How do conversations go with your teenager? If you’re like many dads, usually all you can get out of him is a one-word answer or even just a grunt — and this can happen with younger kids as well. Why is it so hard?
One Girl’s Dream-Come-True Dad
Every year at this time, we get to judge children's essays as part of our Father of the Year Essay Contest. And just when we think we have read just about every possible insightful and inspiring expression from a child to his or her father, kids come up with things...
How Are You Using Your Super Power?
Do you ever wonder what your kids could become if they really believed they could do anything? As a father, you have great power in the words you speak to them.
The Importance of FUN
Anthony’s reaction motivated me. I hadn’t seen him smile since the day we transferred from Cardiac Care to Rehab. I was sure he needed to have some fun.
Shining Examples of Care and Concern
Like those in other fathering situations, adoptive dads carry a special set of challenges. Here are four practical ideas.
The Dad Who Blesses
With the last name of Smith, my wife and I hoped to set our boys apart by giving them first names found off the beaten path. We started out alright with Isaac and Noah. In 1993 when Joshua came along, we had no idea it was destined to be one of the most popular names of the entire decade. We gave Gideon a name so seldom used he can't find a personalized bike plate anywhere!
Steady Through the Years: A Single Dad’s Journey
At 53, my days as a runner are a fond memory. Not to say I couldn't get back into the shape I was in 1983 when I got up every morning at 6:00 am to run two miles before work. It's just that I seem to have run out of time for myself these days. I'm a single dad.
Moving Video: A Perfect Father Figure
A recent story featured on ESPN's "Outside the Lines" epitomizes the Championship Fathering fundamental of Encouraging Other Kids.
What Happens When Dad Gives 100% Support …
Sam Jones is one of our most active master trainers. He's also a championship-level fencer, not to mention demonstrating qualities of a Championship Father.
Audio: Don’t Yell over Spilled Milk
Having kids gives you multiple chances to be a real-life hero. But only if your children have learned that, in a crisis, they can trust in your unconditional love.
Single Dads Dating: “Meet Your New Stepmother”
Soon after my divorce in 2000, I became the primary custodian of my two sons CJ and Brandon. I remarried in 2007, but those years as a single parent gave me a different perspective on fatherhood and the task of training my sons in the world of dating and relationships.
A Moving Video: “Daddy Phone”
The new song "Daddy Phone," by country artist Marty Raybon, portrays a divorced dad who only gets to see his son occasionally. To stay connected, the dad gives his son a cell phone and tells him, "When you're missing me, or feeling all alone, just push '1' on your daddy phone. I'll be on the line when I hear that ringtone. We'll talk anytime on your daddy phone."
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Welcome to the fathers.com fathering library.
Military Dads & the Price of Freedom
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...
4 Things I Learned as a Single Father
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...
9 Ways to Leap Beyond Father’s Day to Dad Awesome Day
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...
What to Do When You Dread Father’s Day
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Father’s Day is an occasion to celebrate, no doubt about it. It might even be a day for dads to recommit themselves to loving and investing in their children in meaningful ways. That’s what all of us are about at fathers.com. But...
A Script for Your Call with Dad on Father’s Day (Or Any Day)
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 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...
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....