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This publication takes a look at two different parenting styles, discusses their potential impacts on children’s development and behaviors, and lists helpful parenting strategies. Written by Madalyn Klein and Victor W. Harris, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, October 2024.

American families have changed dramatically over the last century. Currently, about half the children in the United States will live apart from their fathers some time during their childhood because their parents have separated and the proportion of births to unmarried women has risen from 5 percent in 1960 to 41 percent in 2011. But a father who is absent from the household may not necessarily be absent from his child’s life. This 5-page fact sheet provides a brief summary of the history of fatherhood in America and discusses the importance of involved fathers, and how mothers, other family members, and adult role models can make a positive impact in a child’s life. Written by Sarah M. Ellis, Yasmin S. Khan, Victor W. Harris, Ricki McWilliams, and Diana Converse, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, October 2014. FCS3321/FY1451: The Impact of Fathers on Children's Well-Being (ufl.edu)

American families have changed dramatically over the last century. Currently, about half the children in the United States will live apart from their fathers some time during their childhood because their parents have separated and the proportion of births to unmarried women has risen from 5 percent in 1960 to 41 percent in 2011. But a father who is absent from the household may not necessarily be absent from his child’s life. This 5-page fact sheet provides a brief summary of the history of fatherhood in America and discusses the importance of involved fathers, and how mothers, other family members, and adult role models can make a positive impact in a child’s life. Written by Sarah M. Ellis, Yasmin S. Khan, Victor W. Harris, Ricki McWilliams, and Diana Converse, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, October 2014. FCS3321/FY1451: The Impact of Fathers on Children's Well-Being (ufl.edu)

American families have changed dramatically over the last century. Currently, about half the children in the United States will live apart from their fathers some time during their childhood because their parents have separated and the proportion of births to unmarried women has risen from 5 percent in 1960 to 41 percent in 2011. But a father who is absent from the household may not necessarily be absent from his child’s life. This 5-page fact sheet provides a brief summary of the history of fatherhood in America and discusses the importance of involved fathers, and how mothers, other family members, and adult role models can make a positive impact in a child’s life. Written by Sarah M. Ellis, Yasmin S. Khan, Victor W. Harris, Ricki McWilliams, and Diana Converse, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, October 2014. FCS3321/FY1451: The Impact of Fathers on Children's Well-Being (ufl.edu)

Getting married and staying married require a complicated calculus of factors that must come together to produce healthy and satisfying relationships. While couple interactional processes tend to be the most predictive of whether or not they will stay together and find happiness, background and contextual factors and individual traits also factor heavily into the equation. Finding two socks that match (and don’t wear out) is much more likely to occur when the relationship is based upon a deep and enduring friendship. Asking the question, “Will this choice enhance or diminish my marital friendship?” and then choosing to make the choices that will enhance the marital friendship more often than not are healthy strategies for success. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Victor W. Harris, Gilon Marts, and Muthusami Kumaran, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, March 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1364

Over the past 30 years obesity among children has increased. One way to help youth make healthy food choices is by creating healthy eating choices and habits at home, starting with family meals. When parents value family dinners, children are likely to view family dinners as important. Family meals can provide important examples to show children what foods are good to eat and how much of the good foods they should eat. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Varnessa McCray, Victor W. Harris, and Martie Gillen, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, April 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1362

Getting married and staying married require a complicated calculus of factors that must come together to produce healthy and satisfying relationships. While couple interactional processes tend to be the most predictive of whether or not they will stay together and find happiness, background and contextual factors and individual traits also factor heavily into the equation. Finding two socks that match (and don’t wear out) is much more likely to occur when the relationship is based upon a deep and enduring friendship. Asking the question, “Will this choice enhance or diminish my marital friendship?” and then choosing to make the choices that will enhance the marital friendship more often than not are healthy strategies for success. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Victor W. Harris, Gilon Marts, and Muthusami Kumaran, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, March 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1364

Over the past 30 years obesity among children has increased. One way to help youth make healthy food choices is by creating healthy eating choices and habits at home, starting with family meals. When parents value family dinners, children are likely to view family dinners as important. Family meals can provide important examples to show children what foods are good to eat and how much of the good foods they should eat. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Varnessa McCray, Victor W. Harris, and Martie Gillen, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, April 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1362

Over the past 30 years obesity among children has increased. One way to help youth make healthy food choices is by creating healthy eating choices and habits at home, starting with family meals. When parents value family dinners, children are likely to view family dinners as important. Family meals can provide important examples to show children what foods are good to eat and how much of the good foods they should eat. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Varnessa McCray, Victor W. Harris, and Martie Gillen, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, April 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1362

