Sometimes spending time with a teenager means adjusting to his or her schedule. So be ready, dad. When those chances come, don’t miss ‘em.
How to Bond with Your Baby
Make sure you don’t miss out on those early days, dads. This is where you start habits that will serve you well through the years.
Treat Your Daughter Like Royalty
Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield: Here’s a glimpse inside the hearts of daughters and two concepts that strike a chord in most every girl.
5 Ways to Make a Difference for Your Son
Many are saying that today’s boys are “fragile.” Here are some suggestions to help you invest strategically in your son.
The Best Things to Say When Kids Are Competing
We’ve all seen out-of-control parents at youth sports events. But some research gives dads a better option for encouraging our kids.
“Why is my father always angry?”
Angry fathering really does affect our children. Here’s a wake-up call and some steps to help us be calm dads.
The Paradox of “No Guarantees”
While we dads can’t guarantee that our children will make wise choices and lead a responsible life, we can greatly increase the odds.
A New School Year: 3 Tips for Dads
Your children will mature and be shaped in incredible ways over the coming months, and your involvement can help set them up for success.
Intentional, Joy-Filled Fathering
Joy should be an everyday habit and should continue to be evident through the entire course of our fathering lives.
Dads and Fast-Food Modeling
A research study reveals an interesting way dads influence their kids — and maybe an area where we need to step up as fathers.
“Dad, I Wish We Could Talk About ________”
A group of teenagers provides insights into topics they wish they could talk about with their dads.
Teaching Your Kids to Drive – and Other Skills
If we aren’t careful, this big moment in a child’s life can become a big conflict. 7 tips for dads in the passenger seat … and beyond.
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.
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...
“I’m Proud of You Because …”
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Dad, if you’re anything like me, you’re very proud of your kids. Sometimes the simplest things they do can bring a lump to your throat or a tear to your eye. And I know ... Many of us notice our kids’ positive qualities and accomplishments, but...
Give Yourself for Christmas
Dad, do you want to know one the best gifts you can give your kids for Christmas—beyond the presents you wrap and place under the tree? Since the material gifts are likely already purchased and wrapped, let's talk a bit about a truly lasting gift you can give your...
11 Things That Make Your Family Special
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. What makes a family a family? There are many ways to answer that question, and it will likely be different for each family. One idea is to consider the regular activities that you do together—the activities that help to develop a sense of...
Where Are You as a Father?
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. For many decades, we men had a bad reputation when it came to navigating the world. We wouldn’t stop and ask for directions. Maybe we thought, Hey, I’m a guy and I know where I’m going and how to get there. Or at least I should. Sometimes this...
A New Resource to Equip Dads Like You
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Dads and Friends of Dads: It’s a privilege to be working with an organization that is committed to a cause, and here at the National Center for Fathering, that cause is you, dads! We sincerely believe that responsible, engaged fathers are heroes...
Teens: Make the Most of Opportunities
Be ready, dad. When chances come to spend time with your teenager, don’t miss ‘em. Roy had a thirteen-year-old son named Sam. As you might expect with a father of a teen, satisfying connection times were hit-and-miss, and often it was "miss." Both of them were busy...
How to Bond with Your Baby
When Gary first held his son, it was awkward. The child cried and he didn’t know what to do. It was obvious that his wife already felt a deep affection for this new member of the family. But Gary didn’t know what to say, and there was no rush of emotion, no glow in...