About.com Fatherhood

A Father's Guide to Managing Stress at Home

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:25:28 +0000

Stress can be a father's worst enemy at home. So often, not handling stress well leads to anger, impatience and sometimes other regrettable behaviors. I have seen this trend time and time again in my own fathering and in working with families in crisis. This article presents some ideas and thoughts about stress and how to make home and family time less stressful.

A Father's Guide to Managing Stress at Home originally appeared on About.com Fatherhood on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 04:25:28.

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Get Net Wise with Social Networking Sites

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:17:35 +0000

My 22 year old daughter is a big Facebook fan. We moved during her junior year in high school, and she has reconnected with many of the friends from her old high school and community through Facebook. But the privacy challenges associated with social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter can be a little overwhelming for the novice. The folks at GetNetWise.org have created some video tutorials that can help clueless parents like me set security and privacy options on these three services. This, with a lot of other information about protecting kids online can be found at their site.

Also, dad, if you want to get into social networking on your own, check out our list of the top social networking sites for fathers.� And get connected.

Get Net Wise with Social Networking Sites originally appeared on About.com Fatherhood on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 05:17:35.

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Expectations - High or Low?

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:11:30 +0000

One of the big debates I hear among fathers (and mothers, for that matter), is whether to have high expectations for our children that are difficult to meet, or set lower expectations so they can feel successful when they meet them. There are certainly good arguments on both sides, but on balance, I tend to find myself in the "stretching to meet high expectations" camp.

So, I wrote this article on setting appropriately high expectations for children.� And I'd appreciate any input on the concept of helping our children achieve high expectations rather than shooting lower to assure success.

Expectations - High or Low? originally appeared on About.com Fatherhood on Sunday, November 1st, 2009 at 05:11:30.

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One Thing You Should Definitely Do This Halloween

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:14:50 +0000

Scary stories are a staple of Halloween activities for many families. After the trick or treating is over, sit together in a dimly lit room, maybe with a jack o'lantern providing the only light and tell a great ghost story. You can find some spooky ghost stories at Halloween Online. About.com's Urban Legends Guide David Emery has also compiled a list of the scariest urban legends. And to make the story even better, check out my guide to great storytelling. And make it a memorable night for your kids.

One Thing You Should Definitely Do This Halloween originally appeared on About.com Fatherhood on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 20:14:50.

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Why Children Who Live Without Dads Have Earlier Sex

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:11:23 +0000

Researchers have known for years that children raised without a dad at home tend to start having sex at a younger age than those that do. I guess it was assumed that the factors were environmental - that kids saw their single mom dating so they started dating earlier and things like that. But a new study from researchers at six major U.S. universities have called that assumption into question. This new study argues that earlier sex is best explained by genetics, and the same genetic disposition that leads to earlier sex also creates problems for men in marriages.

This seems just a little counter intuitive to me. The challenges in any family without a father present are far-reaching and the results of absentee fathers' leaving their families cross many behavioral spectra. In any case, the research is interesting, but I am not yet convinced that genetics plays the dominant role in children having sex sooner. A responsible, committed father makes a good difference in so many areas.

Why Children Who Live Without Dads Have Earlier Sex originally appeared on About.com Fatherhood on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 17:11:23.

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Choosing a Guardian for Your Children

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:20:31 +0000

We read almost every day about a dad who dies unexpectedly. This week in our community a young father was killed in a single engine plane crash just short of the runway. It is always good to prepare for the unthinkable. Choosing a guardian for your children is one of the most important decisions a father can make. What should a father consider when choosing a guardian for his children?

Choosing a Guardian for Your Children originally appeared on About.com Fatherhood on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 21:20:31.

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Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Father-Son Relationships

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:13:37 +0000

I have heard lots of comments from friends lately about the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, which is based on a wonderful children's book of the same name.� In the movie, young Flint Lockwood, a hapless inventor, creates a circumstance where in his town, it rains food.� Flint's father, Tim, is the ultimate technophobe, who just wants Flint to join the famiy's bait shop business.� Tim and Flint live in very different worlds, and while they certainly love and have affection for one another, they just can't seem to communicate.� Tim uses fishing analogies for everything he tries to teach Flint, but they don't stick because there is no shared context.

Communicating with your children takes a lot of effort, and finding common shared experiences is a good way to make the communication connection.

Another scene in the movie I liked was the story told by Grandpa using an object in the room (don't want to be a spoiler, here).� Great storytelling is an important skill for fathers and grandfathers in building memorable moments with the kids.

Take your kids to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and see if you can find some lessons that will make you a better parent.

Find a trailer and a review of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs at the About.com Movies site.
Read Elizabeth Kennedy's review of the book

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Father-Son Relationships originally appeared on About.com Fatherhood on Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 at 05:13:37.

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Top Online Family Calendars

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:12:03 +0000

I don't know about you, but I find it really hard sometimes to not drop the ball with my family. A demanding job and other commitments sometimes find me missing an important family thing (or at least coming late). So I decided to check into some of the online family calendar systems and see how they might help my family. What I found was some absolutely incredible products that can help families get and stay organized. Check out these resources and find one that works for your family. Or comment on this entry and let us know what tools you use to keep it all together.

Top Online Family Calendars originally appeared on About.com Fatherhood on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 05:12:03.

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Fire Safety Tips for Fathers and Families

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:10:25 +0000

October is National Fire Prevention Month, and our kids just got to go to a local City Services Fair where they could watch firefighters in action and learn about fire prevention.

These tips about fire safety will help you take some time this� month to teach your children about fire safety, look at your habits at home, and find ways to make home a little more fire safe.

Fire Safety Tips for Fathers and Families originally appeared on About.com Fatherhood on Sunday, October 18th, 2009 at 07:10:25.

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"Balloon Boy" Story Rivets the World

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:18:36 +0000

Yesterday, I was driving to a meeting about an hour away and was listening to live coverage of the saga of the Heene family in Colorado and the thought that their six year old son Falcon was aboard a balloon that he had inadvertently launched in Colorado.� As the world watched the story unfold, this balloon, used for storm experiments, floated across the Colorado sky, finally landing about 50 miles from home.� After landing, the compartment under the balloon was empty, fueling speculation that six-year-old Falcon had fallen from the balloon in flight.� Instead, fearing his father's reaction to untethering the balloon, Falcon hid in a box in the attic.

Interestingly, the Heene family has been part of the reality television show Wife Swap, so they are not strangers to having their family in the limelight.

I suspect every dad has found himself in a situation like Richard Heene did - feeling frustrated at the careless actions of a child, then fearful for the child's safety, then relieved that he is safe.�� A lost child at the mall, power tools missing from the work bench, or a kitchen splattered with a recipe gone wrong have been part of my life as a father.� But at least in my case, the world wasn't totally riveted to the unfolding drama.

I feel for little Falcon - his personal stress was evident on Larry King Live and the Today Show, but the whole experience is a good reminder to dads to not only take safety precautions at home, but also to create an environment where mistakes are handled with measured anger and our children don't have to worry about our reaction to their childish mistakes.

"Balloon Boy" Story Rivets the World originally appeared on About.com Fatherhood on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 14:18:36.

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