On our last Good Dads Communicators blog, we talked about why it’s so important that dads prioritize their physical health with check-ups at a doctor’s office. When dads take care of their health, they’re taking care of their families as…
Good Dads turned to two of its most skilled facilitators of the New Pathways program for our month-long coverage on the topic of managing challenging relationships. They gave advice for succeeding in one’s relationships in spite of the challenges that…
Good Dads turned to two of its most skilled facilitators of the New Pathways program for our month-long coverage on the topic of managing challenging relationships. They gave advice for succeeding in one’s relationships in spite of the challenges that…
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.…
The Men and Mental Health Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Tim Elmore website and was not written by Good Dads staff. Entering a new year is a natural time to…
Marcus hopes he would get a deer this hunting season. Travis hopes he would get the promotion he’s been working to get. Damien hopes the holidays would go better this year than they have in the past. All three…
The Men and Mental Health Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Days of a Domestic Dad website and was not written by Good Dads staff. Mental health problems are incredibly common,…
The Men and Mental Health 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 Nobel-prize winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman has…
Habits give us a sense of control in our lives. They may give us confidence and help us feel normal. In many cases, we don’t even realize how ingrained our habits have become. Take, for example, the stories of three…
This blogpost contains descriptions of drug and alcohol addiction and may not be suitable for everyone. Please use discretion. “Many of us who suffer from addictive behaviors start out curious,” Peter Gilbreth told Good Dads in a recent phone…
Which substance is the biggest threat to people in the Ozarks? This used to be a pretty straight forward answer: methamphetamines. Meth is a powerful psychostimulant that impacts the central nervous system. It causes an intense sense of euphoria by…
Addiction is all around us, and the data is distressing. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, 2023) estimates more than 60 million people age 12 and up used illicit drugs in the US in the last year.…
This week we bring you a blogpost from the Good Dads archives. This article is adapted from content published originally in February 2022 and has been adapted and updated for relevancy. Because alcohol use disorder is the most common form…
This blogpost contains discussions of suicide. Please use discretion. You get up in the morning. You shower, shave, brush your teeth and comb your hair. You look in the mirror and you see—Superman. At least, that is who you…
I was recently made aware of The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” published earlier this year. Reading this report and looking at many of the statistics throughout made me increasingly concerned about the sociological…
The Men and Mental Health Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Fatherhood: Reloaded website and was not written by Good Dads staff. Being a dad to a child who has special needs…
This blogpost contains discussions of suicide. Please use discretion. When Calvin learned that Josh, his best friend in high school, had taken his own life, he was shocked. Calvin remembered Josh as a party waiting to happen, full of life,…
Work-related stress is difficult to manage, especially if you’re feeling burnt out. Researching the problem yourself is an added challenge, and you may find yourself running into dead ends or encountering useless advice from irrelevant sources. We know you have…
The Men and Mental Health Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Art of Manliness website and was not written by Good Dads staff. Before you have kids, taking business trips is no…
When I left the Navy, I knew I wanted to go back to school, but that was all I knew. I had a vague idea that I wanted to help people, and that I wanted a job that would provide…
High-stress jobs in education? Been there. Managing and leading others? Done that. Juggling a career while being a dad? Welcome to Jim Millsap’s life. Our new Good Dads Strong Schools Coordinator has seen it all. A Springfield native, Jim attended…
Most of my first six years of life were spent on my grandparents’ dairy farm. Thereafter, the remainder of my childhood revolved around the rhythms of my parents’ farm where we had 2,000 chickens (the egg business), 75–150 head of…
The Men and Mental Health Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Operation Red Wings Foundation website and was not written by Good Dads staff. Did you know that the most common symptoms…
Mike is happy his friend Daniel made it safely back to the States after spending years on the battlefield. Daniel was involved in many dangerous military missions, and Mike and his friends were never sure if he would make it…
On a chilly day in January 2017, I nervously started my seven-month counseling internship, where half of my time was spent at Victory Mission Men’s Shelter in North Springfield. Victory Mission began in 1976 when Rev. and Mrs. Everett Cook…
The Impact of Trauma “He used to love fireworks,” said a friend as she reflected on the impact a tour of duty in Iraq had on her loved one. “Now, the 4th of July is one of his least favorite…
This week we bring you a blogpost from the Good Dads archives. This article was originally published in 2018, but we think you’ll find that the topics we cover here are just as relevant today! There’s so much good information…
I get it – you want friends. But as a grown man and a father, that can be a weird thing to admit out loud. But the truth is, you don’t just want friends, you need friends. And you can’t…
