“When clear communication is taking place, we feel informed, engaged, involved and aware.” That’s what Brian Mattson, father of two and lead pastor at the Downtown Church in Springfield, had to say about the importance of communication in relationships. He’s…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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!
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Craig Groeschel, founder and senior pastor of Life.Church, said, “Raising adult children is harder than raising younger children.” I wholeheartedly agree. Parenting kids aged 17-25 can be particularly challenging for two main reasons: We must shift our roles as parents,…
As twentysomethings and as daughters of good dads, we are forever interested in our peers’ relationships with their dads. And as the communications team at a father-focused nonprofit, we’re uniquely positioned to gain some valuable insights! This month we asked…
At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious, a father’s relationships with his children change as they grow up. While your youngsters once needed help tying their shoes and were wobbling on training wheels, now they’re getting driver’s licenses, dating,…
Remember the first time you saw your little one take their first wobbly steps? You felt a mix of pride and terror. As your child transitions from teenagehood to young adulthood, you’re about to experience a similar emotional roller coaster…
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a common question asked of young children. And as a child grows, aspirations evolve and change. In Good Dads’ web series “What I Want to Be,” Executive Director Dr.…
Many dads fear “the talk” relative to conversations with their kids about love and sex. I can understand this discomfort, but I wish dads would focus more on the characteristics of a healthy relationship than the biology of sex. Even…
Who better to ask than a classroom full of teenagers, “What does it mean to be a good dad?” At Parkview High School, classrooms are full of a variety of perceptions considering its high diversity rate–both multiculturally and socioeconomically. There…
The Growing Good Dads Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Institute for Family Studies website and was not written by Good Dads staff. The following essay is adapted from the author’s speech…
Tonight with JD, I had a realization that children become truly mature and compassionate when they realize that, if they CAN do something, they NEED to do it for themselves. I believe we, as parents, need to encourage our kids…
The Growing Good Dads Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Happy Families website and was not written by Good Dads staff. I was a mistake. Unplanned… unintended… not actually supposed to…
This week we bring you an updated blogpost from the Good Dads archives. This article was originally published in 2021, but we think you’ll find that the topics we cover here are relevant every holiday season! Let’s face it.…
“No thank you. I’ve had an excellent sufficiency. Anymore would be a superfluous animosity. However, your cuisine would please the most fastidious gourmet.” These are the words my father taught us to say when we had had enough to eat.…
In 2014, physicist Michio Kaku wrote, “We are now entering the golden age of neuroscience. We have learned more about the thinking brain in the last 10–15 years than in all of previous human history.” One particularly fruitful area of…
Ask James Mincks, Doug Saunders, and Charlie Romine and they’ll tell you, Jobs for Life made a big difference in their life. As persons with a history of incarceration, they never really thought they would have what many of us…
Let me explain. I was a network administrator. Sounds much more glamorous than it was. I basically worked for 10 hours straight through the night printing reports, changing out tapes and monitoring multiple screens to make sure nothing went down.…
School. Soccer practice. Homework. Dinner. Piano Recital. Bed. Repeat. Does some variation of this sound all too familiar? Intentionally or unintentionally, our Generation Z kids are enduring heavy schedules filled with highly scripted activities. This leaves little (if any) downtime…
For Josh Keedy, Prime driver and father of four, it all boils down to respect. Self-respect is a big deal for Josh—something reflected in his work as a driver and in his role as a husband and father. This attitude…
The legendary coach, Vince Lombardi, once said, “Football is like life – it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority,” and most from the Baby Boomer and Gen X generations would agree. However, in the past…
I grew up with a brother who was less than two years younger than me. We were raised by our hard working, single mother, along with equally hard working grandparents. I never really remember being taught “manners.” We kinda just…
Getting kids to learn the value of work is no easy task. When you throw in a couple of parents who most likely were raised with varying views of chores, allowances, and the appropriate age to start working at an…
“Say you’re sorry.” Many parents instruct children to express regret for thoughtless actions to another using these words. Head down, face frowning, the child mumbles “Sorry.” In return, he may hear, “Sorry too” or “That’s alright.” It’s really not alright.…
As a kid growing up in a small town, I loved to play sports. I began playing baseball at a young age, then football, basketball, bowling and track. I not only enjoyed playing, but watching sports on TV or in…
I keep a stone from the summit of a mountain on my desk. On it is written, “You can’t get the mountaintop experience unless you are willing to climb the mountain.” One thing I have been able to enjoy with…
What parent hasn’t heard those words? A red-faced child plants both feet firmly, sticks out the lower lip, and what can charitably be called a “hissy fit” erupts. Ownership is at stake! As children we are not natural givers. We…
If ever a story, a relationship, a social infrastructure, or a magical phenomenon been more under emphasized than the importance of a child’s need for their father’s love and attention, I cannot imagine what it would be! My own experience,…
“What’s that?!” “It’s good. You’ll like it.”“Yuck. No I won’t.” “How do you know you won’t like it if you haven’t tried it?” “It looks gross.” “Well, it’s not, and your mother worked really hard at making a nice dinner…
“In what areas of life do you find yourself most competitive? At work? In athletic activities? In card or board games? Debating controversial topics? “ That’s what the men at this week’s Good Dads lunch talked about around the tables…
I think we have all been there, cruising along at a speed that is probably not recommended by the Highway Patrol, when another car comes out of nowhere causing us to slam on our brakes and utter some words that…
