Following Good Dads’ screening of “Gone Guys,” an energetic—sometimes hopeful, sometimes sad—but nonetheless meaningful conversation occurred. We hosted a six-member panel to speak about their personal and professional experiences as it relates to the themes and topics in the documentary.…
This time of year is special for several reasons, with schools letting out across the country, students moving up a grade and kickstarting a great summer. Graduations of all kinds are held, celebrating accomplishments and serving as the start of…
Jude asks his son Kyle (15) to take out the trash by the time he gets back from the store. When Jude gets home, he finds the trash can is still overflowing. In a fit of anger, he yells at…
Five years ago, I was faced with what I felt to be an insurmountable task: explain to my two kids that their Mom and I would be splitting up and moving into different houses. I immediately went to the library…
“We have trust issues.” “We fight all the time.” “We have trouble communicating.” I’ve heard these phrases countless times over the past three decades of working with couples in therapy. They hint at what’s wrong—but they rarely tell the whole…
This week on the Good Dads Blog we sat down with one of the newest members of the Good Dads team, Scott Lewis, a former aviation operations specialist and father to a one-year-old daughter. Previously, Scott worked as Product Manager…
Perhaps you’ve heard the buzz about Fundamentals for Good Dads, the newest curriculum from Good Dads. This eight-part course is an improved and updated version of what was previously called Fundamentals of Fatherhood. Using what we’ve learned as leaders in…
Have you ever heard the phrase “men are from Mars, women are from Venus”? Popularized by the 1992 bestselling novel by the same name, it asserts that there is a stark difference, particularly in communication styles, between sexes that it’s…
Valentine’s Day can be one of the most romantic days of the year — or one of the most disappointing. Often, the difference has less to do with flowers, candy or dinner reservations and more to do with whether we…
The world certainly seems to revolve around the almighty dollar. Money can be the make or break of relationships. Money talks—and it’s important that couples do, too! But how do you communicate money matters with each other? Earlier this month,…
This year on the Good Dads blog, we’re thrilled to be your guide through the 2026 theme: Good Dads Communicators. Between now and the end of the year, we’ll explore a variety of perspectives on how people communicate and how…
Somehow, we blinked and the holidays are already here. While we hurdle toward the end of the year, nonprofits everywhere are neck-deep in their spreadsheets: crunching their numbers, gathering statistics and packaging everything together in appeal letters, annual reports, PowerPoints,…
With Thanksgiving season upon us, dads and their young learners across the state are learning about gratitude and respect with the Good Dads Strong Schools program. The message in these lessons is clear: Showing gratitude shouldn’t just happen once a…
At Good Dads, we talk a lot about the importance of being an intentional father, but what does that actually mean? As it turns out, it means a lot of things! Being “intentional” means taking an active role as a…
In the nonprofit field, we always have our eyes set on the horizon. We’re always concerned with what the future holds. So it should come as no surprise that we’ve been planning for our 10th anniversary fundraising dinner and celebration…
Brian Mattson has a lot of roles in his life: husband, father of two, lead pastor of the Downtown Church in Springfield, and Strong Schools captain for McGregor Elementary. Brian heard about this new way to get involved in his…
Have you ever had this thought? You buy a Powerball ticket and discover you won the jackpot! You’ve made it!! You can quit your job, pay off the mortgage, buy the car you’ve always wanted, and retire to some Caribbean…
What do making paper airplanes, coloring pictures and creating pipe cleaner creatures all have in common? These are great, simple ways for dads to bond with their kids—and beyond that, they’re also all activities featured in Good Dads Strong Schools…
Father of three sons Brian Stranghoener didn’t know what he was getting into when his 4th grader, Hudson, brought home an informational flyer on a before-school breakfast program called Good Dads Strong Schools at his school, Bissett Elementary. Curious, Brian…
In the latest episode of the Good Dads Great Communities podcast, we spoke to experts about father involvement in elementary schools. Hosts welcome Strong Schools Coordinator Jim Millsap and Good Dads Board Member Dr. Mike Dawson for a meaningful discussion about how even a few minutes of paternal presence can positively impact schools, families and communities.
Eric Griffin, Springfield father of two kindergarteners and two fifth graders, knows what being a busy father looks like. He works hard as an accountant to provide for his family, but it’s rare for him to see his children until…
Most people would be more than happy to stay retired after serving nearly 40 years in the education sector. Jim Millsap, Good Dads’ Strong Schools Coordinator, isn’t most people. “I was so bad at retirement, I came on board with…
I have so many Tom stories, I thought I would share another one. It has always bugged me how Tom could look at something and know it wasn’t level. I’m not talking about when something is obviously crooked—I’m talking about…
This month on the Good Dads Podcast, our lineup explored vital areas of fatherhood: from raising financially responsible kids to building father-focused programs in rural communities. Each conversation offers a powerful reminder that intentional parenting and consistent presence can shape futures!
School’s out and the kids are in—in your homes, in your refrigerators and in your hair. The newness of the experience has passed, so you have started looking for someone or something to babysit them. You could maybe get the…
In Episode 5 of Good Dads’ The Intentional Dad podcast, hosts J. Fotsch and Jason Hynson sit down with Dyllan Dale to tackle two of the most persistent challenges facing families today: peer pressure and self-esteem. Through honest reflection and…
When my son whispered that he had said “the s-word” at school, I braced myself. But what came out of his mouth wasn’t what I expected. That moment might seem small, but it launched one of the best parenting tools…
Did you catch our four engaging podcast episodes in April? We explored fatherhood in various ways, from handling screen time to fostering workplace culture. Each discussion offered insightful views on being a purposeful and involved dad in the twenty-first century.…
The boys are all grown and have their own lives now, but when I look back at some of the best times I had with my children, one simple activity stands out. How low could I go. When you are…
In Episode 3 of Hot Topics, Good Dads hosts Will Cox and Dr. Jennifer L. Baker tackle a powerful and relatable subject for every parent: the value of letting children fail. The latest episode, “Letting Your Children Fail – Using…
The Good Dads Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Northern Life Magazine website and was not written by Good Dads staff. Reposted with permission. Being a father is one of life’s most…
We’re building a fence at the top of the cliff. That’s probably one of the easiest and most concise ways to describe what we’re doing at Good Dads. We are constructing a sturdy barrier overlooking a ravine because we want…
Last Monday, we sent out an important progress report on the New Pathways for Good Dads program. As we celebrate a decade of hard work among our staff, volunteers and program participants, we want to say thank you and recap…
Curiosity is the foundation of lifelong learning, and in Good Dads’ most recent podcast episode on “The Difference a Dad Makes,” hosts Brian and J. Fotsch welcome Rudy Martinez, Director of the Springfield Conservation Nature Center, to explore how dads…
Brrrrr! Bitter winds are howling. Tiny frozen crystals dance from the cloudy sky. Slippery ice covers every surface. It can only mean one thing: a snow day! For some, there’s nothing better than building snowmen, making snow angels and waging…
We’ve been covering healthy relationships (romantic and otherwise) here on the Good Dads blog for years, and this week we’ve collected some of our favorite tips and advice. This Valentine’s Day, remember that healthy relationships is a commitment for 365…
The oft-heard adage, “Fake it ’till you make it” isn’t perfectly true, but it does contain an important nugget of truth. You see, no one is born with the built-in ability to do things successfully. A newborn infant knows how…
