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School Days Are Here Again
by Barry Lillie A new school year often presents change upon change for newly separating and separated families. What was once viewed as joyful changes in an intact family are now challenges that make parenting more complicated e.g. a family moves to a new home in a new school district? For our children of every age change has serious...
The Couple Relationship: Where does baby fit?
by John Hoffman I’ve said this before, but I keep saying it because it’s important. One of the single most important factors that affects fathering is the father’s relationship with his partner. Guys who have a good relationship with their partners tend to be more involved, happier and more effective as parents. Research has proven this eight...
Adoption Love: One Dad’s Story
by John Hoffman In all the varied public discussion of fatherhood I’ve heard and read about over the years there is one topic I’ve heard very little about. Adoption. Adoption is a normal human experience. It’s been happening throughout history. We do hear about adoption. But the stories we hear are mostly about international adoptions, or...
Gender Equity in Parenting?
by John Hoffman I believe strongly in the ideal of gender equity. That includes fathers being more involved in child care and mothers being able to do more work outside the home. Lots of people agree, of course. Researchers have been tracking the trends for many years. Cool. But I have a pet peeve about the spin that tends to get put on...
Conflict with Your Ex: Inevitable . . . but you can handle it
by John Hoffman One question I have been asked repeatedly because of my role as a fathering writer is, “What can I do when my ex-wife is interfering with (or being unreasonable about) my time with my kids?” For the record, I’ve also talked to moms who only wished their ex would spend more time with his children. However, this is a fathering blog,...
Dads at Birth: What have we learned in 40 years?
by John Hoffman We take fathers’ presence at the births of their children for granted now. But it was controversial when it first started 40-odd years ago. So, I salute the pioneers, the dads who pushed to be in the delivery room, and the many women – mothers and childbirth activists who helped get them there. It was one thing to get Dad into the...
Dads, Keep Leaning In
by John Hoffman I’m old enough to be a grandpa, but I still remember parts of my earliest weeks of fatherhood like it was yesterday. Two things surprised me. One was how hard it was, at first, to be the kind of hands-on dad I had planned to be. The other surprise was that biggest roadblock to my involvement with the baby was… my wife. I don’t...
How To Parent When You Are Angry
by John Hoffman This might sound like a negative topic for a blog. But actually it’s pretty important. Raising children is an emotional experience. Positive emotions give us a good kind of energy that helps us connect with our kids and enjoy them. That helps us to be good parents. But any dad (or mom) quickly learns anger is part of raising...
The Two Most Important Words in Baby Brain Development
by John Hoffman Wanna build your baby’s brain? I’ve got two words for you: touch and interaction. We’ve been hearing about the importance of baby brain development for over 20 years. And it is true. Baby brains do a lot of important growing in the first few years of life. But there has been way to much hype about “smart” babies. Companies pitch...
Dad Central Ontario Training Opportunities
Dad Central Ontario is committed to supporting anyone working with fathers and families in their efforts to provide quality, effective programs and services for dads. We love to train people in their communities to meet the needs of fathers. Two things are coming up you may be interested in: Super Dads Super Kids Facilitation Training - Windsor,...
Dads and Teens
by John Hoffman I am by no means an expert on teenagers. Even so, I helped raise three of them and I’ve done a fair bit of research on adolescent development, including picking the brains of a lot of teenagers and young adults. Here are the three most important things I think I’ve learned. I hope they might be helpful to you. Stay Connected (In...
Three good character traits for Dads to cultivate
by John Hoffman What are the character traits of a good father? Well, you could pluck almost any word from a list of virtues and make a good argument for it. Reliability, responsibility, love, kindness, integrity, compassion, fairness, self-discipline: all are important. But I want to talk about three positive fatherhood traits that wouldn’t...
Life’s Unfortunate . . .
Here is another chapter in the story of Alex and Laura. You can find other parts of their journey here: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 On a beautiful Wednesday in September the unimaginable happened. Laura went for her scheduled ultra sound at the local Nipigon District Memorial hospital for her 17 week pregnancy exam the technician found no...
Dad, Your Emotions Matter
Emotional wellness comes from coping with stress and making positive contributions to the world. Fathers play a role in this for children. Here's what you can do: Help your child feel safe and connected to you and her environment. A sense of belonging encourages a child’s confidence and trust. Nurture resiliency. Be there to help your child...
The Five Things You Should Never Say to A New Mom
by John Hoffman You know how they say babies don’t come with an instruction manual? Well, neither do new moms. And a really important part of being a good dad is understanding and supporting the mother of your children, a task that can be very challenging in the early days of parenthood. So, new dads, here’s a crash course. And, just for fun,...
The Insidious Dangers of Digital Devices and How to Protect Your Kids
Since Covid hit, screen time for children has gone way up. With increased remote learning, use of video chats to stay connected, growing numbers of social media platforms and the rise of live streaming technology, children are online and using their digital devices more than ever. Increased time online also means increased risks for children.
Why Are Researchers Still Obsessed with Proving that Good Fathers are Good for Kids?
Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2017, but as you'll soon read, many of the truths expressed are still relevant today. The...
Surviving Toxicity and Abandonment as a Child to Become a Legendary Dad
Larry had a very humbling beginning that could have derailed the rest of his life, had he let it. Larry is currently the father of four boys and married to his soulmate, Jessica for the past 18 years. When you hear about his early years, you see what it takes to face difficulty with courage and boldness.
How Men Can Overcome Adversity to Be Better Dads with Ray Arata
In this conversation we speak with Ray Arata, the founder of The Better Man Conference and the author of two books for men. Ray’s mission is help men live and lead from the heart in their personal lives.