Is your marriage “good enough”?
Author Elizabeth Marquardt recently wrote about the importance of marriage for children, based on extensive research. Specifically, she addressed the questions, "Should parents stay married for the children?" And, "Is a 'good enough' marriage good for kids?" Her answer might be eye-opening or even controversial to some: In many cases, "yes."
A Video that Could Change Your Marriage
Do you ever feel like your marriage has become a minefield? Sometimes we get off track with our wives, and the smallest things can cause tension and separation. Too often, couples get caught up in the distractions of life and lose track of each other — and, as identified by our research, loving your children's mother is a key fundamental of Championship Fathering.
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.
Daddy’s Daughter Comes of Age
Today your daughter has opportunities that mom and grandma never dreamed of. Women’s sports are making their mark. Of note are women’s basketball programs that rival the men’s. At some Big Ten universities, in fact, the women’s games are one of the hottest tickets in...
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...