Downtime Scroll 9/12

Downtime Scroll

(A regular feature highlighting what’s going on in the world related to fatherhood)

Black Fathers Are Never Home, And Other Lies Society Believes About Us – “One time, I took my daughter to a daddy-daughter event and again was inspired to see the abundance of young black men and their daughters having the best time. I realized that while we still have problems in our communities, there have for decades been black men who have been good men, good husbands, and of course good fathers. However, this positive picture is rarely shown. It’s an oversight that appears to prevent the constructive narrative from bringing changes to our communities.” – Well said. Anyone up for joining me in correcting this oversight?

Dad Takes Teen’s Belongings Hostage After Cell Phone Bill – ““Logical consequences — like taking away privileges — can be very effective. They work best when there are clear instructions on what kids need to do to earn their privileges back. This father was very clear to his daughter about the steps she could take to regain her privileges.” – Too often I see harsh and over-the-top punishments as means to manage undesired behavior from kids. Use logical consequences and clear instructions to help your child learn from their mistakes instead.

With Federal Grant, NYU Researchers Focus on Father/Son Communication to Reduce Teen Pregnancies and STDs in Disadvantaged Communities – “The FRRM [Fathers Raising Responsible Men] intervention involves face-to-face sessions between an interventionist and the father of an adolescent male. In addition, the participating fathers will receive follow-up booster contacts to ensure that they have implemented the suggested activities, to sustain motivation, and to address obstacles that may have arisen.” – Talking to your children about sex can be an extremely difficult conversation. But, it’s an important one to have so they are able to make good, informed decisions. I like the approach of the study mentioned in the linked article as it’s ultimate goal is to develop a model that can be used by fathers everywhere.