Getting married and staying married require a complicated calculus of factors that must come together to produce healthy and satisfying relationships. While couple interactional processes tend to be the most predictive of whether or not they will stay together and find happiness, background and contextual factors and individual traits also factor heavily into the equation. Finding two socks that match (and don’t wear out) is much more likely to occur when the relationship is based upon a deep and enduring friendship. Asking the question, “Will this choice enhance or diminish my marital friendship?” and then choosing to make the choices that will enhance the marital friendship more often than not are healthy strategies for success. This 5-page fact sheet was written by Victor W. Harris, Gilon Marts, and Muthusami Kumaran, and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, March 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1364

Families reuniting after an intervention that requires foster care for the children face unique challenges. Parents in these situations may need to learn about their parental roles, the basic needs for the healthy development of their children, and resources that will help the family in their reunification. Researchers and practitioners in child welfare have provided helpful information to develop workable plans to aid families in reunifying and rebuilding. This 5-page fact sheet is a brief summary of the overarching themes provided by the literature. Written by Rosalyn Monroe and Victor W. Harris and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, April 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1366

Families reuniting after an intervention that requires foster care for the children face unique challenges. Parents in these situations may need to learn about their parental roles, the basic needs for the healthy development of their children, and resources that will help the family in their reunification. Researchers and practitioners in child welfare have provided helpful information to develop workable plans to aid families in reunifying and rebuilding. This 5-page fact sheet is a brief summary of the overarching themes provided by the literature. Written by Rosalyn Monroe and Victor W. Harris and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, April 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1366

Families reuniting after an intervention that requires foster care for the children face unique challenges. Parents in these situations may need to learn about their parental roles, the basic needs for the healthy development of their children, and resources that will help the family in their reunification. Researchers and practitioners in child welfare have provided helpful information to develop workable plans to aid families in reunifying and rebuilding. This 5-page fact sheet is a brief summary of the overarching themes provided by the literature. Written by Rosalyn Monroe and Victor W. Harris and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, April 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1366

It was the author Paul Sweeney who penned, “A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance, and tenacity. The order varies for any given year.” Couples must make many adjustments as they learn to live with each other from year to year. When those adjustments include negotiating culture or religion, it adds another dimension to the process of trying to strengthen the relationship. This 7-page fact sheet was written by Stephanie C. Toelle and Victor W. Harris, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, September 2012. FCS2321/FY1337: Are You Marrying Someone from a Different Culture or Religion? (ufl.edu)

Albert Einstein offered this perspective on dating and romantic relationships: “Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.” Dating relationships are the building blocks for healthy marriage relationships. To give them “the attention they deserve,” use different perspectives to help see why healthy dating can lead to healthy marriages or why unhealthy dating can lead to unhealthy marriages and divorce. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Victor W. Harris and Ginny Hinton, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, September 2012. FCS2322/FY1338: What Do You See? Healthy Dating That Leads to Healthy Marriage (ufl.edu)

One way to improve health and happiness in the home is to work toward becoming an energy giver rather than an energy taker. The first step in doing this is to accept that you have some control regarding the attitude you choose to display during your waking hours. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Randall A. Cantrell and Victor W. Harris, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, October 2012. FCS3313/FY1339: Improving Health and Happiness in the Home by Being an Energy Giver Rather Than an Energy Taker (ufl.edu)

Albert Einstein offered this perspective on dating and romantic relationships: “Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.” Dating relationships are the building blocks for healthy marriage relationships. To give them “the attention they deserve,” use different perspectives to help see why healthy dating can lead to healthy marriages or why unhealthy dating can lead to unhealthy marriages and divorce. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Victor W. Harris and Ginny Hinton, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, September 2012. FCS2322/FY1338: What Do You See? Healthy Dating That Leads to Healthy Marriage (ufl.edu)

It was the author Paul Sweeney who penned, “A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance, and tenacity. The order varies for any given year.” Couples must make many adjustments as they learn to live with each other from year to year. When those adjustments include negotiating culture or religion, it adds another dimension to the process of trying to strengthen the relationship. This 7-page fact sheet was written by Stephanie C. Toelle and Victor W. Harris, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, September 2012. FCS2321/FY1337: Are You Marrying Someone from a Different Culture or Religion? (ufl.edu)

One way to improve health and happiness in the home is to work toward becoming an energy giver rather than an energy taker. The first step in doing this is to accept that you have some control regarding the attitude you choose to display during your waking hours. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Randall A. Cantrell and Victor W. Harris, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, October 2012. FCS3313/FY1339: Improving Health and Happiness in the Home by Being an Energy Giver Rather Than an Energy Taker (ufl.edu)