I tend to be a curious person. I like to ask questions. Often at home when I do not understand something, I will wonder out loud, “Why?” or “How come?” For years this habit frustrated my wife. If you have…
This week we bring you a blogpost from the Good Dads archives. This article was originally published in 2020, but we think you’ll find that the topics we cover here are just as relevant today! “My wife suggested we…
Romance looks different after having children. Marriage and romance look different in your thirties and forties than it did when you were 22. I remember talking to a friend, let’s call him Ray, about how things were different with his…
We’ve been thinking about anger all wrong. Anger is not something to suppress, ignore or be ashamed of. In fact, expressing your anger in a safe and healthy way is one of the best things you can do for yourself.…
My name is Dr. Chris Ward. I would like to start out by acknowledging a very important aspect related to my post today. I am an addict in recovery. I do not have a history of addiction to alcohol, nicotine,…
Riley was livid. His heart was pumping out of his chest. His hands were shaking, and all he could think about was, “This is it. It’s go time.” Riley is not an MMA fighter or a warrior about to enter…
“I’m not angry. You’re the one yelling. Nothing I ever do is good enough for you. I can never do enough.” The conversation began with talk about some badly needed home repairs, but—as Josh and Annie so often did—the conversation…
The Men and Mental Health Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Operation Red Wings Foundation website and was not written by Good Dads staff. If there’s one thing we all need to…
The police academy, fire academy and military boot camps are filled with 18 to 20-somethings pushing harder mentally and physically than they have ever pushed themselves before. These platforms are mostly for young adults and are even more highlighted than…
This blogpost is a continuation of last week’s story. If you haven’t read part one yet, we encourage you to catch up first before you read this week’s article. Find part one here. When Alex and Allie showed up at…
Alex stared out the window and wondered what the problem might be. He liked to golf and was always ready to get together with the guys and go out for 18 holes. Sometimes he went to the golf course and…
My baseball career ended at the age of 16, as a junior varsity benchwarmer. I couldn’t throw as hard or run as fast as my teammates. But, that is still longer than most kids play these days. Now, by age…
The Men and Mental Health Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Operation Red Wings Foundation website and was not written by Good Dads staff. More than 50% of Americans will be diagnosed…
Let me tell you about my brain. Imagine thinking about all the things you have to do one day at work. While you are thinking about those things, a constant song plays in your head. While this song is only…
You forget to set your alarm, wake up late, spill coffee on yourself, and trip over your kid’s toys on the way out the door. Your wife texts you on the way to work, unhappy about the mess you left…
When Dr. Brent Anderson, a psychologist at West Point refers to “FML,” it’s not what you think. Even though FML generally represents a phrase not often used in polite company, Dr. Anderson, who spends a lot of time working with…
The Men and Mental Health Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Parent-child-Connect website and was not written by Good Dads staff. Mental health is a tough topic of discussion in most…
There’s a pain in Dave’s chest that he can’t get rid of. He massages it constantly and has no clue as to why it hurts. He can’t sleep at night, and he feels tired all during the day, even when…
The Men and Mental Health Blog features some curated content from online resources. This post originally appeared on the Operation Red Wings Foundation website and was not written by Good Dads staff. Did you know that men are far more likely to…
“So what do you want me to do, Doc? I’ve never done this. Where do I sit? Did you want me to lie down on the couch?” I’ve grown accustomed to this kind of question—especially with men. Especially on their…
Let’s face it. Celebrating the holidays can be very stressful and depending on your family’s background and traditions, the tension can last for weeks. Even if you are able to keep plans for your family festivities reasonable, you still have…
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – On this Live, Life, Well the pandemic has forced almost all of us to deal with the loss of something. For students, they’ve lost time around friends. Maybe the athlete you know lost their senior year…
Nearly every day I meet with someone who is disappointed that some realistic life expectation failed to be fulfilled as imagined. They thought they would be married by now, but they’re not. They hoped to conceive a child, but they…
“Three out of four,” she said. “It needs to meet three out of my four requirements in order for me to commit.” My friend was talking about the pre-requisites she considered essential before committing herself and her family to a…
On a warm sunny morning not so long ago I took two of my granddaughters to Nathanial Green Park to play. They clambered over the equipment, scaled the slide backward (Don’t most children do this?),and maneuvered the merry-go-round. I sat…
“Has that always been there?” my husband asks, noting some new structure on a familiar route. “I think so,” I say, “but honestly I don’t know for certain. It could’ve been there a long time.” “It’s odd we didn’t notice…
There’s so much good information in The Boy Crisis by Warren Farrell PhD and John Gray, PhD that we could devote the contents of the Real Good Dads blog to it for the next six months. At the same time,…
