Daddy-Daughter Disconnect
by Heather Helton
Fathers, this writing is on behalf of your daughters who need you desperately. These words are not meant to blame, hurt, or point fingers, but to rattle you into responsiveness, to shake you into action. We hurting daughters are a national dilemma. You won't hear about us on the six o'clock news, but we are here. <more...>

13 Ways to Spend Time With Your Teenage Daughter
by Rachel Paxton
The older my daughter gets the more it's sinking in that I don't have much time left to spend with her! She's turning 16 in a couple of months, and I know I won't be seeing her much after she gets her driver's  <more...>

13 MORE Fun Things to Do With Your Teenage Daughter
by Carl Caton
Wow!  I liked Rachel Paxton's article above.  Some great ideas.  Here's a few more and a request to send in your ideas as well.   <more...>

Daddies and Slippery Socks: A Salute to Fathers
by Susie Cortright
There's just something about a daddy. If mom is sustained, lasting light, dad is a spark. It's certainly true in my family, where the men simply produce a different kind of energy. Dads and Grandpas are wonderfully familiar but, at the same time, exotic.  <more...>

Dad, Take Your Kids Perspective 
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC, 
"As a child, the critical eye of my father seemed to follow me around wherever I went." (Arthur C. Clarke)  It's quite easy for most fathers to look at their kids with a critical eye.  <more...>

Asking Great Questions
by Patricia R. Chadwick
Do you want to know what your teen is really thinking? Try asking great questions. Too many times we ask closed questions that require only a “yes” or “no” answer. Does this sound familiar:  “How was school?” “Good"  <more...> 

Important Conversations with your Kids
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC,
I lay down on my six-year-old son’s bed the other night before he went to sleep.  It’s a time when we have some of our most interesting and precious talks. This evening, I was preoccupied with other thoughts. While lying next to him, my mind was a million miles away.  <more...>

Dads, Let Us Create A Refuge Of Grace For Our Children
by Lee Wise
Let us as fathers... Pursue the Lord with all our hearts so our children may be challenged by the potential of loving the God we pursue and pursuing the God we know.  <more...>

Loving your Child, Setting Them Free
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
Our son stood up and left us. We watched as he got up from his seat in our pew, shuffled past us, and joined the other young boys and girls walking the children's service, a religious education class for grade-schoolers. His face showed a mix of fear and excitement, and he stayed close to his sister as he moved down the aisle. As a first-grader, he was now eligible to go, but this was the first time he’d decided to join the others. <more...>

Father-Daughter Dates
by Dionna Sanchez
I have a neighbor girl who goes on dates with her dad. When I first heard this I thought, "What a wonderful idea!" She shared with me <more...>

Never Alone
by Brenda Henry
Chaos spilled from every classroom and forced its way into the hallway where I stood cowering beside the drinking fountain. Gigantic eighth graders shoved their way past my six-year-old frame, leaving the <more...>

My Daddy Is Good
by Tracie Peterson
I sat in the airport the other day waiting for a connecting flight home. I was tired, but the trip had been a real blessing, and so it was a good tired. The kind that comes from a sense of deep satisfaction. <more...>

Fathers, Egos, and Youth Sports
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
“What kind of throw was that?” said the father to his son.  The boy picked up another baseball and threw it, this time with better results. “There, that’s better,” the father conceded.  <more...>

Daughters, Dads And Listening
by Lee Wise
"Thanks, dad. Thanks for listening. I always knew I could come to you."  Last month a strange and not entirely unexpected guest made his way into my life. <more...>

Kids, Rudeness, and Teaching Moments
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
“Here’s your water bottle, James!”  The eight-year-old snatched the bottle hard out of his mother’s hand, and said, “Give me that!” A chorus of nervous laughter followed from the parents nearby, including the boy’s mother. <more...>

A Fathers New Year
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
It is a time in our history when it’s increasingly difficult to feel optimistic about the state of the world. And it’s a time of the year when we are flooded by the memories of the years past, and by the hope of a better year to come. <more...>

Ten Ways to Get Your Kids to Talk to You
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
Parents can often be frustrated by their kids’ unwillingness to share their lives with them. Whether your kids are toddlers or teens, there will be times when it’s difficult to “break through” and find out what‘s really going on. <more...>

Fathers, Anger, and Breaking Barriers
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC 
“What are you thinking?” I said. “Don’t you remember what I just told you?”  I had just avoided a fish hook, swinging perilously close to my eye. At the end of the fishing pole was my six year old son <more...>

Let Dads Do It Differently
by Bria Simpson
A friend recently told me about a time she left her two children with their father for the day. When she returned in the late afternoon, she was surprised that they were already wearing their pajamas. When she asked her husband why, he said “what pajamas?” <more...>

