Here are things you can do today to build the father-child relationship you want and your child needs.
Six Ways to be Your Child's Cheerleader
We all want our children to find a passion in life and excel — and we want to be there to cheer them in ways that truly encourage & affirm.
9 Bedtime Stories for Your Toddler
Looking for some great bedtime stories for your toddler? Check out NCF’s recommendations in this free download.
Be Present with Your Children
We dads are busy with our jobs, our hobbies, our pursuits, and we often say we’re too busy for some things that may be important to our families. So then we often pass up opportunities to be present and make a difference in our children’s lives.
6 Ways to Appreciate Your Wife for Your kids
When you appreciate your wife, you let your children know that your marriage is important, and you set a great example for them.
Daily Tips and Reminders Can Help You Be a Better Dad
Dads benefit from tips and insights about what our children need from us and how to make the most of our efforts.
Your Relationship to Your Child – Father of the Bride
Take advantage of the good times that come along with your children, and share your heart with them. Open up about the deep feelings you’ve developed through the years; communicate your most earnest desires for them; praise them for the developing character...
Family Challenges and Issues – Father of the Bride
Fatherhood has plenty of rewards and great times that come with it ... and it throws you a fair share of curve balls.
A question you should ask your kids …
A lot of dads want to connect with their kids, they just aren't sure how. The truth is, dads and kids can connect at any time — while doing dishes together, driving to soccer practice, or while running errands.
Why Great Fathering Does NOT Involve Sacrifice
“Sacrifice” isn’t the best way of describing what a dedicated father does.
Are you connecting with your kids?
How engaged are today's fathers? Recent data analysis from the Pew Research Center is encouraging … and discouraging.
Are You a Rich Man? (See Video)
The movie doesn’t open in theaters until the end of September, but there’s a buzz about Courageous — and that’s appropriate as we approach Father’s Day. The movie, from the producers of Fireproof and Facing the Giants, follows the stories of five different dads and the challenges they face, and challenges all dads to raise their level of commitment and become the fathers their children need.
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.
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...