Father's Day Every Day

Mr. Reynolds is a former First Lieutenant of the United States Army and the proud father of six children. His fathering approach is influenced by his experience growing up in a tight-knit family that looked out for one another. Mr. Reynolds believes that family is integral to the healthy development of children. Fatherhood to Mr. Reynolds is the most important role a man has.

"Us dads have to remain humble. Nobody fathers in a bubble. Remain open to learning, and be patient with your kids…”

Father of The Day: Mr. Corey Thompson

Corey is a trained architect, "lover," and the proud father of two, a son and daughter. To Corey, children will always need their fathers, regardless of what anyone says. "Fathers father and mothers mother, we are built that way..." Corey's capacity to love is still in-tact, even after the passing of his son. Please tune in to learn more about the importance of love and fatherhood. 

Oftentimes during divorce, fathers feel voiceless in family probate court when advocating for parenting time and custody. You may be broken and think that your relationship with the child in your life is broken too. 

However, what’s broken can be fixed if you are willing to work at it and keep fighting for your role as a father. We all know it can be very frustrating and challenging to navigate through Family Probate Court. Nonetheless, you have to keep pushing and keep pushing forward, even when it hurts.  

Through reflection, you heal. Through resilience, you fight. Through courage, you endure. There is a light at the end of the tunnel and your voice matters, dads.

Let's unpack this difficult topic.

What is "father wantobeism"? 

While some men don’t want to be involved fathers, that percentage is extremely small, regardless of income level, ethnicity, or religion,  

Many men want to be good dads, but are frustrated by real challenges that demand recognition. For the vast majority of dads who are not present in their kids’ lives—particularly those from distressed communities—incarceration, extreme poverty, and negative self-esteem play a role in keeping them away.

Today, Leonard and Charles talk about that.

Welcome to Absent for a Reason, a podcast brought to you by Dr. Charles Daniels and staff at Father’s Uplift. The goal of Absent for a Reason (or AFAR) is to redefine fatherhood and bring truth to many of the false myths that incorrectly explain the absence of fathers.

To do this, we will be exploring parenting from the perspective of fatherhood and mental health expert, Dr. Charles Daniels. 

In doing so, we hope to:

- Give parents who have been largely overlooked by the mental health field relatable materials and advice that will enable them to reach their full potential 

- Help listeners to understand the problems that many experience every day, that are frequently misunderstood and ignored. 

Awareness fuels the understanding necessary to build a better tomorrow. Today, we're discussing this broader conversation that we're trying to open up.

Today the first three episodes of the AFAR Podcast are going live! Listen to hear what we'll be covering as we talk to fathers and families about father absences.

Jehu is the father of a two-year-old daughter, hailing from Port Au Prince, Haiti. Jehu enjoys cooking and mentoring the youth in his community. To Jehu, fathers are necessary because they set the foundation for the family. Learn more about Jehu’s approach to fathering.

“A father is the source of the family; they “build their wives and their children up.”

Today's father of the day is Mr. Gregory Harris.  He is a proud father and a member of the Furthering Father team, whose mission is to build relations among fathers and transform communities. Gregory is an amazing example of fatherhood. He compares his role as a father to coaching sports. He used his experiences as a coach to become a dynamic father to his children and a great role model to those he coached. Tune in to hear some of his fathering strategies. Thank you Greg!

"When you go into fatherhood, one of the things you got to do is get your motives right... Make sure you have this child by a woman that you really love, that's major."

Nick is the father of a beautiful 4 year old daughter. For Nick, being a father is setting an example for your children to follow and making sure their basic needs are taken care of. To Nick, there will be trials and errors during fatherhood, and that is ok. Dust yourself off and continue to know that you matter.

“We as fathers have to keep the focus on the child.”

Father of The Day: Mr. Carter Stewart

Carter Stewart is a father of 3 children. His oldest is seventeen years old. For Carter being a father is about unconditional love, the responsibility of ensuring your child is safe, and the judgment of knowing when to let your child fail.

