One of the main ways Dad Central supports dads and organizations is the creation of resources. Every year we see thousands of materials distributed through organizations that serve families. We also see hundreds more downloaded for free on dadcentral.ca.
The resources have been created with the help of a national network, including the Public Health Agency of Canada, dads, researchers, early childhood educators, and a variety of other professionals.
For over 20 years, Dad Central has worked tirelessly to educate and empower dads on the importance of being involved in the lives of their children. The resources created have been recognized for their quality and requested across the world, including Australia and France.
Today we’ll provide a brief summary of the top 5 resources and how they help. If you are looking for ways to support dads, these resources can be a great start!
All resources are available to purchase through the Dad Central Resource Store.
#5 – Daddy Come Play With Me: A Father’s Guide to Play With Young Children
If you didn’t think that play was important, this booklet helps to show why it matters and how it is a vital way for dads to bond with their children. Key topics for dads in this book include some ideas about:
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- how play can help to build the father/child relationship
- how to contribute to your child’s fun and learning through play
- how to be involved in play at different stages of early childhood (0-6)
- how play can help you get more out of being a parent
#4 – Involved Fathers: A Guide for Today’s Dad
This booklet helps dads understand the roles they can play children’s lives. It also outlines ways to overcome some of the challenges to being involved, the importance of working well with your partner, as well as being involved in different family structures. The most important part of this book focusses on dads being there for their children, and how to manage things like building connection, discipline, child development and temperament, and managing your own moods.
#3 – Daddy I Need You: A Father’s Guide to Early Childhood Brain Development
This booklet helps dads make sense of early childhood brain development facts and clearly explains the role dads can play in supporting their children’s development. In five short chapters, readers learn about the wonder of baby’s brains, the father child connection, how important dads involvement in daily care is to developing brains, how to support children’s emotional development, and how play contributes to building children’s brains.
#2 – Dads! Renovate Your Relationship: 14 Tools to Help Fathers Stay Connected to Their Partners
Many men say they didn’t see the problems in their relationship until it was too late. These guys wish they had done maintenance work beforehand so they never reached the point where the relationship was beyond repair.
This manual is a blueprint for taking a new look at your relationship now that you are a father. Becoming a parent is a time of big changes; changes that can bring couples together, but also drive them apart.
Most men don’t look at instructions until they cannot get something to work. Not always the best way! Don’t wait until your relationship is in trouble. Use this manual as your set of instructions for your most important renovation project. It’s worth the work!
#1 – 24 Hr Cribside Assistance for New Dads
Looking for the manual for handling babies? This booklet, written like a car manual, gives tips and ideas for managing new babies, with a special section on troubleshooting tough stuff. By far the best seller over the years, it provides critical guidance in the new dad journey. A great gift for new and expecting parents!
For more guidance, tips and videos for the new dad, check out dadcentral.ca/newdadmanual. This site has it all, and is a great free resource for new or expecting dads.
As a reminder, all of our resources are available to purchase through the Dad Central Resource Store here.