The DadTalk blog features insights from dads and Responsible Fatherhood practitioners from around the country. Its goal is to start conversations about important issues surrounding fatherhood and programs for fathers today.
Ed. note: This statement was first published on HHS.gov. You can see the original post here.
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The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse recently published a new Data Snapshot revealing how men’s behaviors, attitudes, and values on family formation have changed in recent decades. The data show that men are delaying marriage and increasingly living with partners prior to getting married. Additionally, they are becoming fathers at increasingly older ages. These changes in behavior are mirrored by men’s attitudes towards children, family life, marriage, and cohabitation.…
Mothers have a pretty thankless job. They are the backbone of the family—the glue that holds it together so to speak. Single moms especially are generally overworked and underappreciated. The truth is without mom; most kids would suffer mightily and fail to thrive to their full potential. Therefore, it’s vitally important that mom know how much everyone appreciates her and all the things she does. Here are five ways for dads to show mom how thankful you are she’s around.
Give her some time alone—take the kids Most moms dream about having some quiet time around the house. Offer to…
I think that love is a deep affection or attachment to something or someone. It consists of traits such as unselfishness, loyalty, devotion, tenderness, passion, and compassion. When thinking about the love that a father or a mother has for his or her child, it is easy to think about the emotions and feelings when a kid smiles or giggles. From the perspective of the child, one can see the joy in the smile, the glimmer in the eyes, and the glee in the laughter whenever mom or dad comes into the room. The love shared between a parent and child is very powerful. Parents are willing to…
Everyone thinks their dad is the toughest guy on the planet to find a gift for. And we are—to some degree. But the key is to think like a man—what are things that all men like and appreciate? (Hint: we are not as complicated as you think). Here are five ideas that the big guy will enjoy and appreciate this Valentine’s Day.
1. Head rub. I don’t do it very often but there is nothing more relaxing and soothing than laying my head on my wife’s lap after a rough day and have her give me a light head rub. Her healing touch relieves stress and bonds me closer to her. Whenever I get a…
Enjoying Valentine’s Day is not always easy because Cupid’s arrow does not always seem to find everyone! Valentine’s Day puts a lot of pressure on us to shower our partner and children with love on one specific day. The pressure on Valentine’s Day can seem like too much. Almost all of us have had the “perfect” gift go wrong. How can you get it right? How do you show love?
Researcher and therapist Gary Chapman argues that there are five main “love languages;” ways that people feel loved by others around them. Your interpretation of a loving…
Said many different ways, the questions moms and dads must tackle during divorce can be pretty common. It’s important that parents be prepared to tackle hard questions, like those on the list below, to ensure the health of their children and other family members that will be affected by divorce.
Here are four big questions parents should be prepared to tackle:
1. Where will I live?
When trying to wrap their heads around the changes that come along with divorce, one of the biggest issues children may struggle with is the idea of home. Since residence can have such a…
The many moving parts of a divorce can make parenting extra difficult. For fathers, maintaining healthy relationships with children can be especially challenging without the right help and approach. Here are four strategies to help you ensure your father-child relationship continues to be a success through the tough transition of a divorce.
Practice Great Co-ParentingThe start of healthy parent-child relationships during a divorce starts with the relationship two parents have with one another. The way you and your co-parent communicate, relate, and make decisions can have…
Ed. Note: This highlight is from a series entitled Highlights from the Field: Office of Family Assistance Programs at Work for American Families from the Office of Family Assistance Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Technical Assistance Project. Watch the original posting here.
The Dibble Institute
This highlight from the field is a video interview with staff and participants from The Dibble Institute, a Healthy Marriage grantee of the U.S. Department…
Ed. Note: This highlight is from a series entitled Highlights from the Field: Office of Family Assistance Programs at Work for American Families from the Office of Family Assistance Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Technical Assistance Project. Read the original postings: Podcast 1, Podcast 2
Beech Acres Parenting Center
Beech Acres Parenting Center Building Strong Marriages and…
Ed. Note: This highlight is part of a series entitled Highlights from the Field: Office of Family Assistance Programs at Work for American Families. Read the original posting here.
Alfred and Lucinda Loveland expected parenting to have ups and downs. But they were not prepared for their different parenting styles or their different ideas about their son’s needs. Frustrated and growing desperate, they attended Raising Kids Twogether, a relationship and marriage education (RME) course for young parents offered by…