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.
In the early 1900’s, Sonora Smart Dodd, a woman in Spokane, Washington, heard a Mother's Day sermon and thought that her father—a widower and Civil War veteran who raised her and her five siblings—should also have a day of honor. Due to…
One of the greatest regrets I’ve heard from parents is that they didn’t spend enough time with their children when they were younger. Or that when they are with their young children now, they’re too tired to do anything creative. Questions that dads have asked include: “I’ve forgotten how to ‘play’—is this bad for my kids?” “Do we have to be ‘on’ and fully engaged at all times while spending time with our children?” “What exactly should we do with them?”
Questions like these can make the reality of caring for our kids feel daunting and stressful, so I thought it might be…
I spend a lot of time each day looking at screens. I tell myself this is OK, much of the time is spent doing work, writing or responding to emails, reading books or newspapers online, and watching “quality tv” or “essential sports.” After all, I’m just keeping myself informed and entertained. If I’m honest though, I do worry about the amount of time I spend with these various screens. My guess is I’m not alone in this concern. And I’m sure many parents worry about what’s best for their children.
Luckily, although still relatively new, there is a growing body of research…
Sports fans are probably well aware of the importance of good teamwork. I spend a lot of time watching television broadcasts of games between the top soccer teams in England. It’s often the partnership between two or three key players that leads to a good team performance–if one of those players is missing or not contributing like they normally do, it can negatively impact the team.
ImageIf you think about it, the same is true in most walks of life. You probably perform better at work when you can work on a task with a helpful co-worker. I bet…
With the new year, what better time to celebrate new dads! Becoming a dad, whether by birth, marriage, or adoption, is a life altering experience that comes with no instruction manual. Ross Noble, an English stand-up comedian, stated in a recent article, “A baby to me is like buying a new gadget that doesn’t come with an instruction book. And then, even if you went online and found the instruction book, those instructions will change every single day. So just approach fatherhood like an amateur.” This is so…
Welcome to 2020, a new year and a new decade! The new year is a great time to teach children about making meaningful resolutions, starting new habits, and planning meaningful activities. Think about creating some traditions that they can pass on to their children! Here are some ideas to help you make this new year extra special.
Give back to others. This is a great time of year to teach kids the importance of being kind and helping others. The Points of Light, whose mission is to inspire, equip, and…
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.…
Research on fatherhood has come a long way over the last 30 years. Fathers today are recognized more and more as caregivers, playmates, and nurturers–not just economic providers . NRFC's new research scan Father and Child Well-Being: A Scan of Current Research summarizes what fatherhood looks like today, as well as what fatherhood means for fathers’ and children’s well-being. Here’s a quick overview of some of the key points.
Characteristics of U.S. Fathers
About …
Check out this blog entry from The Family Dinner Project about helping your children develop “grit” – the qualities of perseverance, resilience, and having the attitude that failures and setbacks are all part of a longer process of learning. The Family Dinner Project, a nonprofit initiative that champions family dinner as an opportunity for family members to connect with each other through food, fun and conversation about things that matter. The…
Through program practitioners’ day-to-day work with fathers, they are given a unique window into the ways fathers shape their children’s development. However, it is also important to step back and dig into the research from time to time in order to keep up with any new findings around how and why dads are so vital to children’s lives. There is always something new to learn in the field of father involvement and children’s development—as practitioners, researchers, and (many of us) dads ourselves.
First, when we revisit the literature about fathers’ involvement, we need to define:…