Children don’t just change your life; they totally transform it. They give you a new perspective on everything.
Advice for New (or Soon-To-Be) Dads!
We’ve asked some of our friends to give you their best advice as you prepare and start out on your fathering journey. Here are some of our favorites.
Moms: You can help your child’s father be a better dad
Research found that moms have a strong influence on dads’ childcare efforts. When a mom praises a dad’s efforts, he often takes a more active parenting role.
How Fatherhood Can Change You
Some recent research studies have found biological changes in new fathers — even at the hormonal and brain cell level.
Birth – Your Gateway to Fatherhood
Your child's birth is the gateway through which you, your child and its mother must journey in order to become a family or add to your family. The quality of the birth experience influences the quality of your relationship with your family. It can create bonds of trust and support, or it can reinforce feelings of isolation from mother and child.
Get Ready to Be a Dad with a Fathers Assembly
When my wife was pregnant, I was nervous. I knew I was on the brink of the most monumental transition in my life, and the men around me were not helping.
Dads and Childproofing
Hollywood celebrity Matthew McConaughey recently made the following comment about his 14-month-old son, Levi: "He’s getting bigger, more fun, smarter and craftier by the day." Toddlers are great at keeping their dads very busy, and their growing craftiness can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a cause for concern because they can disappear very quickly, sometimes into very unsafe environments. Have you had that experience?
Growing as You Prepare for Fatherhood
If it feels like you don’t instinctively know how to care for your baby, that’s normal. Every new parent has to learn,
A Poem for Harrison, My Unborn Son
I don’t remember exactly when it was that my wife told me she was pregnant, but I know I’ll never forget it. It lacked all the basic elements for a good commercial: No international flavored coffees. No emotional background music. No surprise greeting card that ended with Hallmark tears of joy. Just an earful of sobering news.
Older Fathers
In recent years, some high-profile men have become fathers in their fifties and sixties: Paul McCartney, David Letterman, and the list goes on. They are part of a growing trend of men having children later in life.
Should I Have Children?
Luke e-mailed us asking for resources that will help him decide if he should have children. Bill Beahm, formerly on our staff, responded to him, and we want to share what Bill wrote.
Maybe some of you are asking that same question. Or, if you already have kids, maybe this will be a good reminder for you.
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.
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...
“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...