As I “mature” as a dad and granddad, I’m more and more aware that my time is limited, and I want to do all I can to leave a strong legacy.
Game Time! Have a FUN Family Christmas
The holidays should be fun! Don’t settle for less. Organize activities that everyone can participate in and enjoy.
3 Fathering Insights from Joseph
Jeff Zaugg: Sometimes our dreams and expectations fall flat, and we can all learn from the dad in the Christmas story.
Perfume Day: A Powerful Dad-Daughter Holiday Tradition
Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield: Why not adopt a new tradition and create lasting memories of positive interaction with your daughter?
What’s Your Plan for the Holidays, Dad?
Think of thanksgiving as a test or a warm-up, dad. Start planning how you’ll be fully engaged during the Christmas season with your family.
3 Ways Dads Can Be Intentional on Thanksgiving
Jay Payleitner: If the days are moving too quickly, that’s all the more reason to approach the holidays with thoughtfulness & purpose.
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.
Dad Jokes: A Celebration
If there’s a category of humor named after us, maybe it’s because we’re fun-loving. We like to bring laughter and levity to our kids’ lives.
Dad Tucks In
by Jay Payleitner: The benefits are many. Mom gets a break. Dad gets a clear assignment and a daily chance to spend one-on-one time.
4 Truths About Dads, Being Role Models, & Past Mistakes
Having children and trying to raise them to be responsible people should make us look more closely at ourselves.
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.
Is Your Father an Example or a Lesson?
Whether our dads were mostly positive or negative in our lives, they have a profound impact on how we father our kids.
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Birthday Reflections: A Father’s Legacy
by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. I recently gathered with many of my children and grandchildren to celebrate a birthday: my 70th. It was a wonderful and sometimes wild time together. During the days before that celebration, I came up with a sheet of reflections that I handed...
Game Time! Have a FUN Family Christmas
Are there gamers in your family? Actually this isn’t the kind of gaming you’re probably thinking of. And it has very little (if anything) to do with phones, computers or keyboards (unless you come up with one that involves a piano). This is about playing games with...
3 Fathering Insights from Joseph
by Jeff Zaugg Have you ever had dreams or expectations that fell flat or didn’t materialize the way you hoped? That happened to my family and me a few years ago when we were on an RV trip in Texas. We had plans to spend a few days at a lake that looked beautiful on...
Perfume Day: A Powerful Dad-Daughter Holiday Tradition
by Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC Per·fume [pərˌfyo͞om] · a fragrant liquid typically made from essential oils extracted from flowers and spices, used to impart a pleasant smell to one's body or clothes. Day [dā/] · a period of twenty-four hours as a unit of time;...
What’s Your Plan for the Holidays, Dad?
It’s the week after Thanksgiving, and in case you didn't know it, dad, last week was a test—or maybe a warm-up. How did you do? It’s good to ask yourself questions like: “Did I help make the celebration all it could be? Or did I just kind of show up and let things...
A Year-End Message from Dr. Ken Canfield
Dad: Please watch this short video and then keep reading below for a year-end update and request from me ... https://youtu.be/1jYUmQOTfEg Dads: This is an exciting time of the year. I love the Christmas season for many reasons. It's also a time to reflect and take...
3 Ways Dads Can Be Intentional on Thanksgiving
by Jay Payleitner Thanksgiving? Already? If the days are moving too quickly, that's all the more reason to approach the holidays with thoughtfulness and intentionality. I do hope you're feeling grateful. Even if you've had a tough year,...
5 Things Single Dads Should Do Consistently
by Matt Haviland As a father, I try to operate with the ever-present knowledge that my words matter, and often more than I realize. Of course, that isn’t easy; we all say things that are careless and insensitive sometimes. And often the challenges increase when you...
Dad Jokes: A Celebration
by Brock Griffin What’s the deal with dad jokes? Why are fathers, some of the most vital contributors to healthy families and communities, associated with humor like this ...? I was wondering why the frisbee kept getting bigger and bigger. Then it hit me....
Dad Tucks In
by Jay Payleitner Statistically, moms spend more time with kids than dads. To counter that inequity, let’s just make a rule. Whenever possible, Dad tucks in. The benefits are many. Mom gets a break. Dad gets a clear assignment that he can check off his...
4 Truths About Dads, Being Role Models, & Past Mistakes
Tristan Thompson has come to an important realization as a father. You may know him as the former NBA player who went on to be in a relationship and have children with Khloé Kardashian and make regular appearances on the Kardashians’ TV show. It’s a celebrity family...
Single Dads & Consistent Words: 5 Things to Avoid
by Matt Haviland How often do you think about the words you use? Even more: Do you understand the long-term impact that your words are having on your children? I was a single father for more than nine years, sharing parenting time with my daughter’s mom. As my...