Can Kids Talk to an Angry Dad? 
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC 
We were going to be late.  My kids were dawdling, even though I’d asked them to get ready on two occasions. “Come on!” I yelled. “How many times do I have to say this?”  <more...>

If I Could Only Do What I Want To Do
by Lee Wise
"I don't want to do what I "should" do. I want to do what I would "love" to do."  I may be able to help you do just that -- at least in a small way.  Allow me to explain. <more...>

Dad, Go Ahead and Cry 
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC 
She slipped her small, smooth eight-year-old hand into mine. Her face was lit up with joy. And as my daughter took my hand and moved closer to me, I lost control of my emotions. <more...>

I'm a Father, Doesn't Anyone Care?
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
The snow was getting heavier with each lift of the shovel. My back ached, and I was chilled to the bone.  I’d had enough for one day. <more...>

Awesome Dad's Top Ten Ways To Be The Foundation of Your Family
by Dovid Grossman and Ken Mossman 
Part of the responsibility of being a father is to establish a strong foundation for the family. Just like a building foundation, much of this work goes unseen and rarely gets acknowledged, yet the strength and integrity of the entire structure relies on it. The following intentions, although not always perfectly fulfilled, give us guidance in our mission. <more...>

Ten Ways to Avoid Parental Arguing
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
As soon as my wife said it, I could feel the tension.  My “trigger point” had been hit, and an argument was waiting to happen. <more...>

Dads, Life, and Death 
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC 
When he looked at me, it was clear my father wasn't sure who I was. And as I looked back at him, I wasn't sure who he was, either. <more...>

We All Need A Father Figure To Lean On 
by Geela 
When I think of the ultimate father figure I think of the extraordinary paternal love and devotion of the Biblical King David for his son Absalom even when his son turned against him and attempted to kill him. As eloquently expressed by King David, when he wept over the death of his son, “Absalom, my dear son, oh how I wish I could trade places with you!” <more...>

Can Men Join Their Family?
by Mark Brandenburg
I needed a screwdriver. Passing the bag of recycled cans on the steps, I went straight to the tool shed in the garage and claimed my screwdriver. “Why would you walk right by this bag of cans and not take it out to the garage?” my wife shrieked. <more...>

Annoyed, Impatient Dads 
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC 
“Guys, get out of the mud! How many times do I have to tell you?”  The words spilled out of my mouth. I felt myself re-creating the same words my parents had said to me so many times in the past, and I felt powerless to change my kids’ actions. An alarming thought came to me, one that comes to most fathers at some point <more...>

Unilateral Disarmament - The First Step to Improving Communications with Your Teenagers
by V. Michael Santoro, M. Ed.
Many times, we are so conditioned in how we speak that we do not realize whether or not we are effectively communicating with our teens. This is especially true when they upset us.  <more...>

What's Wrong with My Kid?
by Mark Brandenburg
As a coach who helps parents to be more effective, I’m often asked the same kinds of questions. “How can I get my kid to listen?” “How can I motivate my kid to do homework?” Or, “why does my child get so angry with me?” <more...>

The Importance of Feeling Important
by Terry L. Sumerlin
About twenty years ago, when our married daughters were in elementary school, they had a bicycle accident. Jo Ellen, our oldest, lost control of her bike and ran into her sister, Amanda, who was standing right in her path. Suddenly the front fender of the bike slid rather abruptly between Amanda’s fingers, and left a sizable gash that required several stitches.  <more...>

How are Your Family Rituals?
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
A few years ago, my four-year-old daughter was starting to say our grace before dinner. “Daddy, fold your hands like this!” she shrieked. Everyone else at the table was stunned at the intensity of her outburst. <more...>

Are Dads Really Trying to "Focus on Their Family"?
A recent article at USA Today shines light on encouraging trends in fathering...  <more at USA Today...>

When is Fathers Day?
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
I’d had about as much as I could handle for one day.  My computer was frozen, I was tired from a weekend with too little sleep, and I was working in a yard that would soon need a scythe to manage it. End-of-the-year school activities were crowding an already crowded schedule, and there seemed like no time to relax. <more...>

Get Beyond Your Tasks
by Nan Russell
Ever hear the story of the two masons working side by side at a building site? They're doing the same work under pretty much the same conditions. Then, one day a stranger comes along, approaches one of the men and asks him, "What are you doing?" "I don't know and I don't care," replies the man, his voice brimming with irritation. All I do is slap this crummy mortar on these crummy bricks and pile them up in a crummy line. That's what I'm doing." <more...>

Top Ten Ways to be a Better Father
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
The expectations for fathers are increasing both at work and at home. Here are ten ways for fathers to be more effective in the most important job they’ll ever have.:<more...>

