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,…
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…
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.…
Did you play “Hide and Seek” with your neighborhood friends growing up? The version I played involved the “Seeker” standing by a Home Base, usually a tree or street sign, and counting to a designated number (usually 100) while all…
It was lunchtime, and the dads came hungry. As break began on a Friday in late September, welders and grinders at Watson Metal Masters filed into the conference room, guided by their noses by the mouthwatering scent of Missouri favorites:…
This week we’re reaching back into the Good Dads archives to bring you a blogpost from Deron Smith, a professor, pastor and father. While Deron originally wrote this back in 2015, we think the topics he covers are just as…
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 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…
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…
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…
“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…
How do you build a safe home for you and your family when you didn’t have a stable upbringing yourself? How can you be a good dad when you didn’t have positive role models growing up? How can dads use…
Father’s Day is on Sunday. Today we are taking a look back at a heart-felt blog written in honor of a much-loved father. As Father’s Day approaches, I’m taking time to reflect on what my Dad taught me. My…
It’s June. School is out. Father’s Day is approaching. Ballgames are being played. Vacations are happening. Join us as we reach into our archives and journey back in time with Kevin Weaver and his memories of summertime. Ah, summertime. It…
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…
Real Men, Real Stories I met Chad as a new participant in the New Pathways program in a Fatherhood Development class. He was discouraged, felt alone, and was mad at the world. He did not have contact with his children,…
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.…
Shannon is worried about the way Derek drinks. He could always “hold his liquor,” but lately it seems to be more and more important to him. She has tried to talk with him about how his drinking affects their kids,…
One does not simply become an astronaut. We may dream about it as a child, but the reality of exploring space is limited, and only available to the best of the best. To even apply to be a NASA astronaut…
Here are Good Dads we are often asked, “What kids of dads do you help?” Good Dads is here to help all dads be more successful in connecting with their children. One of the ways we help dads of all…
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…
“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…
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…
Jon Hardy, Anesthesiology Assistant, thought he wanted to be a pilot, but during flight school he started asking himself, “Is this truly what I want to do—spend time and weekends away from my family?” He began to realize he had…
When Louisiana-born, Barry Broussard thought about becoming a truck driver, he talked the decision over with his three kids. Two were nearly grown, to the extent they had graduated from high school, but Sarah, his 14-year-old daughter, was just beginning…
It’s not what you expect to see on the back of an 18-wheeler, but it’s the absolute truth for Prime drivers James and Shelby Abell. They have had their baby, Amelia, on board almost since she was born in 2017.…
I was going to be a professional snowboarder. I was convinced of this fact. If that did not work out, I would study psychology, but I was also going to be an actor. You may be thinking the above statement…
As the driver of an 18-wheel tanker hauling food grade products, John Ogren is familiar with “surge.” He might be hauling anything from liquid chocolate to grape juice to soybean oil; it doesn’t make much difference when he needs to…
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…
A wise man once told me, “…what you practice in moderation, your children will excuse in excess.” That’s a profound declaration, and if we conduct an honest assessment, we will find that it is an unswerving truth. Yet, when you…
Kevin: Over the course of many years of parental investment, I have tried to calculate whether or not my fatherhood has made a difference in the life of my three boys. Being fully aware of all my weaknesses, I have…
At this time, my wife Elisa is currently on a 15-day mission trip to Uganda and Ethiopia. While she is away, I took some vacation time to stay home with the kids. I must say I am handling my duties…
Larry Hinex describes himself as “a pretty simplistic guy,” driving for Prime with a goal of earning enough money to help his daughter, Jakeisha, who is in college pursuing a degree in a law-related field. Larry also has two sons,…
One minute I was soaking in the sun with the breeze blowing through my hair, and the next I was walking across a semi-submerged submarine towards a hatch that would change my perspective on life. As I climbed down the…
Robert Hullett has been with Prime nearly two years—7 months driving a company truck and more recently, as a lease operator. He currently drives a 2016 Peterbilt and is looking forward to upgrading to a 2019 Peterbilt soon. He drives…
There is hardly a person on the planet that doesn’t like the opportunity to play. Of course, the term “play” has varying meanings at varying ages. For instance, play to a two-year-old might mean whacking a bowl with a mixing…
Kevin Weaver (Dad): Recently, my middle son, now a married father of two, as well as an Army infantry officer with the 101st Airborne, sat down and penned some thoughts regarding his upbringing, as well as my involvement in it.…
“You can be a truck driver. You can be a dad. You can be a good dad! Don’t let people discourage you because they think you can’t.” That’s the advice Thomas Miller gives to the new drivers he trains. Thomas…
Are truck drivers romantic? That is what we asked Thomas Miller when we talked with him a few days before Valentine’s Day. He assured us, “I am a romantic truck driver,” but gave much of the credit to his wife,…
