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Happy Holidays!
Click our hearth to watch "Remembering the Holidays" TV Special starring Ronnie Milsap, Montgomery-Gentry, The Bellamy Brothers, and more stars sharing their Holiday cheer!
"Remembering Dad" 
Aired on Father's Day on NBC, if you missed it you can still click here to view video of celebrities like Tim Allen, Joe Mantegna & Dennis Franz talking about fatherhood & memories of Dad. Fred Savage and Dan Lauria of the famed Wonder Years share their views as well (left).
Also featuring Chicago Cubs great Sammy Sosa who |
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speaks on the important roles that moms and step dads play. Our famous fathers share some of the fun and rewarding ways they spend time with their children. |
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Man Tries Breastpump!
These dads are whacked!!
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Welcome to the all new dads magazine!
An online resource for family news, information and fun!
"Control+D" to bookmark this site!
How to Prepare for Your Family to Grow
1.) Define Growth for Your Family As you answer the following questions, keep in mind that good dads engage their family in three major categories: physical, emotional, and spiritual. You may want to answer the following questions for each of these categories:
- How do I define success for my child(ren) over the next 2, 5, and 10 years?
- What are the key skills I can help my child(ren) develop that will help him or her achieve this success?
- What are Moms dreams and goals over the next 2, 5, and 10 years?
- What are some ways I can help Mom accomplish her dreams and goals over the next 2, 5, and 10 years?
These are not easy questions to answer, but the answers will form the foundation for helping your family grow in ways that will help them lead a healthy, helpful life.
2.) Seek to Improve Your Fathering and Relationship Skills If you are to do an effective job preparing your family for growth, you must continually develop your own fathering and relationship skills. This can be done by reading books on leadership, gender communication, or by connecting with a group of other men and dads in your community to learn from each other. You can also use interactive resources specifically for dads like the 24/7 Dad Interactive CD-ROM or, if you have a teen boy, the Boyz 2 Dads video-game type program [click here purchase these resources].
3.) Be On the Look-Out for Unplanned Opportunities to Help Your Family Grow You know that the best laid plans dont always work out. Even though you have answered the above questions and put together a plan for your familys growth, some of the best opportunities pop up at times when you least expect them (e.g., after a long and challenging day at work, when youre trying to watch the game, at bedtime). But the truth is these opportunities can be even more powerful than some of the planned activities youve laid out.
4.) Determine Whether the Desired Growth is Occurring Based on your answers to the questions above, you can now create ways to determine whether the desired growth is occurring. For example, if one of the ways you define success for your child is for him or her to get in better physical shape, you could set aside time each weekend to exeercise or play sports with them and watch their development. You can also establish ways to work with Mom to see how she is doing with pursuing her goals.
As you think of ways to prepare your family for growth, remember that the ultimate goal is to prepare your children to face the challenges they will meet in life and to prepare your entire family for the joy and strength that is rooted in a strong family. Growth is all about investing today in what will be tomorrow!
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Tips for New Dads
Are you a new dad? If so, congratulations! You might have heard it a hundred times, but its true -- your life will change forever. How you define yourself personally and professionally will change to add the role of involved, responsible, and committed father. This role is one of the most important and rewarding jobs youll ever have!
Here are some tips to help you be the best new dad you can be!
- Know that it is normal to have fears! You might be asking the question, Am I ready to be a dad? Most first-time parents will tell you that they do not feel ready for this new direction in their lives. It is a fear of the unknown. However, just being a dad will take away a great deal of worry. When you dive in and do the job, it wont seem so difficult, and youll discover the joys of this great experience.
- Get on-the-job-training! Start immediately to be responsible for various aspects of caring for your baby even if youve never done it before. For example, feed your baby with a bottle. Or, you can get up at night and bring your baby to mom to feed. Other tasks you can easily handle are bathing your baby, changing diapers, rocking and soothing, and/or singing to your baby. These activities will not only help out your child's mother, but they will help you connect physically and emotionally with your child.
