In this intergenerational collection of poetry by new and established African American writers, fatherhood is celebrated with honor, humor, and grace. Folami Abiade, Dinah Johnson, Carole Boston Weatherford, Dakari Hru, Michael Burgess, E. Ethelbert Miller, Lenard D. Moore, David Anderson, Angela Johnson, Sonia Sanchez, and Davida Adedjouma all contribute. Javaka Steptoe, who also offers a poem, employs an inventive range of media to bring each of the poems to life. In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall testifies to the powerful bond between father and child, recognizing family as our greatest gift, and…
This report details the experiences of six two-generation intervention projects in New York City supported by grants from the Foundation for Child Development. The two-generation projects help low-income families gain access to employment-related services for parents, and developmental services such as quality child care and health care for children. Although programs varied, all included voluntary services, used counseling, and had a moderate level of openness to parent input and decision making. Chapter 1 of the report describes recent changes in the welfare system and efforts to develop…
Divorced But Still My Parents is a textbook, workbook and storybook for children ages six through twelve. Based on the grief recovery model, this guide gently encourages boys and girls to understand the feelings caused by the parents' separation, and gives them specific strategies to cope. Parents can read Divorced But Still My Parents along with their children, and support the acceptance of changes in the family structure. Instructors in childrens' groups recommend Divorced But Still My Parents as an invaluable textbook for children. (Author abstract)
Becoming a stepfather means new relationships, new struggles, and new joys. This book is a commonsense, practical guide that helps stepfathers ease into their new role. The author emphasizes how stepfathers must replace wishful thinking with realistic expectations. Suggestions for getting along with stepchildren and building lasting relationships, managing conflict, establishing authority, and communicating in a positive way are all included to help men fully enjoy the rewards of being a stepfather. (Author abstract modified)
This book is designed to help couples improve their relationship skills and avoid risks inherent in living as a couple. It begins by discussing the power of two and the challenges of contemporary marriage. Part 1 on the basics of collaborative dialogue teaches skills for communicating with a partner. Chapters share secrets to talking, listening, and to successful dialogue. Part 2 on dealing with differences describes techniques for handling the challenges presented by conflict. Chapters address fix-it talk, using anger as a stop sign, receiving anger without fighting, cleanup procedures after…
This chapter examines the failure of child welfare and permanency planning services to incorporate African American men as significant and serious participants in the service delivery process. Child welfare and permanency planning services have marginalized African American men such that children fail to benefit from the inclusion of these men in the service delivery process. This incomplete and inappropriate approach to permanency planning specifically, and to child welfare services more generally, is a disservice to African American children. Corrective measures are proffered to promote…
This chapter explains the concept of machismo and its implications for work with Latino men and their families. Machismo stems from traditional religious and legal values which established the power and authority of fathers over their children and descendants. This absolute authority is perceived by the dominant Anglo culture as over-controlling. However, machismo values also promote a bond between fathers and their children. Positive characteristics of machismo include the responsibility of the father to guide and protect their children and other vulnerable family members. The self-…
This book chapter assesses the consequences of teen parenting for fathers from two perspectives. The first part of the chapter examines the consequences for men of having a child when they or their partners are teenagers. The second part considers the resources potentially available to mothers from their partners and how these resources vary with the age at which a woman becomes a mother. This is accomplished by constructing a profile of the potential support available to a child over the first 18 years of the child's life. Data for this study are taken from the National Longitudinal Study of…
Cooking With Dad is a "how-to" and a "teaching" book. While making Pink Soup and "cleaning" a fish, you have an excellent opportunity to teach some history, physics, biology, chemistry, and math. (Author abstract)
This report provides a broad overview of the extent to which resident (excluding foster) and nonresident fathers are involved in their children's schools and examines the influence their involvement has on how children are doing in school. The report emphasizes fathers' involvement in their children's schools, but information on mothers' involvement is also provided. Throughout the discussion of resident fathers' involvement, a distinction is made between fathers in two-parent families and fathers who are heads of single-parent families. (Author abstract).
