DadTalk Blog

During the summer months, it is easy to put learning on the back burner. Summer activities, vacations, and other priorities often get in the way, and kids can lose some of the math and reading skills they spent the previous school year building. Children risk significant ‘learning loss’ between the end of one school year and the beginning of the next. Even though all children have some learning loss during the summer, research shows that low-income youth lose up to three months in reading achievement. Additionally, many children also lose about two months of grade-level equivalency in math…

Another Father’s Day full of special and memorable moments has come and gone, but the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse has kept the momentum going through the #makeamoment campaign. This year, we have been reminding dads that it only takes a moment to make a memory that will last children a lifetime!

As an integral part of our Father’s Day festivities, the NRFC, in partnership with the Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, released brand new public service announcements (PSAs). The PSAs are an exciting continuation of the Ad Council’s…

Ed note: This post appeared in the ACF Family Room Blog and was originally posted by the FYSB National Clearinghouse for Families and Youth. View the post here.

Yvonne,* a current intern at Street Poets Inc., first came to the organization at age 16. She grew up in an area saturated with gang violence, where sex traffickers and pimps would approach her and try to lure her into prostitution. Using a range of creative programs and mentorship…

Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America present an incredible opportunity for parents and children alike to become more involved in their community and to explore, learn, and grow alongside one another. With millions of children participating globally, both of these organizations teach valuable lessons and morals through all kinds of adventures, service trips, and challenges. Children of any age or gender who take part in these organizations’ activities will undoubtedly learn teamwork, leadership skills, and self-confidence. As an adult, you have the chance to become a leader and mentor for…

You’re at the supermarket, and your daughter is focused on a bag of chocolate candies. When you take them from her, she throws herself on the floor, screaming.

Sound familiar? The toddler years are a trying but rewarding state in your child’s life. Toddlers are learning that they are independent little people, but often lack the language and coping skills to communicate their wants and needs effectively. These years are also an opportunity to teach children the limits of appropriate versus inappropriate behavior, which will impact their success in school, work, and relationships in…

In summertime, the warm weather, increased hours of sunlight, and the absence of school open the door for all kinds of new, fun outdoor activities that may not be possible during the school year or in other seasons. Spending time in nature is both entertaining and healthy for you and your children. Sunlight gives us vitamin D, which has been scientifically proven to boost our moods and strengthen our immune systems. Exploring the outdoors also creates limitless fun, learning moments for children, and helps increase their knowledge of the world around them. The National Association for the…

This year the dads here at the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse have been asking you to share the different ways that you have been taking time to appreciate the everyday moment and the special occasions that you spend with your kids, and to share them using #makeamoment. 

Being a father is one of the hardest but most rewarding jobs you can have. “Job” because it takes work to be intentional every day about making good choices for you and your family and finding ways to show your children just how much you love them.

Over the past few weeks many of you have…

One of the greatest ways a dad can bond with his children is by making memories together.  That requires us as dads to do things with them.  The key word is do something. When we are making those memories, take a minute to take a photo. Photos are a great way to preserve those memorable moments so you can look back hours, days, and years later on special moments together.

Here are 10 things you can do to make great memories with your kids.  Your children will remember these escapades for their entire lives.

1. Outdoor Adventures This might include camping, fishing, hunting…

Each year during June I have a level of anxiety around the celebration of Father’s Day. One would ask why? Well, I’ve been conditioned to wear a smile as I receive my gifts, even if I don’t like them. I’ve been told all year long that fatherhood doesn’t matter. Oh, and for some odd reason all of the restaurants my family wants to take me to have available reservations on Father’s Day. What’s that all about!? Long story, short, I’ve had to find ways that would make this day more of a celebration for me.

For the past eight years I’ve been contributing to a Daddy Box of Moments. What…

This Sunday, millions of fathers across America will celebrate one of the greatest days of the year:   Father’s Day.  If you’re a dad like me, you know how amazingly special and memorable this day can be.  And what’s so special about it you ask?  Other than all the hand written cards, neck ties, and coffee mugs that are given to dads by their adoring kids, it’s the opportunity that Father’s Day gives us all to make a moment with our children.  Whether they are quiet moments, silly moments, sporty moments, or teaching moments…they all count.  But these moments aren’t just made on Father’s…