Have you ever thought about how your marriage looks to your children — or about how your attitudes toward marriage are influencing them? Your modelling influences your children’s perspectives and practices in their own marriages.

Though I have gained many insights into working with single fathers over the past 16 years, here are some that I consider to be the most foundational. I believe these five principles — three “Do’s” and two “Don’ts” — will prove successful in your parenting.

Ten years ago, Hogan Hilling and Austin Dowd began collecting passionate, tender photos and eloquent, heartfelt comments from a diverse group of fathers from around the world. "Dadly Dads" showcases the good nature, wisdom and value of men in the lives of their children.

It happened so quickly, I barely noticed the change. But all of a sudden, our little bundle of joy needs to be disciplined. Every moment of the day, she is finding ways to test boundaries and assert her independence.

Dads4Kids has been helping men take Bruce’s wise advice on how to become better fathers and put a priority on their children, for the last 22 years. With your help, we will continue to do so.

For the last two weeks, Squish has been surrounded by all four of her grandparents. It was the first time Squish had met my mum and dad, who flew in to the United States all the way from Australia.

Is it possible to be a great father as a single dad? The short answer is, “Absolutely!” However, since being a single parent brings a variety of outside factors and dynamics, we may have to take a slightly different approach.

One of the best things a dad can do for his kids is to love and respect their mother. A strong marriage creates security for the whole family, and it helps your kids thrive in significant ways.

Who are your marriage role models? The number of couples choosing to get married is plummeting. Good, solid marriages are less common than they used to be. Maybe YOUR marriage has been a role model for others – or maybe you would like to be.

When I speak to groups of dads, I often bring up generational family issues to try to help them gain a better perspective on their own challenges. I ask a series of questions to bring these issues regarding their fathering heritage to the surface.

It’s commonly accepted today that first marriages have a greater success rate when delayed. If we dig a bit deeper, however, we find this conventional wisdom regarding delayed marrying has its flaws. Certain factors are at play in the success of all marriages.

Ultimately, parents must remember that they likely won’t be around for their children’s entire lives, but children’s siblings probably will be. If parents can teach their children how to build a solid family network together, they will offer a legacy not only to their children, but one that can be passed through the generations.

Caitlin Keating, a journalist with People magazine, has done a beautiful job telling this powerful story. The full title of this exclusive article is even harder to believe: “Blind Triplet Contemplated Suicide Before Blind Man Adopted Them. Now Boys Are Pursuing Their Dreams.”

Today, at the age of 18, Ramos has a one-year-old daughter, Hailey. As he prepared to celebrate Father's Day with his daughter, Ramos reflected on his family, and his hopes for his daughter's future. 

Does integrity matter? Sacrifice? Hard work? Compassion for others? Giving? They will emulate what they see and learn from our actions. Going the extra mile for your kids can be wrapped up in one statement: You are second. Live by that.

I have previously written about how children are wired to need both a mother and father. This is a fact that has come into much sharper focus for me as our little Squish has begun regularly calling out our names.

It has dawned on me in recent weeks that the time to model “the good life” for Squish is not when she starts talking or begins school or reaches adolescence — but today.

The early years are the most dynamic time of life, producing more than a million neural connections each second. For parents or caregivers, this time offers a wonderful opportunity to impact children’s lives.

After two decades of caring for other people’s children, Emma believes she can sum up the problem with modern parents with one simple test: Pour your child’s milk into a pink sippy cup. If they declare, ‘But I wanted the blue one!’, what do you do?

Dads, if you can, do your best to choose the positive for your kids. Lead them, in love, towards the Light. Seek out the better way, and hopefully, you might even discover some great music on the journey.