In 2009, the National Head Start Association held its 36th Annual National Training Conference in Orlando. In line with the theme, "Beyond the Boundaries: New Approaches and New Strategies," the conference highlighted various ways to improve the quality of early childhood education for the families they serve. One of the suggested ideas was to get fathers more involved.
One of a father's key roles, from the moment he becomes a dad, is resource management. It's part of the vital task of providing for his family.
Singing is something I don't do particularly well. I used to be in plays and musicals as a young buck. My 2nd grade performance of "You’re the Inspiration" by Chicago at our talent show was solid gold.
Dancing around with my girls is silly, immature, goofy and quite possibly the most enjoyable highlight of each stress-filled day.
With fathers, sensitivity in play was the best predictor of long-term attachment, even surpassing the security that a mom provides for an infant or toddler.
I fantasize about the life my wife and I would have if we were free to travel wherever we wanted. If we were free to go out to dinner together, see a movie, go to museums without worrying about who is watching our children and feeling guilty for leaving. The time we would have to actually talk, share our lives, getting to know each other all over again. I imagine we would be doing so many fun and interesting things together rather than arguing over how we will figure out where to live and how to afford it while sending our kids to school for the first time. The stress of having children, trying to do what’s best for them, providing for them is a dominating force in our relationship. Without that, I can only imagine what our relationship would be like. Becoming a parent really has changed everything and there are times when I’m left wondering about all that I am missing.
Everyone has worry and fear in their lives, and as parents this worry and fear is exponentially increased. There are constant questions like, "Are my children healthy?" "Do we have enough money?" "Am I doing a good job?" The list could go on indefinitely, with the worry and anxiety becoming overwhelming at times.
“Daddy, can I help?”
Coming on a bright summer Saturday morning, this sweet offer from the world’s warmest toddler prompts a low rumbling sound from its target.
“Daddy, why are you growling?”
Gentleness as a father begins with maintaining composure through the highs and lows that come with having young children.
For many younger children, the language of their world is play. When fathers don't speak that language, but instead try to relate in an adult way, kids can't understand or relate, and may experience feelings of frustration, isolation, or ignorance. Sometimes fathers feel the lack of connection, too. But we can prevent it—and strengthen the bonds with our children—by learning their language of play.
If you want your toddler to learn to talk, then you better start talking … and listening … and encouraging.
Some child development experts believe that the more verbal interaction a child has during his toddler years, the better his chances are for being advanced later in life in terms of intellect, language skills, and social development. And I tend to agree.
Fathers may naturally roughhouse with their sons, but it’s good for girls, too! Through this kind of play, your kids learn some of the first lessons about loving authority.
by Matt Haviland Is it possible to be a great father as a single dad? The short answer is, “Absolutely!” However, since being a single parent brings a variety of outside factors and dynamics, we may have to take a slightly different approach. It will surely look...
All fathers start out as sons. Many of us probably didn’t even think about becoming fathers until it was just a few years or months away. But once we did start imagining ourselves as fathers, the obvious and natural role models we thought of were our dads. By that...
When dads and daughters get together and focus on each other, good things happen. We saw it over and over years ago when we hosted father-daughter events all over the country, and it’s a big reason why we’re starting them up again. We heard incredible stories of...
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. If you’re a dad, you know that waiting is part of the gig. {And please note: this is a somewhat lighthearted look at fatherhood, but I don't want to minimize the very real and difficult waiting that many couples do when they're trying to...
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Men are from Mars. Women are from Venus. I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase before. Maybe you’ve even read the book by John Gray, though it first came out more than thirty years ago. I find his book title to be fitting in...
How well do you know your child's developmental milestones and progress? A study at the University of Rochester discovered that about one-third (31.2%) of parents of 9-month-olds are "clueless" about child development milestones, such as when babies talk, learn right...
Rick and his family were out at the lake, staying in a cabin for a week, getting some well-deserved vacation time. One morning they were getting ready to go fishing, and Rick was walking along the dock toward the boat with his arms full of gear. He stumbled on a loose...
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Some years back, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal set out to write a story that she believed would really impact her readers. She wanted to interview a CEO of a publicly traded company who was committed to his family and actively involved...
Ahh, the sounds of summer. No, this isn't about the crack of the bat, or fireworks, or even the sizzle of the barbecue. This is about the droning whines of your offspring. Maybe this summer you've heard statements like: “Dad, There’s nothing to do around...
A few years ago, one of our staff had the chance to talk to an active military dad during an airport layover. Jim, an officer in the Air Force, had been away from his wife and kids for four months, and he had missed Christmas with them for the second time. It was...
by Matt Haviland I was a single father for almost a decade. They were challenging years, but looking back I realize that some of my hardest moments taught me the greatest lessons. That doesn’t mean everything got easier as time went on, or that I achieved some level...
by Jeff Zaugg I’ll never forget the joy that swelled up inside my 9-year-old heart as I watched my dad leap into a swimming pool from a raised perch in front of hundreds of cheering cruise ship passengers. It was the biggest event of the four-day cruise: the Belly...