Tag: dads

When I was writing my first book, Father to Daughter, Life Lessons on Raising a Girl, there were a number of questions from dads expressing frustration with their wives about raising children. Over the years, I’ve had a chance to talk to hundreds and hundreds of dads and generally all have said the same thing. We’re either all married to the same woman, or women tend to think alike. So, as my gift to mothers everywhere, here’s a short explanation on being a dad.

What do parents fight more about than sex or money? Ask any parent: It’s how to raise their children. The dilemma is that while both parents love their children, while they may even have agreed beforehand how to raise their children, and while they may have read every parenting book ever published since 1950, nobody really knows what kind of parent they’re going to be until they are actually confronted with a smiling, gurgling baby; or a thirteen-year-old daughter who is demanding a $1,700 Burberry purse; or a fifteen-year-old son who, at 2 a.m., is standing intoxicated at the front door… with a police officer.

While stay-at-home dads are not a new idea, it has only begun to gain significant recognition in the parenting world. For so long, our culture has easily accepted— even openly welcomed—stay-at-home moms as a natural role within the family structure. Well, it is now 2016 and moms are not the only ones staying home with the kids anymore. According to a Pew Research study, the number of stay-at-home dads has virtually doubled over the last 30 years. Estimates today place the number of stay at home dads in the United States at approximately 2 million—the fastest growing family type, according to Christianity Today.

Are you one of those women who have always dreamed of the perfect Mother’s Day, while each year is sorely disappointing? Instead of blaming your husband and family for not taking the lead, be gently proactive and call the shots yourself this year.

It’s important to remember that husbands (and children) cannot read your mind without a few subtle hints. Many moms don’t care what the day brings as long as her family remembers. Others may have a very specific idea in mind.

Fathers. What would we do without them? Here we are, with Father’s Day right around the corner, and there is no better time to take a look at what the father’s in our lives mean to us. Dads have some very tough shoes to fill. Although one day a year is hardly enough to honor and recognize all that the father’s in our lives do, Father’s Day is a good place to start.

Looking at my own father, I see a man of strength and tenacity. Though he might not have gotten the fatherhood job description down perfectly, my father was a man of deep commitment. He believed in the ideal of family.

A good old-fashioned barbecue is a great way to honor Dad (your husband) this Father's Day. What dad wouldn't enjoy a backyard barbecue, especially when he is the guest of honor? With a little thought and planning, this year’s barbecue bash could be the start of an annual Father's Day tradition. Here are 14 ways to get things cooking.

Plan the guest list. Decide if the barbecue is going to include only immediate family or if friends and extended family will be a part of the day. Older children can be responsible for addressing and mailing out the invitations.