It was the author Paul Sweeney who penned, “A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance, and tenacity. The order varies for any given year.” Couples must make many adjustments as they learn to live with each other from year to year. When those adjustments include negotiating culture or religion, it adds another dimension to the process of trying to strengthen the relationship. This 7-page fact sheet was written by Stephanie C. Toelle and Victor W. Harris, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, September 2012. FCS2321/FY1337: Are You Marrying Someone from a Different Culture or Religion? (ufl.edu)

One way to improve health and happiness in the home is to work toward becoming an energy giver rather than an energy taker. The first step in doing this is to accept that you have some control regarding the attitude you choose to display during your waking hours. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Randall A. Cantrell and Victor W. Harris, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, October 2012. FCS3313/FY1339: Improving Health and Happiness in the Home by Being an Energy Giver Rather Than an Energy Taker (ufl.edu)

Albert Einstein offered this perspective on dating and romantic relationships: “Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.” Dating relationships are the building blocks for healthy marriage relationships. To give them “the attention they deserve,” use different perspectives to help see why healthy dating can lead to healthy marriages or why unhealthy dating can lead to unhealthy marriages and divorce. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Victor W. Harris and Ginny Hinton, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, September 2012. FCS2322/FY1338: What Do You See? Healthy Dating That Leads to Healthy Marriage (ufl.edu)

Americans love romantic books and movies that involve wedding vows and “happily-ever-after” endings. But in response to the high rates of divorce, a growing trend has emerged that focuses on developing a healthy marriage, rather than just the act of marriage. This 5-page fact sheet presents ten ways to achieve a healthy marriage of your own. Written by Victor W. Harris and Ginny Hinton, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, August 2012. FCS2319/FY1335: 10 Things You Need to Know Before You Get Married (ufl.edu)

The inventor, statesman, and scholar Benjamin Franklin provided some wise advice to all those thinking about tying the knot. “Keep your eyes wide open before marriage,” he said, “[and] half shut afterwards.” Marriage is a partnership that has emotional, financial, and legal implications. Before entering into this union, it is important for you and your partner to have your “eyes wide open” as you examine your individual attitudes and behaviors about both social and financial issues. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Lisa M. Leslie and Victor W. Harris, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, August 2012. FCS2318/FY1334: Are You Ready to Tie the Knot? A Quick Checklist (ufl.edu)

The inventor, statesman, and scholar Benjamin Franklin provided some wise advice to all those thinking about tying the knot. “Keep your eyes wide open before marriage,” he said, “[and] half shut afterwards.” Marriage is a partnership that has emotional, financial, and legal implications. Before entering into this union, it is important for you and your partner to have your “eyes wide open” as you examine your individual attitudes and behaviors about both social and financial issues. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Lisa M. Leslie and Victor W. Harris, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, August 2012. FCS2318/FY1334: Are You Ready to Tie the Knot? A Quick Checklist (ufl.edu)

Americans love romantic books and movies that involve wedding vows and “happily-ever-after” endings. But in response to the high rates of divorce, a growing trend has emerged that focuses on developing a healthy marriage, rather than just the act of marriage. This 5-page fact sheet presents ten ways to achieve a healthy marriage of your own. Written by Victor W. Harris and Ginny Hinton, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, August 2012. FCS2319/FY1335: 10 Things You Need to Know Before You Get Married (ufl.edu)

The inventor, statesman, and scholar Benjamin Franklin provided some wise advice to all those thinking about tying the knot. “Keep your eyes wide open before marriage,” he said, “[and] half shut afterwards.” Marriage is a partnership that has emotional, financial, and legal implications. Before entering into this union, it is important for you and your partner to have your “eyes wide open” as you examine your individual attitudes and behaviors about both social and financial issues. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Lisa M. Leslie and Victor W. Harris, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, August 2012. FCS2318/FY1334: Are You Ready to Tie the Knot? A Quick Checklist (ufl.edu)

Americans love romantic books and movies that involve wedding vows and “happily-ever-after” endings. But in response to the high rates of divorce, a growing trend has emerged that focuses on developing a healthy marriage, rather than just the act of marriage. This 5-page fact sheet presents ten ways to achieve a healthy marriage of your own. Written by Victor W. Harris and Ginny Hinton, and published by the UF Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, August 2012. FCS2319/FY1335: 10 Things You Need to Know Before You Get Married (ufl.edu)