FATHER'S TOOLBOX
 
Overview  
The Father’s Toolbox is a collection of practical tips to help fathers become better fathers and husbands. In our busy and highly pressurized society, men often find it a challenge to fulfil their God-ordained roles as husbands and fathers in their families.

We believe that when fathers take proactive actions to lead, care for and be involved in the lives of their wives and children, they will experience the fulfilment and rewards of fatherhood.

Fathers, it is our prayer that you would consistently apply these tips in your families and discover that being a father is both fulfilling and rewarding. Wives, do encourage and support your husbands to apply these tips, and you will find your families growing stronger together.

Let us support one another to build Christ-centred families for the glory of God!

TIPS:

Week 21-22 Aug 2010
Pass on your legacy
Fathers, you play a crucial role in building up the faith of your child. Read the Bible and pray with your child daily. Share your testimonies of what God has done for your family. Proclaim God's destiny and blessings over your child regularly, and pray for your child to be powerful in God!

Week 14-15 Aug 2010
Connect as a friend
Fathers, spend regular time to cultivate a common interest with your child. It can be an activity (e.g. hobby, sports) that both of you enjoy and provides the opportunity for conversation and interaction with each other. Having fun with your child draws both of you closer together!

Week 07-08 Aug 2010
Communicate as a mentor
Fathers, adjust your communication style as your child grows up and be like a "trusted adviser" to him. Take time to listen to your child, be open to his opinions and ideas, and guide him to make his own decisions. Tell your child that you believe in him, accept him and want to see him win in life.

Week 31Jul - 01 Aug 2010
Nurture your child's passion
Fathers, nurture the dreams of your child to inspire him to fulfill his destiny in God. Spend time talking to your child to understand what he is passionate about, and inspire him to set ONE goal to work towards achieving his dream

Week 24-25 Jul 2010
Develop your child's potential
Fathers, develop the talent and potential that God has given to your child. Identify ONE area that your child is strong at, regularly affirm him in this area and look for ways in which you can support him to excel in this area.

Week 17-18 Jul 2010
Accountability (Romans 14:12)
Fathers, when you provide loving accountability to your children, you give them a sense of responsibility. Accountability provides the parameters within which your children can operate safely and securely. Children need the loving authority of parents so that they can learn to make responsible choices. Without the parameters, your children will feel confused and will not learn responsibility.
- Josh McDowell (The 7 A's: Building Relationships that Transform)

Week 10-11 Jul 2010
Approach your children's world (1 Corinthians 13:5)
Fathers, when you are involved in your children's world, you give them a sense that you are interested in their lives. Be interested in what your children are interested in and be involved in their lives. Your interest and involvement in your children's world will enable you to make a positive impact in their lives that only you, as their dad, can.
- Josh McDowell (The 7 A's: Building Relationships that Transform)

Week 03-04 Jul 2010
Affection (John 15:12)
Fathers, when you show affection to your children, you give them a sense of lovability. Expressing your affection to your children through loving words and physical touch communicates that they are worth loving. Every expression of affection provides emotional reinforcement to your children that they are cherished by you.
- Josh McDowell (The 7 A's: Building Relationships that Transform)

Week 26-27 Jun 2010
Appreciation (Matthew 3:17)

Fathers, when you make yourself available to your children, you give them a sense of importance. When you are not available to your children, you are saying in essence, "Yes, I love you, but other things come ahead of you." Being there when your children need you will not only tell them they are important to you, it will keep you relationally connected to them.
- Josh McDowell (The 7 A's: Building Relationships that Transform)

Week 19-20 Jun 2010
Appreciation (Matthew 3:17)

Fathers, when you express your appreciation to your children, you give them a sense of significance. Significance is the feeling or thought that they have done something worthwhile. Your appreciation conveys to your children that they are valued and their accomplishments make a difference to someone.
- Josh McDowell (The 7 A's: Building Relationships that Transform)

Week 12-13 Jun 2010

Acceptance (Romans 15:7)
Fathers, when you accept your children for who they are, you give them a sense of security. Acceptance is embracing your children for who they are rather than for what they do. Your acceptance helps your children know that you will still love them no matter what happens. When your children feel accepted by you, they are more likely to be vulnerable and transparent, and build greater trust with you.
- Josh McDowell (The 7 A's: Building Relationships that Transform)

Week 05-06 Jun 2010
Be a transparent dad. Through your openness about your life, your child will learn how you cope with life and gain insight for his future encounters.
Fathers, share with your child one area of your life that you have failed and how the experience has helped you to be a better person. This will help your child to learn that growing through failures builds maturity in character.