“Fatherhood to me is having a connection with a young person who you love. It can be your own biological child, it can be an adopted child, it can be somebody that you have just developed a close relationship with”.

Dr. Anthony Owens is a father to two wonderful adult children, and the father figure to many as a longtime member of the faculty at Bethune-Cookman University. Dr. Owens grew up in Jacksonville, Mississippi and was raised by his Father and his Grandfather, along with his 13 siblings. His understanding of fatherhood is rooted in his childhood watching his father and grandfather welcome kids throughout the community into their home, and care for them, with limited resources, as if they were their own. Working within the educational system, Dr. Owens places great importance on fathers not just being a positive male presence for their own children, but for all younger individuals they meet who are in need of such a presence. 

“It all stemmed from seeing my dad, that untrained professional social worker, but really being a social worker, had so many kids and seeing how he maneuvered and had all of us busy at one time, and all of us turned out well”.

Dennis is a father with several beautiful and successful adult children with families of their own. For Dennis, being a father means having the responsibility, and the authority, to be a mental, and spiritual role model for his entire family. He believes that at the core of being a father, is a dad’s ability to display for his children, the ways of acting that will lead them towards a fulfilling life. 

“That has to make a man feel good, when his son says, I want to be like my father, because he saw the good in you”.

Javan is a father of two children, his 4 years old son Jaden, and his 10 month old daughter Nilah. After being thrust into the role of being a father, Javan discovered the joys of being a dad, and gradually transformed himself into exactly the type of paternal role model we seek to interview on Fathers Day Every Day. To Javan, being a father is about being there for your child, teaching them, and helping them grow. 

“Being a father means a lot to me, because growing up I did not have a father, I had a stepdad”.

Kendall is a father of 2 boys and 1 girl. He was raised by a single mother and learned much about being a father from her. For Kendall, being a father is about providing for your child, building your legacy, and continuing to provide your children with what they need to grow no matter how difficult circumstances get. 

“For me, being a father means everything. Now that I’m getting older, its good to have boys, its good to have girls, somebody to help with this legacy of mine”.

Bob Pais is a husband and father of 3 children, one of whom is married, with another soon to tie the knot. With much experience as a father, and a varied career focusing largely around his position as a CPA, and his various roles as an entrepreneur, Bob is exactly the type of authority on healthy fatherhood we hope to represent. For Bob, being a father centers around sacrifice, putting your children first, and learning to be there for your family no matter the circumstance. 

For more about Bob’s experience, his reflections, and his thoughts on fatherhood, tune in to this podcast!

“I think you learn from everyone you come in contact with everyday”.

Larry is a father to two boys, six year old Eli, and Markel who will turn one this coming August. He believes that patience, understanding, love, and care form the foundation for healthy fatherhood. In Larry’s experience, no one can be ready to become a father, before they jump into the role. He sees fatherhood as a natural part of growth, where men begin to see the world as about more than just themselves.

“Relationships are important in general as well, with the child’s mother, its easy to fight fire with fire, but being there, and showing that you care, being reliable, it opens doors”.

Zack is a father of 2 boys, one 15 month old, and one 3 year old. After working as a social worker for some time, Zack has recently been working as a stay at home dad, something Father’s Day Every Day truly admires. For Zack, being a father is a combination of giving kids the things they need to grow, and giving them an example of someone who continues to strive to do important things with their life, give back to their community, and fight for what they believe in. To learn more about Zach, and his incredible insights about being a father, please tune in to this episode of our Father’s Day Every Day podcast.
“It wasn’t until my oldest was born that I realized there was something worse than dying. I remember that being truly striking”.

Jeremy Riley adopted his 17-year-old son when he was 11. While reluctant and unsure at first about becoming a father, Jeremy naturally adapted to his role as a dad, and eventually became a shining example of what healthy fatherhood, and masculinity entails.