THE 24/7 DAD PROGRAM
BECOME A GREAT FATHERALL DAY, EVERY DAY.
24/7 Dad is a comprehensive fatherhood program designed to help men improve their parenting skills and fathering knowledge. The program focuses on building self-awareness, self-caring, and parenting, fathering, and relationship skills through 12 weekly, two-hour sessions.
SESSION 1
ORIENTATION & FAMILY HISTORY
On the first day of class, you will meet your facilitator and get to meet the other dads, who are in similar situations to you.
You’ll go over the program and session format and review the characteristics of what it means to be 24/7 Dad.
During your orientation, you’ll also take an entrance survey and baseline evaluation. Information given in these exercises will be kept private and CANNOT be used against you in any law enforcement action, it’s simply to get a feel for your family history, where you are at with your needs, knowledge, and parenting skills.
Self-AWARENESS
CARING FOR SELF
Fathering SKILLS
PARENTING SKILLS
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
SESSION 2
What It REALLY Means to be a Man
The second session covers different views of masculinity, and the character traits dads think best reflect today’s ideal of masculinity.
Dads will discuss what it means to be a dad, the traits they most and least admire in men, the importance of body image, and the traits of masculinity they would like model for their children.
Self-AWARENESS
CARING FOR SELF
SESSION 3
SHOWING & HANDLING YOUR FEELINGS
This session increases the dads’ awareness, knowledge, and capacity in showing and handling feelings and emotions.
Dads learn about two of the emotions that men have the hardest time with — grief and loss — and proper was to show and handle them.
Self-AWARENESS
CARING FOR SELF
Fathering SKILLS
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
SESSION 4
STAYING HEALTHY INSIDE & OUT
This session discusses men's health and increases the dads’ awareness and knowledge about the importance of their physical and mental health.
Dads learn ways to appropriately handle their stress to keep themselves physically and mentally in shape.
Self-AWARENESS
CARING FOR SELF
SESSION 5
LEARNING TO COMMUNICATE
This session helps the dads understand the role they play in creating difficult communication situations (ex. with the mother of their children).
Understanding their role lays the foundation for the communication and co-parenting skills they’ll learn later.
As a first step, dads learn about three typical communication styles and which one they tend to use the most.
Self-AWARENESS
Fathering SKILLS
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
SESSION 6
PLAYING YOUR ROLE
This session addresses the traits of the ideal father. Dads also learn about the ideal traits and duties of a father and partner. They also learn about the 7 benefits of marriage for men.
Self-AWARENESS
Fathering SKILLS
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
SESSION 7
HEALTHY DISCIPLINE
This session addresses healthy ways to discipline children. Dads learn about the importance of morals, values and family rules, as well as techniques and strategies that serve as rewards and punishments.
Self-AWARENESS
PARENTING SKILLS
SESSION 8
FOSTERING GROWTH IN YOUR KIDS
This session provides the dads with general information on child development and addresses the need for the dads to have realistic expectations for their children’s development.
The dads learn about the effect their expectations have on their children’s self-worth and the role of “nature and nurture” in child development.
They also will have the opportunity to examine the physical, mental, and social milestones associated with the ages of their children.
Self-AWARENESS
Fathering SKILLS
PARENTING SKILLS
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
SESSION 9
GETTING INVOLVED
This session covers the importance of the dads getting involves in their children’s lives as possible.
Dads learn about different ways they can be involved with a special emphasis on how they can help their own children prepare for and succeed in school.
Self-AWARENESS
Fathering SKILLS
PARENTING SKILLS
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
SESSION 10
THE IMPORTANCE OF CO-PARENTING
This session presents the importance of Moms and dads working together to parent their children no matter whether the parents live together or not.
Dads learn about the cause of parenting differences and how to solve the ones that can be realistically solved.
They also learn to focus on what they contribute to parenting differences and to understand mom’s point of view.
Self-AWARENESS
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
PARENTING SKILLS
SESSION 11
HOW TO MAKE WORK WORK FOR YOU
This session addresses the importance of work in men’s lives and how it affects their fathering.
The dads learn what they have a relationship with work just like they have a relationship with their children, the mother of their children, and other people.
They learn about the importance of seeing themselves as more than a provider and of the importance of balancing work and family.
Self-AWARENESS
CARING FOR SELF
Fathering SKILLS
RELATIONSHIP SKILLS
SESSION 12
MY 24/7 DAD CHECKLIST
Past 24/7 Dads graduates pose with their certificates of completion.
Dads share what they learned and how they changed as a result of the program. They also complete the 24/7 Dad A.M. Fathering Survey for the second time if you decided to evaluate the program using a pre and post-program evaluation or for the first time if you decided to use only a post-program evaluation.
At the end of the session, the dads refine and finalize their My 24/7 Dad Checklist for use after the program ends.
The dads use their My 24/7 Dad Checklist Worksheets that they completed at the end of sessions 2-11 to create their final checklist.
Graduates also receive their certificate of completion and incentives for completing all sessions. To learn more about LIFI's post-program support click below.