Brief
Intended for parents, this brief emphasizes the importance of fathers in the development of children. The benefits of active fathering are considered and barriers to active fathering are explained, including: men often have less experience with children than women, men tend not to feel the same social pressure as women to learn how to care for their own, mothers can view fathers as less competent, and family arrangements and socioeconomic realities can make fathering challenge. Strategies for keeping fathers involved in parenting are discussed. 5 references.
Brief
Destinado a los padres, este resumen enfatiza la importancia de los padres en el desarrollo de los niños. Se consideran los beneficios de la paternidad activa y se explican las barreras para la paternidad activa, que incluyen: los hombres a menudo tienen menos experiencia con los niños que las mujeres, los hombres tienden a no sentir la misma presión social que las mujeres para aprender a cuidar de los suyos, las madres pueden ver los padres como menos competentes, y los arreglos familiares y las realidades socioeconómicas pueden hacer que la paternidad sea un desafío. Se discuten…
Webinar
This Webinar discussed issues including: research concerning the impact of early father-child bonding; ways to engage with fathers prenatally; and, key information that practitioners can present to fathers of infants and toddlers. (Author abstract)
Brief
In the late 1990s, a handful of states began to fund healthy marriage and relationship (HMR) programs and initiatives intended as a promising new strategy for strengthening families and improving child well-being. The states were soon followed by the federal government, which launched a healthy marriage initiative in 2002. The following questions initially were raised about this new policy development:1. What are the reasons why government should get involved in what is surely a private matter or a matter for individuals, couples and faith-based institutions? Why should marriage and couple…
Parents talk to their kids about all kinds of difficult topics. There are commercials about our kids' brains on drugs, the importance of reading to our kids, and even about staying in school. But we rarely see or hear anything about one of the most important building blocks in our society: healthy marriage. Marriage is something many of us take for granted, but don't really understand. This tip sheet offers ways parents can give their children the tools to enjoy healthy and happy relationships. (Author abstract modified)
It is exciting to get married. Marriage offers the opportunity to create a new family and new traditions. However, getting married when there are children involved can bring with it a new set of challenges and anxieties about making your relationship work successfully for a lifetime. Stepfamilies are very common, but creating one can be challenging. In the United States, more than 1,300 stepfamilies are formed every day. It is a great responsibility to model healthy relationships for your children, and now is the perfect time to show them your best stuff! This tip sheet is designed to help…
Dating violence is a serious concern for today's teens and parents. According to the National Youth Violence Prevention Center, about 20% of teens have experienced abuse in a dating relationship. Parents often under estimate their influence on teens when it comes to dating and sex. But parents play a vital role in helping teens recognize the red flags of an unhealthy relationship and ending an abusive relationship. When you talk frequently and openly with your teens, they are more likely to turn to you in a time of crisis. The following tips and strategies can help you open the lines of…
Eighty-two percent of 18 to 30 year olds expect to be married for life. Researchers have found that the building blocks of healthy adult marriages are formed during the teenage years. Parents may be nervous about talking to their teens about relationships or marriage, but they are a critical influence in their teen's life. When asked "Who influences you most when it comes to your dating relationships?" teens named their parents first (35 percent). Parents' values seem to be related to teen values and, subsequently, teen behaviors. Show your teen you care, listen respectfully to his or her…
It's no surprise that most teens explore romantic relationships. Romance is the premise of many teen movies, and is apparent in their everyday life through tweeting, chat rooms, text messaging and school gossip. Relationships that occur during the teen years are an opportunity for young adults to experience romance, learn about themselves and establish expectations for future relationships. So, how can a program effectively turn a hot topic into a teachable moment? This Tip Sheet describes key characteristics of successful youth programs. (Author abstract)
Studies show that increasing numbers of teens from 1975 to 1995 felt that marriage and family life were "extremely important" to them. In 2005, most teens continued to feel favorably about marriage. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 90 percent of Americans will marry someday. Relationships as depicted in popular books and movies are new and exciting to youth. Even so, many teens have experienced divorce in the family and are pessimistic about the possibility of having a stable, two-parent household or a lifelong marriage. Relationship education (RE) services are, therefore, a…
