Taking time for fathers

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Apr 26, 2008 by nearly anyone's account, lining up a gig at Pepperdine University is

By nearly anyone's account, lining up a gig at Pepperdine University is a pretty good deal.

How many other colleges, after all, are perched on a hillside in Malibu, Calif., overlooking the Pacific Ocean?

And now you know why Pepperdine's athletic teams are called the Waves.

Though his new West Coast digs are a far cry from his Midwestern roots, Ken Canfield's mission remains the same: to help save the American family.

Canfield still is settling into his new home and job as the first full-time director of Pepperdine's Boone Center for the Family, but he will take a break to lead the Savvy Dads conference next weekend at Northland Christian Church, 3102 N.W. Topeka Blvd.

The event runs from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 3.

Admission is free, but advance registration is required online at savvydads.info.

Canfield was founder and chief executive officer of the National Center for Fathering, an organization based in the Kansas City area. He also ran for Kansas governor on the Republican ticket before bowing out in the 2006 primary.

Canfield said he was only too happy to come back to Kansas when he heard of next weekend's program at Northland Christian Church, which is designed to give fathers a game plan to be more effective with their children.

The program, Canfield said, is designed to "challenge and equip fathers with the best resources available."

At Friday night's program, men and women are invited to attend as a way of getting both parents on the same page. Next Saturday morning, a special early-bird breakfast will take place for fathers who find themselves in nontraditional roles, perhaps as a stepparent, a divorced dad or a grandfather raising a grandchild.

The rest of the program on Saturday morning will offer "best practices" for fathers to help them rise above obstacles that may prevent them from becoming the best parent they can be.

Canfield said the first step is a "father who knows he needs to work on his game - that is, the fathering game."

Such a man, Canfield said, is open to trying new things and becoming a "healthy father."

Canfield said there is no such thing as a perfect father, but there are ways for dads to be more involved in their children's lives, even as sons enter what he called "those tender, teenage years, when some separation begins to take place." Such a connection is more important than a father leaving stocks and bonds and real estate to his children.

Much of his work at Pepperdine is an extension of what he has been doing for several decades: researching the role of fathers to help them become better connected to their wives and children.

Though Canfield's National Center for Fathering has stressed biblical principles since its founding, it has steered toward helping dads from all walks of life and hasn't pushed religion as much .

Make no mistake, though, Canfield said: To be successful, fathers must have a "moral, ethical and faith foundation."

They also need an ongoing peer group to help them in their role as a parent, something else that will be offered to those who attend next weekend's Savvy Dads summit.

Phil Anderson can be reached at (785) 295-1195 or phil.anderson@cjonline.com.