- Ask questions and do research! If you are worried about how to change a diaper or how to hold your child, dont be afraid to ask! Take advantage of help available through your spouse, friends, family, doctors, nurses, other experienced dads, etc Oftentimes, these people are more than willing to help. You can also read books on fathering, order NFIs Daddy Pack for New Dads or visit www.fatherhood.org for more information and resources. Chances are, your wife has read a lot in anticipation of the babys arrival. Shell love to see you doing your homework as well!
- Be a Team! Adjusting to life with a new baby in the house is rewarding. Look at it as an opportunity to grow closer with your spouse and to bond together as a family. The more you work as a team (sharing household chores, complimenting one another, sharing the care of your baby, accepting help from trusted friends and family, scheduling date nights, etc), the more you will be able to experience the precious little moments with your child. Not to mention, sharing the load might help with getting some extra sleep!
- Enjoy the moment! Time flies by when you have a child. Be sure to take every opportunity to cherish time spent with your baby. It is important to spend some time every day (apart from TV, Internet, work, outside commitments, etc) looking into the eyes, and listening to the coos, of your baby. It is in those moments, no matter what life throws at you, you instinctively know that being an involved, responsible, and committed dad is living life to the fullest!
Read excerpts from actress Dianne Ladd's New book on Parenting in our section on education!
Daddy Daughter Dates
Daddy-daughter datethe phrase just rolls off the tongue. If you have or have had daughters in Girl Scouts or in elementary school, youve undoubtedly heard about or experienced opportunities to take your daughters out for a special night on the town.
But why not establish a family tradition of daddy-daughter dates. Taking your daughter on a date every couple of months, for example, is a fantastic way for you to deepen your bond with her. There are lots of possibilities for activities you and your daughter can do together. No matter where you decide to go and what you decide to do, you can also use the opportunity to model what she should look for when she goes out on dates, and to communicate your expectations about relationships with boys, dating, sex and marriage.
Click here to read the rest of the article!
Feeling charitable? Click on www.severalsources.com
JUST HAVING A CATCH WITH YOUR KIDS IS OFTEN ALL IT TAKES TO MAKE THEM HAPPY. KIDS TOLD US THAT, AND A LOT MORE...
by Amy Lennard Goehner
(Selected excerpts of this SPORTSPARENTS article used)
We received some lively responses when we asked kids from Friendswood, Texas, to Spencerport, New Yorkand several points in betweenabout sports and their parents. Here's a sampling:
"WHAT'S THE MOST FUN YOU HAVE EVER HAD PLAYING SPORTS WITH YOUR MOM OR DAD?"
Kids were pretty evenly divided between which was more fun, beating mom or dad or laughing at them! But the bottom line is reassuringly simple: Just getting out and playing with your children is truly appreciated.
I BEAT 'EM!
"When I play softball with my dad, he pitches to me, and it seems like I always get home runs." Laura B., 11
"My dad and I went up to the barn and played a basketball game called King of the Barn. In the grand finale, we were both dazed and sweaty. It was anybody's game. I leaped into the air and flung the ball over my head. It seemed to bounce on the rim forever, till at last the torture ended. It found its way through the hoop. I was King of the Barn, not to mention God of the Hoop!" Clayton S., 11
WE BEAT 'EM
"Winning a championship with my dad as coach." Jay B., 11
Kids in Sports:
Ready? On your mark Get set Go!
By John Chacon, Executive Director, National Fatherhood Initiative Southwestern Region Office and Community Programming
Many children are pushed into playing sports long before they have the necessary capabilities to participate physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Such early childhood failures often breed dissatisfaction with one's own abilities, reinforce feelings of failure and inadequacy, and lead to dropping out.
Knowing the right time to encourage a child to participate in sports is known as readiness. Readiness is the ability of a child demonstrating the minimal degree of competence in skills that allow the child to be able to participate successfully.
There are three primary conditions of readiness:
1. Maturation - the ability to perform the fundamental skills of the sport, (e.g.) holding the baseball bat and being able to swing the bat at the ball, running and kicking a soccer ball.
2. Learning - the ability to understand the demands, tasks, and rules of the sport, (e.g.) throwing the ball to first base to get the runner out; kicking the soccer ball into the net to score a goal.
