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 post originally appeared on the Department of Labor (Work in Progress) Blog on July 15, 2014.
Photo: Daniel Murphy speaks at a White House event on working fathers. Bottom: Murphy at work. (Photo Credit: New York Daily News)…
With Father’s Day coming up next month, you might be looking for new and engaging ways to get your partners and community involved with the issue of Responsible Fatherhood. The recently launched Responsible Fatherhood Campaign Toolkit is a helpful and easy-to-use website with great resources, especially if you are trying to:
Raise awareness for the issue of responsible fatherhood in your local community Communicate directly with your partners and your community about the important work your organization is doing to encourage…Being a dad can be one of the most joyful experiences in a person’s life. The bonds between fathers and their children are deep and last a lifetime. Loving fathers want the best for their children and work to strengthen these bonds of love; however, the challenges of life can strain even the most precious relationships. Stress at work, financial worries, strained relationships with a co-parent, difficulties related to custody arrangements or father-child visits, personal health issues—life’s curve balls can sometimes feel like obstacles to nurturing a strong father-child bond. They can…
Family strengthening is a topic that has always been a part of the Head Start vision, and the past two decades have seen a growing recognition of how important Dads are to this process. For example, take the 2017 Father/Male Engagement Appreciation Breakfast held by Union Baptist Head Start in Baltimore, Maryland. This event truly embodied the best practice of showing fathers they are needed and appreciated. It also served to uncover Dads’ wants and needs for services. As the Master of Ceremony for the event, it was exciting for me to facilitate a spirited conversation to find out what…
“If no one in your group is talking about it [domestic violence], you’re not addressing it.” – Lisa Nitch, House of Ruth, Maryland
For parents of teenagers and programs working with young fathers, knowing and recognizing the warning signs of unhealthy dating behaviors that can lead to teen dating violence is crucial. This is especially true in the context of a recent national survey in which 1 in 10 teens reported being hit or physically hurt on purpose by a boyfriend or girlfriend at least once in the last 12 months. What’s more, during the 12 months prior to the survey, 1 in 10…
“When I found out I was going to be a father [at 21], I had to make some conscious decisions about my behavior. I soon found out that I couldn’t afford to buy both liquor and diapers.” – Andre Dandridge, NewYoungFathers.com
Responsible fatherhood programs have the potential to have a dramatic, positive influence on the lives of program participants and their children and extended families. Because young fathers are still at early stages of their own development, there are few places where the potential for impacting positive change is clearer than when working with young fathers (…
“The IRS estimates only four out of five workers claim EITC they earned.” – NRFC DadTalk Blog
Filing taxes is a notoriously confusing and complicated process. As the April filing deadline approaches and the conversation around taxes gets more intense, we need all the help we can get. This year, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) can potentially provide an added benefit for your family. It is intended to reduce the amount of tax owed by working people with low to moderate income and can often lead to a refund. However, many people don’t know that the EIT
C is available to…
Over the recent holiday season, the old adage “caring is sharing” often comes to mind. Sharing gifts. Sharing time with family and friends. Sharing food (perhaps a cookie or two). These are all wonderful ways to show others that we care about them, and excellent skills to be teaching our children.
But caring is more than sharing, and is fundamentally important to helping raise our children to be empathetic, responsible, successful, and ultimately happy young people and adults. From improved social relationships to success in the workplace, when we are concerned for others and care…
Empathy is at the heart of what it means to be human.
Harvard University’s Making Caring Common project provides a clear understanding of empathy. Understanding the importance of empathy is key in preventing bullying and for developing healthy and positive relationships. Building skills to support empathetic behavior is incredibly important in helping children become successful adults.
Empathy is not only the ability to understand another perspective but also to…
In December, families often take time to come together and celebrate the holidays. Whether you are taking part in traditions that have been in your family for generations or creating new ones with your own kids, the holiday season is a perfect time to reinforce the values of charity and generosity. It’s easy for kids to become wrapped up in getting presents, but during the holidays, you can show them that spending time giving back to others can be just as fun and much more rewarding!
Depending on the age of your kids, you may want to talk to them about what it means to give back to…
Ed. Note: This post first appeared on the CASA FamilyDay blog. Read the original post here.
Learn more tips on how fathers can share stories about their family history with their children to help them to value both their heritage and who they are as individuals. With our NRFC Spotlight on Dads Forever Family: Ancestors Who Shaped Our Lives, available in…