This essay by Abigail will inspire and motivate you as a dad, or maybe help you recommit yourself to be the father your children really need.

This essay by Abigail will inspire and motivate you as a dad, or maybe help you recommit yourself to be the father your children really need.
Is it possible to be a great father as a single dad? Absolutely! But in some ways we may have to take a slightly different approach.
Quite a few divorced dads go through periods where they don’t get to interact much with their kids. Here are 2 thoughts to keep in mind.
My eyes were opened to the remarkable impact that man had on my daughter’s life. I began to understand the depth of this stepfather’s love …
Patrick Hughes was born blind and with physical restrictions that keep him in a wheelchair. Can you imagine how his father must have felt? Patrick Senior often wondered, “Why us?” But then …
Wisdom from dads in response to the question: How do you help your kids know that “It’s not your fault”?
Longtime NCF friend and fathering advocate David Hirsch describes his inspiring work to combat father absence and encourage dads in challenging situations.
You married your spouse, not her kids. Your job is to help her, not take over her role or responsibilities with her children.
Whether it was intentional or not, maybe you have tried to turn your child against his mother. And make no mistake, these kinds of comments move you dangerously close to placing yourself between your dear, sweet child and someone he loves more than anyone else, except you.
Whether you have a child with a physical challenge, a learning disability or an emotional problem, you might benefit from these six thoughts.
Time is perhaps your most valuable fathering resource and your most precious gift to your children. We have to make sure today counts.
Mother’s Day is something we should all throw ourselves into, because moms deserve it—and it’s good for us and for our kids.
by Jay Payleitner Traditionally, Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for phone calls. So where does that leave dads on Father’s Day? Well, maybe fewer calls are made because talking with the old man is more frustrating than talking with mom. Too often...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...