Week 29-30 May 2010

Be a transparent dad. Through your openness about your life, your child will learn how you cope with life and gain insight for his future encounters.
Fathers, share with your child one area of your life that you have failed and how the experience has helped you to be a better person. This will help your child to learn that growing through failures builds maturity in character.

Week 22-23 May 2010

Be a transparent dad. Your child faces many challenges as he grows up. He can learn from your own experiences.
Fathers, share with your child one success and one disappointment that you went through in your growing up years. Your child gains a more complete view of manhood when you share your experiences and emotions with him.

Week 15-16 May 2010

Be an encouraging dad. 7% of communication comes from the spoken word. Harsh words can leave wounds in your child, but positive words build confidence in him.
Fathers, choose your words wisely; words that will encourage your child and build up his confidence.

Week 08-09 May 2010

Be a warm and gentle dad. Communication involves more than just spoken words…. 55% is non-verbal (gestures, posture, emotions).
Fathers, what non-verbal messages are you sending to your family members? Make a conscious decision to ensure that your non-verbal communication is congruent with the words you are saying to your family members.

Week 01-02 May 2010

Be an understanding dad. Fathers, take time to understand your child.
Do not be too quick to reprimand your child when he says or does something wrong. Clarify with your child (“What do you mean?”, “What makes you do that?”) to better understand and guide him.

Week 24-25 Apr 2010

Be a warm and gentle dad. Communication involves more than just spoken words…. 38% comes from the tone of our voice (pitch, speed, intensity).
Fathers, you can exercise self-control. No matter how tired you are from your day, make the extra effort to talk to your family members in a warm and gentle tone.

Week 17-18 Apr 2010

Be a positive dad. Fathers, your encouragement will help your child to develop a positive outlook in life.
Take time this week to encourage and guide your child to handle a challenge that he is facing with a positive approach.

Week 10-11 Apr 2010

Be a listening dad. Fathers, make time to listen to your child.
Ask your child over meal time how his day was. Avoid talking about his schoolwork for a change. Listen to him with interest and empathy. Be your child’s sounding board. Let him know that you are available to listen to him and help him process his thoughts and feelings.

Week 03-04 Apr 2010

Be a positive dad. Fathers, your affirmation will build confidence in your child.
Take time to look for something that your child does well this week and affirm him and say, “Well done my child! Daddy is proud of you.”

Week 27-28 Mar 2010

Be a prayerful dad. Fathers, use your authority as a father and proclaim God’s blessings upon your child.
Go into your child’s bedroom and pray for him. Place your hand on your child’s head and proclaim the Father’s blessings over his life.

Week 20-21 Mar 2010

Fathers, take the lead to “spotlight” your family members to affirm and encourage them.
Have each family member take turn to share positive points (attitude, character, behaviour etc) about the “spotlighted” member, starting with the youngest to the oldest.

Week 13-14 Mar 2010

Fathers, you are irreplaceable. Fatherhood is one role which you are never going to be laid off.
You are a critical part of your child’s life. Your words and actions that show support and encouragement can make his day; just like your criticism or withdrawal can ruin his day. Do something for your child that is simple, yet it means much to him, and tell him, “Daddy loves you.”

Week 06-07 Mar 2010

Fathers, respectfully challenge the unhealthy peer pressures that your child may have.
Never ridicule or belittle your child’s friends. Keep in tune with the influences that your child is subject to and take time to understand the impact on him. Explain to your child that it is in his best interest not to follow the crowd.

Week 27-28 Feb 2010

Fathers, guide your child to handle unhealthy influences from his friends.
Take time to get to know your child’s friends. Invite them over to your house and play a board game together. Observe their behaviour and where necessary help your child build a positive and effective way to counteract any negative influences that they may have on him.

Week 20-21 Feb 2010

Fathers, guide your child to form healthy relationships with his friends.
Get to know your child’s friends. Cultivate regular conversations with your child regarding his friends and guide him to identify and learn from the positive influences of his friends.

Week 13-14 Feb 2010

Consistency in routines 
Fathers, be consistent in keeping regular routines (e.g. family devotion, bedtime) with your children, especially when they are young. Consistency in routines brings order and stability to your children’s world, and helps them to respond better to life’s events. 

Week 06-07 Feb 2010
Consistency of rules and consequences 
Fathers, be consistent in setting and enforcing rules in your family. Communicate the rules and their consequences clearly to your children. Enforce the rules and consequences consistently. Your child will have a greater sense of security and responsibility when there is consistency in boundaries and consequences.