3. Motivation - the desire of a child wanting to learn how to play the sport. Without the proper motivation, successful participation in the sport is highly unlikely even with appropriate maturational capabilities and learning skills.
If your child is capable of performing the skill of the sport, is able to understand the rules of the game, and has the desire to learn how to play the sport, enroll him or her in the sport. If not, wait a year. The initial experiences your child has with sports may motivate or discourage him or her to participate in sports in the future. |
Father Fact:
According to a 1996 Gallup Poll, 90% of Americans feel that it is important for children to live in a home with both their mother and father. |
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How to Instill Courage In Your Kids
Dad, you can help cultivate courage in your children by encouraging them to make the sometimes difficult decisions to be honest, kind, or generous. Here are a few examples of what to look for when searching for opportunities to praise your children for their acts of courage: Your child is honest about a mistake.
Praise your child's courage to be honest. It takes a great deal of courage and integrity for children to admit a failure or a mistake to a parent, a teacher, or other authority figures. Praising your child's courage to be honest lays the foundation for the development of good character.
Your child chooses excellence. Praise your child for doing something the right way, especially if the right way is harder or more time-consuming.
Your child resists gossiping. For a child, choosing not to engage in gossip or in the teasing of another child with her peers is one of the most courageous choices she can make. Throw on the praise when your child chooses to demonstrate compassion by steering clear of gossip sessions.
Adapted from "A Father's Heart" written by John Trent in the Winter 2003 edition of Christian Parenting Today .
Veteran Actor, Dick Van Patton has gone to the dogs with his Dog Food for humans and their 4-legged friends.
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THE FIRST TIME'S THE HARDEST
by Tim Bete
There's a slight difference between your first child and your fourth. The first child is your rookie season. By your fourth, you're getting ready to enter the parenting hall of fame.
With your first child, the conversation sounds like this: Honey, do you think it's okay to take the baby outside? It's only 70 degrees and he might catch a cold. After a lengthy debate, you dress the baby in a winter outfit that's as roomy as a straight jacket, check the weather channel for tornadoes within a 500-mile radius and arm yourself with a dozen cans of Lysol to disinfect the neighborhood as you go for a stroll.
With you fourth child, the conversation sounds like this: Honey, I know there's a blizzard outside but the kids are bored and I thought I'd take them bungee cord jumping.
Okay dear, but you might want to take a sweater for the baby. The wind chill is minus 20.
Children are like martinis. The more you have, the looser you feel.
With your first child, you spend hours evaluating diaper brands and even perform a few of your own absorbency research studies in your kitchen. By your fourth child, you can construct a diaper out of nothing more than a trash bag, three coffee filters and a box of cotton balls.
With your first child, you think you need dozens of baby gadgets, such as an electronic baby wipe warmer. By your fourth, you realize the baby wipes will get warm if you leave them in the car on a hot day.
With your first child, you purchase an expensive diaper-changing table. By your fourth child, the diaper-changing table has been turned into a TV stand and you're willing to change your baby on top of the clothes dryer.
With your first child, you spend months researching baby names. With your fourth, you realize you'll end up calling your child by his or her siblings' names anyway. As you enter the hospital, you look at employee name badges for ideas. You settle on Trainee.
With your first baby, you bring him or her to the doctor after every sneeze. After four kids, you make them show you signs of a compound fracture before you'll get in the car.
With your first child, you prepare special foods and cater meals to meet your child's whims. By your fourth, you realize that children can survive for years on nothing more than Cheerios and grilled-cheese sandwiches.
With your first child, you read dozens of books by parenting experts. By your fourth, you're simply glad when you can find a peaceful moment to read the newspaper.
There's a slight difference between your first child and your fourth. With your first child, you ask questions like: Are we really ready to be parents? With your fourth child, you find it difficult to remember life without kids.
That's just another way children are like martinis. The more you have, the worse your memory gets.
Tim Bete is the author of the best-selling book, In The Beginning...There Were No Diapers. More of his work can be found at www.TimBete.com.
(c) 2005, Timothy P. Bete
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