
What Is A Healthy Father?
A healthy father*:
- plans to have a baby at the best time for his family;
- attends prenatal health care appointments;
- participates in the birth of his child;
- is present at the hospital discharge;
- arranges for his child's car seat;
- supports his child mother in breastfeeding;
- changes diapers;
- makes sure his child is put safely to sleep;
- plays with his child;
- reads and interacts with his child;
- nurtures and financially supports his child;
- eats well, exercises and teaches his child nutrition and healthy activities;
- talks to his child about healthy sexuality, appropriate touch and healthy relationships;
- promotes and role models nonviolence and respect for others;
- is actively involved in his child's education;
- knows his child's friends and activities;
- listens to his child;
- cooperatively parents with his child's mother and other caregivers;
- nurtures his own emotional, mental and physical health, role modeling healthy behaviors
for his child; - nurtures his own spiritual health and support his child's search for spiritual guidance and
meaning.
* We embrace fathers and father figures of all types - biological, foster, adoptive and step fathers along with male relatives and adult male mentors.