Week 30-31 Jan 2010
Consistency between parents
Fathers, be consistent in the application of family rules with your spouses. Discuss and agree with your spouse before setting the rules and consequences. If you have differences with your spouse about the application of a rule, discuss it privately and present a united front to your children. Children can manipulate and lose respect for parents who are inconsistent on the application of family rules. 

Week 23-24 Jan 2010
Consistency of words and behaviour
Fathers, be consistent in your words and behaviour towards your children. If you tell them what they should do (e.g. be punctual) or should not do (e.g. not to shout at one another), you should model what you say to them. Your children will respect and trust you more when they see the consistency in your words and behaviour.

Week 16-17 Jan 2010
Expressing faith in your children
Fathers, make a commitment at the start of this year to affirm your faith in your children no matter how they perform in life. Make this declaration to God daily this week, “Father God, I declare that my children are entrusted to me by You. I will believe in them and will express my faith in them no matter how they perform in life.”

Week 09-10 Jan 2010
Putting family above career
Fathers, make a commitment at the start of this year to put family above career. Make this declaration to God daily this week, “Father God, I declare that my family is more important than my career. I will be committed to them and be involved in my children’s lives.”

Week 02-03 Jan 2010
Fathers, begin the new year by having a time of thanksgiving to God with your family. Get every family member to give thanks to God for the blessings that they have received over the past year.

Week 26-27 Dec 2009
Fathers, reading to your children is a great way to bond with them.
Choose a good book as a gift for your child this year end and read it to him. A few suggested books for children:
For pre-schoolers:
The Ten Commandments for Little Ones
by Allia Zobel Nolan.
For juniors:
Big Thoughts for Little People
by Kenneth Taylor.
For pre-teens:
Here Comes Heaven!: A Kid’s Guide to God’s Supernatural Power
by Mike Seth & Bill Johnson.

Week 19-20 Dec 2009
Fathers, reading to your children is a great way to bond with them.
Set aside one night this week to read to your children. Make it a fun activity for the family!

Week 12-13 Dec 2009
Children learn from watching their fathers make decisions.
Fathers, look for a recent event or something in the news that can be used as a teachable moment to mentor your children. Share with your children what you would have done if you are in that situation.

Week 05-06 Dec 2009
Children learn from watching their fathers make decisions.
Fathers, share with your children a decision you made recently and explain to them why you did what you did.

Week 28-29 Nov2009
Plan to perform an act of kindness with your child this week. For example, visit an elderly relative or buy food to bless the cleaner or security guard in your neighbourhood.

Week 21-22 Nov 2009
With reference to the Kindness movement, read Matt 14:14 to your child. Talk to your child about the compassion of Jesus Christ on the sick and the lost.

Week 14-15 Nov 2009
Fathers, do one small household chore with your child this week. Tell him how much you enjoy doing it with him.

Week 07-08 Nov 2009
Fathers, have a one-to-one “Daddy time” with your child this week. Go for a meal or a walk in the park together. Be attentive to listen to your child share the things in his heart!

Week 31 Oct - 01 Nov 2009
Fathers, activate the joy centre in your child. Look him in the eye with your best smile, and say to him, “You are the sparkle of my eye!”

Week 24-25 Oct 2009
Fathers, affirm your children and acknowledge their efforts even when they don’t succeed. Remind them, “Daddy will always love you. Nothing will ever change that.”

Week 17-18 Oct 2009
Fathers, bring fun and laughter to your family this week. Do a fun activity together or share jokes with one another. Having fun and laughter together help the family to “de-stress” and not be too hard on yourselves and your children!

Week 10-11 Oct
2009
Fathers, if your children are preparing for their school examinations during this period, motivate them and tell them, “Daddy believes in you and will always love you.” 

Week 03-04 Oct
2009
Fathers, if your children are preparing for their school examinations during this period, motivate them and tell them, “Daddy believes in you and will always love you.” 

Week 26-27 Sep
2009
Fathers, affirm the unique personality and talents of each of your children. Tell your children that they are God’s gift to your family and the world!

Week 19-20 Sep
2009
Fathers, ask each of your children,“What is one thing that you like daddy to do with you?”, and set a date with each child to do it!

Week 12-13 Sep 2009
Fathers, express your love and commitment to your wife in the presence of your children, saying,“I love you and I am committed to you.”

Week 5-6 Sep 2009
Fathers, write these words,“You are my precious child.Daddy loves you very much” on a card and place it on each of your children’s bed or table, to surprise them.

Week 29-30 Aug 2009
Fathers, last week you said to each of your children as you hug him, “You are so wonderful!” This week, sms or tell each child with one reason why he is wonderful to you.

Week 22-23 Aug
2009
Fathers, hug each of your children 3 times this week. As you do it, say, “You are so wonderful”.



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