Seven Steps to Baby Bliss

I have just watched a must see for all expecting and new fathers.

“Seven Steps to Baby Bliss” from www.dadstheword.com is not only very practical for expectant and new fathers it is also pretty funny too.

I felt it was totally aimed at fathers as the target audience, but I also believe it would have great benefit watching this DVD with your partner.

The role of the dad is highlighted says the back cover, and I completely agree.

In 28 minutes the “Seven Steps to Baby Bliss” DVD shows you how to:
* Settle a crying baby
* Bathing a baby
* Step by step guide and tips on nappy changing for both baby girls and baby boys
* Feeding a baby
* Baby massage
* Dressing your baby
* And SIDS prevention
* Relationship after baby

from www.dadstheword.com

OMG! - Not just another Father and Daughter article!!

Having a strong bond between a father and daughter is near and dear to my hear, especially being that I have a 5 month old little girl and I want us to make sure we have the best relationship from a male to female point of view. When i read this article i thought this is everything that i have been thinking and more. It really emphasises the importance of my role to her and makes me feel very priviledged and special, and somewhat scared of making sure I don’t stuff up

You can make your own conclusion but from what I read its scary stuff and as a father we have the most influence on our daughters behaviour from a young age.

- Scott

How Dads Can Help Raise Strong Daughters

By Carrie Gress

ROME, DEC. 25, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The way a father treats his daughter is a strong indicator of how she will relate to men for the rest of her life, says author and teen-health expert Doctor Meg Meeker.

Do You Let Your Children Help?

Greetings to you! The next time you consider whether you should have your kids doing chores around the house, consider this article. Hope you enjoy it:

You have a chore to do around the house, and your kids want to help out. You know it might be nice for them to help, but you're feeling a bit impatient. And you know it might turn into a two hour project, with a big mess to clean up. A mess that could be avoided if you did it yourself.

We've all been there, haven't we?

It can be so much easier to do the household chores and projects without the assistance from your little friends. After all, who's got the time in today's world to make a project longer than it needs to be?

You do.

Playbook - Your Fatherhood Gameplan

10 Ways to be an All Pro Dad

1. Love Your Wife
True love is not a feeling. It is a decision. It’s an act of the will to be patient, kind, humble, hopeful, giving, faithful and trusting. When you commit to loving your wife this way, your feelings for her and hers for you will follow. Actively loving your wife will radically strengthen your marriage and will also be incredibly beneficial to your children. The number one source of security for kids is to know that their dad loves their mother and is steadfastly committed to her well-being.

2. Spend time with your children

Being a great father

To me being a father is one of the greatest privileges I have experienced in my life. I have two daughters one aged 20 and the other aged 10 from two different marriages. Having spent many Christmases with both my daughters my wife and my ex wife has demonstrated to me that even though a marriage may finish it is possible to still create a partnership with an ex when you are committed to making it work.

I have often reflected on what is the key to being a great father and I am not saying I have the answer, I still make many mistakes and I am clear that in relationship to my eldest daughter when I stopped being the authority in her life and started being a friend is when my relationship transformed. In other words I stopped being the boss and started getting along side her and getting in to her world and opening up to possible solutions verses telling her what to do. It works.

I thought I was just doing my job.

“I think you need to work on your math skills a bit, those are some basic problems you don’t understand.”

My daughter wasn’t overly thrilled with my “words of encouragement,” and neither was my wife. They joined forces against my verbal assault, giving me instructions on how to be more encouraging.

I thought I was just doing my job.

Fathers and mothers parent differently. It is a reflection of the differences between men and women. It is also the source of a great deal of conflict between parents. Fathers take an approach with their kids that’s more “blunt,” and that reflects their concerns with preparing them for the real world. Mothers take an approach that reflects their concern with their kids’ feelings, and how they’re doing in the world of relationships with others.

How Fathers Matter for Healthy Child Development

Fathers parent differently from mothers and that difference matters greatly for children.
Fatherhood is just as essential to healthy child development as motherhood. In some measures, father-love is more important. The professional journal, Review of General Psychology, finds “evidence suggests that the influence of father love on offspring’s development is as great as and occasionally greater than the influence of mother love.” Fathering expert Dr. Kyle Pruett explains in Fatherneed: Why Father Care is as essential as Mother Care for Your Child, "fathers do not mother." Psychology Today explains, "fatherhood turns out to be a complex and unique phenomenon with huge consequences for the emotional and intellectual growth of children." Erik Erikson, a pioneer in the world of child psychology, explained that father love and mother love are qualitatively different kinds of love. Fathers "love more dangerously" because their love is more "expectant, more instrumental" than a mother’s love.4 A father, as a male biological parent, brings unique contributions to the job of parenting a child that no one else can replicate.

Following are some of the most compelling ways father involvement makes a positive difference in a child’s life. The first benefit is the difference itself.

Daddy's little girl ... and boyfriends

I recently came across the following article in the South African Sunday Times. I guess what is important is Dads far and wide all seem to react the same when their little girl starts dating. The subject of asking if their boyfriend can stay over seems to be one that all fathers agree on – "No ... of course not!". Fortunately I have another 15 years (or so) to go – yay!

- Scott

Daddy's little girl

By Mike Wills

"Dad, this is my boyfriend." Some of the hardest words for a father to hear and a trigger for one of the biggest psychological gearshifts we will ever have to make.

No matter how many books we've read or theories we've spouted, I know of no father who doesn't break out in a cold sweat at the mere thought of any boy so much as laying a finger on his cherished little girl, let alone indulging in something more intimate.

So you’ve just had a kid

So you’ve just had a kid. I’ve been there twice and know that it’s one of the most overwhelming experiences you will ever have in life. Your feelings will have ranged from excited, overjoyed, exhausted, under-prepared, nervous, over-cautious and jubilation – and its not even lunch time yet! But ultimately, it’s all good. You know that despite all the sleepless nights, dirty nappies and hard times, you have embarked on something priceless. A life-long relationship with the most important person in the world – your child.

Girls Will Be Girls Longer When Home Life Is Stable

For many young girls, a stable family life is one key factor to avoiding a number of serious health problems. New research by researchers at The University of Arizona and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, indicates that girls who grow up with supportive parents who themselves have a strong relationship are more likely to delay the onset of puberty.

Bruce J. Ellis, an associate professor in the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences at the UA, and Marilyn J. Essex at Wisconsin, are reporting their research in the journal Child Development. Ellis was the lead author of the study.
Early puberty in girls is already known as a risk factor for a variety of health problems, including mood disorders, substance abuse, adolescent pregnancy and cancers of the reproductive system. Understanding these risks are also essential as a means to develop effective early intervention and prevention strategies.