Fathers Gain Respect from Experts (and Mothers)

First found in the NYTimes, November 2009: This is a must read for all young adults hoping to be good parents one day. Being a good parents means having a good marriage, research shows! In particular, when couples have "positive relationship traits like willingness to compromise, expressing affection or love for their partner, encouraging or helping partners to do things that were important to them, and having an absence of insults and criticism, the father was significantly more likely to be engaged with his children."


by Laurie Tarkin
But since the couple attended a parenting course — to save their relationship, which had become overwhelmed by arguments about rearing their children — Ms. Calapini has had a change of heart. Now she encourages the father-daughter car talk. “Daddy’s bonding time with his girls is working on cars,” said Ms. Calapini, of Olivehurst, Calif. “He has his own way of communicating with them, and that’s O.K.” As much as mothers want their partners to be involved with their children, experts say they often unintentionally discourage men from doing so. Because mothering is their realm, some women micromanage fathers and expect them to do things their way, said Marsha Kline Pruett, a professor at the Smith College School for Social Work at Smith College and a co-author of the new book “Partnership Parenting,” with her husband, the child psychiatrist Dr. Kyle Pruett (Da Capo Press). Read the rest of this article....

Strong Fathers, Strong Future

"Too few men are truly great. Greatness comes from within and is often invisible to eyes unfamiliar with a great person. A man is great only if he is responsible; only if he is a loyal and loving husband and father and friend; only if he teaches his children and grandchildren properly, not only with words but by example; only if he is free of envy and spite and pettiness.

"You and Mom have taught your kids and grandkids many valuable lessons. In particular, I thank you for never once, in the 42 years that I've been blessed to know you and Mom, having shown envy of others. I thank you and Mom for teaching us to be decent and to judge others by their moral merit rather than by their worldly achievements.

read the rest here