THE POWER OF DADHOOD: St. Louis Author Pens Dad-to-Dad Mentoring Book

ST. LOUIS - May 15, 2015 - PRLog -- According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in the U.S. will go to bed each night in homes without their fathers. The statistic points to an emerging crisis where too many children are raised by absent fathers, uninvolved fathers or loving but distant fathers. It’s for this reason, as well as his own personal story of growing up with an absent father, that Michael Byron Smith, retired U.S. Air Force colonel and engineer, husband of 40 years, father and grandfather, national speaker and founder of the popular blog, “Helping Fathers to Be Dads,” wrote The Power of Dadhood: How to Become the Father Your Child Needs.

Published by Familius and available through Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Target and local bookstores, The Power of Dadhood is a mentoring book that encourages men to “father” and to learn and recognize how they are vitally important to the futures of their children. Whether young or old, first-time fathers, 30-40 something dads, corporate fathers, military fathers or teen dads, the book allows for any father to assess himself, see where he stands, and make choices to discover the power of dadhood. Smith specifically uses “dadhood” to denote something more personal and powerful than “fatherhood.

The book talks about the implications of fatherhood, the challenges of being a dad and the challenges of getting a family to work together while also addressing the rewards of fatherhood and how fathers can be fun, loving and consistent. The Power of Dadhood includes various “dad tips” in each chapter and checklists in the appendices. Smith also highlights the characteristics of a successful dad and lists “What Every Dad Should Teach His Children."

“The Power of Dadhood is really one dad writing to another,” said author Michael Byron Smith. “I’ve seen and experienced what works and what doesn’t. My father wasn’t around when I was growing up and I saw how it affected my siblings and family. For the past 40 years, I’ve been a father to three amazing children and four grandchildren. I know the importance and outcomes of intentional parenting by fathers. Ultimately, I’m a dad who’s been there before, and I want to share a message to other dads about not giving up on your children or yourself.”

Michael Byron Smith also discusses the implications of fatherless homes and the hierarchy of fathers in The Power of Dadhood. There are absent fathers, present yet uninvolved fathers, authoritative fathers, loving fathers, teaching fathers, and many more. While some parenting books aim to fix current behavior problems, The Power of Dadhood is designed to minimize the future issues that many children face without the influence of a loving, present father by helping fathers be the dad their children need.

Reviews & Endorsements

“Michael B. Smith’s book The Power of Dadhood is the perfect gift for new fathers. It is especially important for the new father who did not benefit from being raised by an involved, caring, guiding father. This book offers a vision of what can be. It’s easy to read, educational, motivational, and encouraging. This book is full of common-sense parenting advice for a culture that lacks both common sense and fathering skills. Our society yearns for what is new and innovative, but in the area of fatherhood, it needs more of what Michael Smith is offering—age-old, tried-and-true wisdom about the oldest, most important human endeavor: raising kids.” —Andy Kerckhoff, author of Critical Connection: A Practical Guide to Parenting Young Teens

“In two appendices to the book, Smith introduces us to his seven characteristics of a successful father and a comprehensive self-inspection checklist for fathers to self-evaluate in terms of their journey toward Dadhood.  These two tools alone are well worth the price of the book, and will help any dad take a long hard look at his own performance.” —Wayne Parker, National Fatherhood Expert of About.com

"Dadhood is a journey and sometimes can feel pretty lonely, but with Smith's wonderful book, The Power of Dadhood, one has a wise and helpful companion that makes you feel you are not alone. His book is full of helpful suggestions, insightful observations, and sage advice and is easy to read and understand. This is essential reading for any soon-to-be or new father but also to any woman who wants to support a man on his fatherhood journey. For the many who do not have healthy male mentors and role models, this book serves as an indispensable guide. I highly recommend this book." —Barry McIntosh, Founder and Executive Director of Young Fathers of Santa Fe

"Research concludes that a youth’s success in life falls largely on the shoulders of his father. In fact, a child is 90 percent more likely to successfully attend college if his father is intentionally involved in his/her life, especially school life. Mike Smith understands the critical need of a father’s contribution to his children’s well-being and his book is a critical tool for mentoring men to shoulder that burden. If read and applied, it will almost guarantee a ‘slam dunk’ success for their children. Mike’s heartfelt desire to encourage men to want more for their children is compelling. No man wants ‘father absence’ to define him. Mike’s work helps us on the road to making this world the place it should be for young children." —Laurie Wenzel, Director of Early Childhood Education, Pattonville School District, Professor of Early Childhood Education, Maryville University

Book Details:

Title: The Power of Dadhood: How to Become the Father Your Child Needs

Author: Michael Byron Smith

Publisher: Familius

Publication: April 28, 2015

Price: $16.95

ISBN: 978-1-939629-66-1

Pages: 224 pages

*Available from bookstores, online booksellers, including Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Target, and www.familius.com/the-power-of-dadhood (http://www.familius.com).

About Michael Byron Smith

Michael Byron Smith graduated with a BS in electrical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in 1972 and is now a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, civilian engineer and national speaker. He has been married 40 years and has three children and four grandchildren. He lives in Ballwin, Missouri, and loves being a father and grandfather. For more information visit http://www.michaelbyronsmith.com.

About Familius

Familius is a family and parenting media publisher devoted to creating content that helps build strong values and happy families. As a digitally savvy, multi-media publisher, Familius shares its family-driven content in multiple formats, including print, e-books, videos, articles and apps. Through Familius.com, it also provides an online community where parents can seek out and share advice and access a wealth of contemporary parenting content, tools, and resources rooted in traditional family values. For more information, visit http://www.familius.com.