Many are saying that today’s boys are “fragile.” Here are some suggestions to help you invest strategically in your son.
Boys Need Men to Teach Them About Life
by Rick Johnson: When boys are brought up to feel competent and capable, they have a much better chance of succeeding at life.
Crush Your Son in Driveway Basketball
by Jay Payleitner – In just a few years, he will beat you. And that victory will be ever-so-sweet because it was earned.
Goodnight Upside Down
A man gets a birthday call from his father, and the two of them are transported back in time. A story by Peter Lewis.
Valentine’s Day Tips for Dads of Daughters – and Sons
Your Valentine’s Day shopping and planning for your wife might be well under way—and that’s good! Some may view this as just another excuse for greeting card and flower companies to make money—as well as jewelry, candy and clothing companies, etc.—but it’s also true...
3 Tips for Becoming a Good Listener to Your Son
We all want to be listened to. But truly listening isn’t always easy. Here are a few tips to help you become a good listener to your son. For more resources on understanding your son, read: Just understand your son. Just be DAD - 5 Things Your Son Wants to Tell You
Learn (and Pass On) Authentic Manhood
A Dad’s Stupid Quest for Masculinity by Mike McCormick Recently, my 14-year-old son and I were riding ATVs in the Rocky Mountains on a father-son bonding weekend. At one point, we encountered a particularly treacherous incline. It had snowed that morning, and the...
How to Give Your Son a Positive Identity
by Tim Brown: Boys today need to be taught by their dads the true value of who they are—and affirmed for who they are.
5 Things Your Son Wants to Tell You
by Steven Cessario What did you want to tell your father when you were a teenager? Maybe you had feelings for a girl and you wanted some advice, or maybe you were frustrated with school, a friendship, or even life at home. Did you want your dad to hang with you, to...
How to “Build” a Better Dad: Invest in Your Sons
by Tim Wright These are interesting days to be a dad. On the one hand, research overwhelmingly tells us that dads play an essential role in the lives of their sons and daughters. On the other hand, certain voices in culture not only question the necessity of dad, but...
Believe in Miracles: 5 Lessons from Raising a Cancer Survivor
I would never say that I have handled the various challenges perfectly, but there are some important things I have learned along the way
Conversations to Have With Your Teen Son
Your conversations are important to your son, whether he expresses that or not. Make sure you are having these conversations with your teen son before he leaves home. Check out Tools for the Journey: Conversations You Need to Have With Your Teen Son. Here are 5 tips...
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.
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...
Spiritual Equipping: Raising Kids to Be Discerning
Mike served eleven years in prison. He comes from a family of ten children, and at one time, six of his family members were locked away. Collectively, they have given America’s prisons nearly 100 years of their lives. Mike has learned a lot because of his hardships,...
How to Actively Listen to Your Child
We live in a world of distractions. And dad, your child is not one of them. There have never been this many different things competing for our attention. As they add more apps and capabilities to our smart phones and more streaming services with more interesting...
Kids Need a Dad Who Loves (or Respects) Their Mom
As dads, we need each other. One of the best ways to grow as a father is to meet regularly with other like-minded guys. We see that other dads share some of the same experiences, and we’re more likely to open up about our own issues. As dads, we’re not alone, and we...
3 Questions for Dads on Providing for Your Family
What does it mean to provide for our children in today’s world? ... especially as roles and expectations have changed pretty drastically in the past few generations. Yes, providing is still an important aspect of being a dad. And along with Protecting our children,...
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...