In this intergenerational collection of poetry by new and established African American writers, fatherhood is celebrated with honor, humor, and grace. Folami Abiade, Dinah Johnson, Carole Boston Weatherford, Dakari Hru, Michael Burgess, E. Ethelbert Miller, Lenard D. Moore, David Anderson, Angela Johnson, Sonia Sanchez, and Davida Adedjouma all contribute. Javaka Steptoe, who also offers a poem, employs an inventive range of media to bring each of the poems to life. In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall testifies to the powerful bond between father and child, recognizing family as our greatest gift, and…
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Journal Article
This article reviews the five key social work journals for the years 1988-1996. These journals had a total subscription of 168,000 during the mid-point of this nine-year span. The five journals published a combined total of 30 issues per year, ranging from 4 to 10 issues. A total of 2,323 feature articles were published in 270 issues during that period. The earlier depictions of fathers in the articles as perpetrators and as embattled have been superseded. The emerging view of fathers as nurturing is reflected in other sources. Thus, the view of the father as perpetrator and as someone to…
This report details the experiences of six two-generation intervention projects in New York City supported by grants from the Foundation for Child Development. The two-generation projects help low-income families gain access to employment-related services for parents, and developmental services such as quality child care and health care for children. Although programs varied, all included voluntary services, used counseling, and had a moderate level of openness to parent input and decision making. Chapter 1 of the report describes recent changes in the welfare system and efforts to develop…
Divorced But Still My Parents is a textbook, workbook and storybook for children ages six through twelve. Based on the grief recovery model, this guide gently encourages boys and girls to understand the feelings caused by the parents' separation, and gives them specific strategies to cope. Parents can read Divorced But Still My Parents along with their children, and support the acceptance of changes in the family structure. Instructors in childrens' groups recommend Divorced But Still My Parents as an invaluable textbook for children. (Author abstract)
Becoming a stepfather means new relationships, new struggles, and new joys. This book is a commonsense, practical guide that helps stepfathers ease into their new role. The author emphasizes how stepfathers must replace wishful thinking with realistic expectations. Suggestions for getting along with stepchildren and building lasting relationships, managing conflict, establishing authority, and communicating in a positive way are all included to help men fully enjoy the rewards of being a stepfather. (Author abstract modified)
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The rights of unwed and unknown fathers are the focus of this article. Unwed fathers' rights are pressing issues as the number of out-of-wedlock births has increased over the past 3 decades. The expanding population of unwed fathers gives rise to the potential for problems in the adoption of illegitimate children and indicates a need to have laws which protect the interests of these children. The purpose of the unwed father registry statutes is to help alleviate potential problems in the adoption of children born out of marriage. Problem adoptions and the limited rights of unwed fathers is…
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This conference discusses the the state of fathers in the workforce. Federal agencies and front-line practitioners are seeking ways to maximize opportunities for fathers' involvement with their families. Increasingly, federal employers and service providers are embracing the notion that, as one participant said, "Time is the currency of fatherhood." Creative work and family initiatives such as father-friendly leave policies, alternative scheduling, and telecommunity enable fathers to make family time a priority.
Cooking With Dad is a "how-to" and a "teaching" book. While making Pink Soup and "cleaning" a fish, you have an excellent opportunity to teach some history, physics, biology, chemistry, and math. (Author abstract)
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This article describes the practical application of research findings from two studies of adolescent parents, both reported in the same issue of Family Relations. The studies identified factors that influence competent parenting among teenagers and examined how those qualities can be enhanced. Self-esteem, scholastic achievement, and commitment to the child were the most significant variables contributing to competent parenting. Practitioners should focus on increasing the adolescent parent's support network and use peer influence to promote socially responsible parenting. Practitioners…
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Factors predicting attendance by 161 adolescents and young adults at a parenting skills program were assessed. Data were collected on participant demographics, intrapersonal variables, social support, attendance goals, and parenting knowledge. Multiple regression analyses revealed four positive predictors-- receipt of AFDC, endorsing goals of meeting other parents, learning how to relax, and number of children; and one negative predictor-- total number of group sessions. Three variables, number of sessions, number of children, and learning to relax, differentiated the highest versus lowest…
