A little over five years ago, my book “The Power of Dadhood” was published. I wrote it for very personal reasons, and for my belief that 'the family' is the core building block for any thriving community. I focused on fatherhood for several reasons mentioned in the book, but it is very pertinent for moms to understand a few thoughts on parenting from a dad’s point of view. Now, after writing over 350 posts on this blog, “Helping Fathers to be Dads”, I wanted to focus on the contents and values of "The Power of Dadhood".
Simply put, this is a mentoring book. It is a thought stimulator - an idea book. It’s your 'owner's manual' for kids. It's a reference book. It’s a discussion for parents. And, I say this with complete humility, it is an important book! I talk about issues within families that, if not handled carefully, can cause serious generational difficulties.
No society will succeed without a strong core of healthy families. Lacking this, will we continue to look for answers to problems which could have been avoided . Nothing is more important than your family! Every decision should be built around this thought. It's not easy, and that's why we parents must communicate with each other, sharing insights when they seem promising. With that introduction, here's what you'll find inside, "The Power of Dadhood: How to Become the Father Your Child Needs".
What I want Fathers to know.
What is the status of fatherhood today?
I discuss challenges and how to meet them. A few examples:
What is the Pyramid of Fatherhood? There are different levels of fatherhood interaction.
The Pinnacle of Fatherhood: Here I discuss the characteristics that earn a Dad a Master’s Degree of Fatherhood
The Seven Characteristics of a Successful Dad - Appendix A: What do these mean and how do you accomplish each?
A Dads Self Inspection Checklist - Appendix B:
A detailed list of questions for multiple situations for you to evaluate yourself as a dad. Very useful to be assured you are doing the right things or to help you. This checklist is available for free and has been downloaded hundreds of times! Every question is addressed in my book.
Summary
I believe “The Power of Dadhood” to be one of the most simply written, down-to-earth books (also an audio book and Kindle book) to which any parent can easily relate! It is easy to read, no Ph.D. type talk, and written from both the eyes of a troubled child and a concerned father. I hope you read it, then keep it nearby, certainly not for me - but your family!
Please check out some of my articles on my “Helping Fathers to Be Dads” blog. Articles can be found in the column to the right.
#powerofdadhood
Simply put, this is a mentoring book. It is a thought stimulator - an idea book. It’s your 'owner's manual' for kids. It's a reference book. It’s a discussion for parents. And, I say this with complete humility, it is an important book! I talk about issues within families that, if not handled carefully, can cause serious generational difficulties.
No society will succeed without a strong core of healthy families. Lacking this, will we continue to look for answers to problems which could have been avoided . Nothing is more important than your family! Every decision should be built around this thought. It's not easy, and that's why we parents must communicate with each other, sharing insights when they seem promising. With that introduction, here's what you'll find inside, "The Power of Dadhood: How to Become the Father Your Child Needs".
What I want Fathers to know.
- How important they are and why
- That being there is the most important thing
- That there are challenges, but they can be met
- That they can be instrumental in building strong, independent children
What is the status of fatherhood today?
- The Good – more fathers are becoming more involved in raising their children. Over the past half-century, fathers in America nearly tripled their child care time from 2.5 hours per week in 1965 to seven hours per week in 2011.
- The Bad – 24 million children (34%) live absent their biological father. (Census Bureau stats)
- The Ugly – the social and psychological impacts of absent fathers can be, and are, devastating!
I discuss challenges and how to meet them. A few examples:
- Kids – chasing fears, building confidence, having the right attitude
- Fathers – the obstacles, the risks, the consequences
- Families – working together, defining roles, balance, communication, diversity vs cooperation
What is the Pyramid of Fatherhood? There are different levels of fatherhood interaction.
- Being There – what that means
- Fathering with Love – showing concern, listening, encouraging awareness, prevention is easier than healing, consistency, traditions
- Building Strong Children – ethics, self-reliance, respect, education, kindness, responsibility, humility
The Pinnacle of Fatherhood: Here I discuss the characteristics that earn a Dad a Master’s Degree of Fatherhood
- Having healthy relationships
- Being a model for them: Kids watch and copy more than they listen!
- Notes on Boys and Girls: Yes, they are different!
- Watch and react: Pay attention and help them when they need help - but won’t ask
- What is a five-tool success, and what does each tool require?
- Financial success
- Relationship success
- Intellectual success
- Physical success
- Spiritual success
The Seven Characteristics of a Successful Dad - Appendix A: What do these mean and how do you accomplish each?
- Be Involved
- Be Consistent
- Be Loving
- Be Principled
- Be Fun
- Be Balanced
- Be Passionate
A Dads Self Inspection Checklist - Appendix B:
A detailed list of questions for multiple situations for you to evaluate yourself as a dad. Very useful to be assured you are doing the right things or to help you. This checklist is available for free and has been downloaded hundreds of times! Every question is addressed in my book.
Summary
I believe “The Power of Dadhood” to be one of the most simply written, down-to-earth books (also an audio book and Kindle book) to which any parent can easily relate! It is easy to read, no Ph.D. type talk, and written from both the eyes of a troubled child and a concerned father. I hope you read it, then keep it nearby, certainly not for me - but your family!
Please check out some of my articles on my “Helping Fathers to Be Dads” blog. Articles can be found in the column to the right.
#powerofdadhood
