How Fathers Can Be a Role Model Even If They Did Not Have One Themselves
March 27, 2025
The Good Dads Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Northern Life Magazine
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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 significant roles, but it can also be one of the most daunting, especially if you’ve […]
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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 to prevent the needless tragedy that occurs when people go over the edge. Author Dan […]
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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 some of our recent accomplishments. In 2018, The New Pathways for Good Dads (NPGD) program […]
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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 can cultivate curiosity and outdoor engagement in their children. Rudy shares how his love for […]
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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 war in the form of snowball fights. But for others, the winter wonderland puts us […]
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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 days a year! Make it safe to connect Make it easy to give and receive […]
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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 to cry, feed and sleep. (Maybe a couple of other things also!). All the other […]
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The debut episode of The Difference a Dad Makes podcast brings together co-hosts Dr. Jennifer L. Baker and J. Fotsch as they introduce Brian Mattson, the lead pastor at the Downtown Church in Springfield, MO. Brian is also a musician and proud father of two young children. This heartfelt conversation dives deep into the vital […]
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Several members of the Good Dads team, including executive staff, board members and facilitators, caravanned to Jefferson City today to meet with Missouri legislators for important discussions on the importance of engaged fatherhood. Our sincere thanks to all the elected members of the Missouri General Assembly who took time out of their busy day to […]
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Good Dads invites proposals for 75-minute sessions to be presented at our first (hopefully annual) family reunion for facilitators and chapter leaders. The one-day reunion is scheduled for Friday, July 18, in Springfield, Missouri. This year’s theme, Bringing It Home, encourages a broad exploration of the many ways we can support fathers and their families […]
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Most dads hope to raise kind, generous children who care for others. Most parents want to see their children playing well with others, practicing kindness and developing meaningful relationships. But when your toddler just yanked a toy out of her brother’s hands with a yowl of “MINE!” or when your teenager just slammed his bedroom […]
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More than two dozen father-focused individuals representing several Missouri communities joined Good Dads in Harrisonville, MO, to be trained to facilitate the nonprofit’s flagship fatherhood skills course, Good Dads 2.0. The cohort gathered January 7, 8 and 9, braving blistering cold and snowy road conditions in the name of encouraging engaged fatherhood. The energy in […]
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