Are the holidays often stressful for you as a single dad? Matt Haviland provides 5 suggestions to help you have holidays that are OK … and better.
Single Fathers: 3 Do’s and 2 Don’ts
From Matt Haviland: No matter what your specific challenges may be as a single father, these five foundational principles will prove helpful.
5 Things Single Dads Should Do Consistently
From Matt Haviland: We all say things that are insensitive sometimes. Here are ways to be more affirming with our kids and others.
Single Dads & Consistent Words: 5 Things to Avoid
From Matt Haviland: Do you understand the long-term impact your words are having on your children? It’s especially important for single dads.
4 Things I Learned as a Single Father
From Matt Haviland: Some of my hardest moments taught me the greatest lessons and gave me perspectives I may not have known otherwise.
Single Fathers: Press On
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.
Divorced Dads: Two Thoughts to Keep in Mind
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.
Steps in the Right Direction: Your Child’s Other Father
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 …
Divorced Dads: Keep Pursuing Your Kids
Wisdom from dads in response to the question: How do you help your kids know that “It’s not your fault”?
Divorced Dads: Respect a Child’s Love
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.
Divorced Dads: Find Ways to Be Involved
Some of the most heroic examples of fatherhood are found in single, non-custodial dads who find ways to engage their children despite the challenges.
Thanks for What? Divorced Dads & the Holidays
While it’s difficult not having a partner during the holidays, it’s particularly difficult when we don’t have our children. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the things we don’t have and the things for which we’re not thankful.
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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.
Fathering is a Marathon: Embrace the Journey
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. Dad, while you’re in the middle of dashing around as a busy dad, I want to provide some perspective and an important reminder: Fathering is a marathon. Being a good dad is a distance run. It’s a long, trying journey and we must be disciplined if...
Beyond Conditional Love: Rethinking Expectations
When it comes to your kids, dad, What do you expect? We’ve often heard comments like these from grown sons and daughters: “My brother was an all-state quarterback, but I played tennis, and I never quite measured up for my dad.” “I made a B average in school, but Daddy...
Valentine’s Day Tips for Dads of Daughters – and Sons
Your Valentine’s Day shopping and planning for your wife is surely well under way, if not complete—and that’s good! Some may view this "holiday" as just another excuse for greeting card and flower companies to make money—as well as jewelry, candy and clothing...
Entering Your Child’s World: 5 Areas for Dads to Stay Connected
Dad, are you really plugged into what’s going on in your children’s lives? Do you have a good handle on what happens in their typical day, who is influencing them, and how they are processing the things they see and hear? In today’s world these can be unsettling...
Self-Disciplined Kids & the Power of Saying “No”
by Dr. Ken Canfield Dad, are you instilling in your children a strong “internal locus of control”? You’re probably thinking, What does that mean? And I get it. It’s a term that I’ve come across as a researcher from time to time through the years. Some years ago, one...
Everyday Heroes: Dads Have Superpowers!
by Donald Calkins That’s right, dad. Your children believe the world revolves around you; they see you as holding the universe in your hands. While that may be exaggerated, the truth is that most dads have extraordinary influence over their children. I remember going...
Make Every Day Count: A New Year of Fathering
Dad, what will it take to make this year the best ever for you and your kids? The media has a New Year tradition of remembering well-known people who died during the past year. A few years back, one of those people was a man who really seemed to “get it” as a father,...
16 Ideas for Father-Child Holiday Traditions
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC One December back in the late 60s, a father-daughter tradition began. One afternoon, my father drove my younger sister and me—seven and five at the time—two hours away in our turquoise station wagon to cut down our family...
Single Dads: Will it Really be OK this Holiday Season?
by Matt Haviland If the holiday season ushers in an assortment of emotions to most people, that’s even more true for single dads this time of year. Joy, laughter, and anticipation may be at the forefront. What about dread, anxiety, or doubt? “Yes” to all of the above,...
Ways to Give Meaningful Gifts to Your Kids
How do you decide what gifts to give your children this time of year? Maybe your family has settled into an annual routine that seems to work pretty well. Maybe the kids create lists to help you know what they want. Maybe most of the gifts have already been bought...
From Duty to Delight: Transforming Your Fatherhood
What’s the secret ingredient of good fathering? And maybe more importantly for many dads: What can you do if you never saw that kind of father as you grew up? Jeff is a committed dad who has a great perspective on fathering. He’s passionate about being the dad his two...
Time: Are You Spending or Investing?
by Ron Nichols There’s a common expression that we use all the time. It’s pretty harmless in itself, but as fathers we need to think differently with it. It’s the simple concept of spending time. We always say, “I spent a lot of time on that project,” or, “I spent 20...