Coaching Your Daughter on the Quest for Good Grades
by V. Michael Santoro
It is important that as a dad, you create a flexible environment that supports your daughter, and provides her with the opportunity to grow into a self-reliant young woman. As a teenager, she will think at times that she has all the answers, and not need you. However, she will be happy to have you as a "safety net" when she realizes she does not have all the answers. This can include how well she is doing in school.  <more...>

How a Father Became One of His Teenage Daughter's Best Friends
by V. Michael Santoro
It may seem impossible to believe, but today’s teens do want to consider their parents as friends, even though they think we could never understand the realities of their world. They are also interested in what it was like being a teenager during the Stone Age. Life without cell phones or the Internet must have been unimaginable!  <more...>

Fathers and Small Things
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
I was packed and ready to leave for my two day trip. My mind had been consumed with work and with many of the small details of getting ready to go.  <more...>

How Can I Teach My Child To Be Responsible?
by Barb Desmarais
Most of us when asked what we want our children to become, we include 'responsible' among other things such as happy, fulfilled and caring. We want our children to learn to make wise choices, be responsible for their actions and live responsibly. <more...>

Toward Compassion: 
Understanding Today's Pressures on a Father
by Susie Cortright
We hear a lot about the Supermom Syndrome but rarely about our Superdads.  We place higher expectations on fathers in today's society than ever before.  Unlike previous generations, dads today are expected to take a proactive role in caring for the children physically as well as financially.  <more...>

Daddies and Slippery Socks: A Salute to Fathers
by Susie Cortright
There's just something about a daddy.  If mom is sustained, lasting light, dad is a spark. It's certainly true in my family, where the men simply produce a different kind of energy. Dads and Grandpas are wonderfully familiar but, at the same time, exotic. <more...>

Are Your Kids OK?
by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC
When you work in the “helping professions,” you often hear people describe their loved ones. They sometimes let you know how much their loved ones mean to them and some of the wonderful things they’ve done.  <more...>

Fathers, Sons, and Masculinity
by Mark Brandenburg
My five-year-old son had a quirky smile that showed a mixture of pride and anticipation. He’d shown me his art project from school, and he was waiting for his mom. “Come on over and look at what Michael made,” I shouted to my wife. <more...>

Your Legacy
By Dionna Sanchez
Have you thought of what ways you can leave a record of your life?  There are many ways you can tangibly pass on your thoughts, views and insight.
<more...>

Predators Online
by David Keyes
Most of us own and drive a car. While we know that the highway is filled with dangerous drivers, that fact doesn't usually cross our minds when we buckle up. Internet usage is increasing daily. As we become more <more...>

Train Your Teens in Love
by Patricia R. Chadwick
Ephesians 6:4 - "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."  <more...>

How to Give Your Child A Priceless Legacy
By Dad David
In today’s world of microwave speed, channel surfing and drive-through everything’s (including weddings), words like “traditions”, “family roots”, and “legacy” seem to fit more comfortably in a discussion of times <more...>

What are your kids seeing at the movies?  
Check out our movie review resources from Christian Answers, along with links to other review sites. <more...>

J.H. Ranch is a unique retreat center that helps a father strengthen his relationship with his son or daughter.  You'll find this to be an intriguing place.  <more...>

Looking for a great place to take your family on vacation?  Consider San Antonio!  <more...>

Here's our Editor's list of books that should be a blessing to any father <more...>

Father's Day Gift Baskets 
by Deborah Shelton
Baskets of goodies are the best kinds of gifts because they are simple to make, fun to give, and even more fun to receive! And the best part is, Dad is guaranteed to love his gift because it's filled with all of his favorite 
things! Here are a few ideas to get you started <more...>

Father's Day Thoughts On Being A Dad
by Lee Wise
What you will read in the next five to eight minutes will not qualify as one of the top ten professionally written articles of the year: guaranteed.  <more...>

The Father's Day Gift that will change his life... forever...
by Carl Caton
I can't say that I was a "well rounded individual" in my growing up years. I enjoyed work and focused most of my energy there. I continued with my penchant for the workday (and night), even after my wife and I were married.  Surely my wife appreciated that trait as well?  <more...>

Fathers Day Craft Ideas!
by Carl Caton
30 Ideas for Father's Day Crafts:
1.  Take a photo of the family and run copies on a copy machine.  Cut out the pictures and put them around the house.  Write love notes on them.  Use a marker to "animate" the pictures.  2.  Let your kids do a "fill in the blanks" craft.  You type the beginning of a sentence, and let your kids finish the sentence.  Some of the answers will be hilarious, some will be <more...>

20 Father's Day Gift Ideas! <more...>

Father's Day Gift Baskets 
by Deborah Shelton

Baskets of goodies are the best kinds of gifts because they are simple to make, fun to give, and even more fun to receive! And the best part is, Dad is guaranteed to love his gift because it's filled with all of his favorite 
things! Here are a few ideas to get you started <more...>

Raising a Modern Day Knight Blog 

Father's Day Poem