6 Protective Factors All Dads can Apply

The Department of Defense recently produced new instructions about the New Parent Support Program addressing six Protective Factors.

Military Community & Family Policy eMagazine introduced these six factors by emphasizing that "Becoming a parent is a major life change. No matter how many books you've read, videos you've seen, or classes you've taken in preparation for your baby, you may still have an unanswered question or two. Parenting challenges may be intensified within the military community with periods of separation, deployment, reunion, and relocation."

For each of the six factors below, we have highlighted NFI resources that will not only assist military dads, but dads everywhere:

1) Nurturing and attachment — Nurturing and bonding with your child from an early age can foster a positive relationship, and it may also set your child up for healthy relationships outside of the home.

• New Dad's Pocket Guide™
• So You're A New Father
• 10 Tips for New Dads

2) Knowledge of parenting and child and youth development —When you have a clear understanding of your child's developmental stages, you can use realistic communication, education, and positive discipline techniques.

• Help Me Grow Guides - A Dad's Guide to the Ages and Stages of Child Growth 

3) Parental resilience — Stress may be inevitable, but you can control how you react to stressful circumstances. Building resilience means building trusting relationships and finding healthy ways to reduce stress.

• 10 Ways to be a Better Dad
• 12 Ways to Stay Healthy
• FatherTopics Workshop™: Understanding Domestic Violence™
• FatherTopics Workshop™: Talking With Mom™: Essential Communication Skills for Dads
• FatherTopics Workshop™: Mom as Gateway™
• 24/7 Dad® AM 2nd Ed. Curriculum Kit 

4) Social connections — Friends, family, neighbors, and other connections in the community can give you healthy outlets for communication, and they may offer emotional support and help in stressful situations.

• 24/7 Dad®

5) Concrete support for parents — When you have a problem that requires outside support, it is important to know where to find help. In the military community, you can reach out to your installation's NPSP for support and guidance.

To find contact information for your local resources, visit MilitaryINSTALLATIONS and select "New Parent Support Program" from the dropdown "program or service" box. 

• Look for New Parent Support Programs and other departments in the military community which offer 24/7 Dad® and/or DoctorDad® programs.

6) Social and emotional competence of children — Understanding your child's development can help you identify social and behavioral issues that, when identified early, can spare your family additional stress.

• Help Me Grow: The First Year
• Help Me Grow: The Toddler & Pre-School Years
• Help Me Grow: The Elementary School Years