WELCOMe to the DAD cave
Here is a safe place for all father figures to find resources and support to help you become a better dad and more involved in your family.
Upgrade your impact on your children’s life.
At Family Centre, we understand that being a dad comes with its unique challenges and rewards. The Dad Cave is here to support you every step of the way.
- Learn How to Deal with Your Kid’s Challenging Behaviour: Access expert advice and practical tips on handling various parenting situations, from toddler tantrums to teenage trials.
- Find Cool Family Events: Discover exciting events designed for family bonding and fun, making it easier to spend quality time together.
- Tailor Your Learning Journey: Choose from a wide range of resources tailored to your lifestyle and learning preferences, including books, audiobooks, podcasts, YouTube channels, and more.
We continuously add to and update our resources—local, provincial, national, and international—and share the most recent events and opportunities. Join us, spread the word, and support us to make the Dad Cave a Success Cave for every father figure in Lethbridge & surrounding areas.
Explore, learn, and grow with us. Your journey to becoming a more engaged and impactful dad starts here.
All Father Involvement programs and Dad Events are made possible through the generous support and funding from Lethbridge Tim Hortons.
Family Centre resources
Program & Events:
At Family Centre, we offer a variety of programs designed to support you in your parenting journey and help you strengthen your bond with your children. Here’s a glimpse of what we have available:
Me & My Dad
Designed for you and your little ones (ages 0-12 yr), this program takes place every Saturday morning from 10:00 to 11:30 September through June (except for long weekends). You’ll have access to our main playroom, where you can enjoy quality dad-kid time with various themed activities and toys each week. This is a great opportunity to meet other dads and socialize, while your child makes new friends too.)
Special Dad & Kids Events
Every month, we organize special events just for dads and their kids. From outdoor adventures to skill-building classes, these events offer fun and new experiences for you and your children to enjoy together.
Stay updated on all our programs by following us on social media (especially Facebook @familycentreyql) and visiting our website regularly.
Many of our programs fill up quickly, so be sure to catch up and secure your spot!
Super Dad Super Kid
Super Dads Super Kids (SDSK) is an engaging, activity-based program designed to foster meaningful connections between father figures and their children. Over the course of 8 fun and interactive sessions, participants engage in enjoyable activities that encourage bonding and learning. Each session also includes discussions on vital topics, such as:
- The unique role of a dad or father figure
- Child development
- Communication
- Emotions and mental health
- Discipline and setting limits
- Physical health – activity and nutrition
- Physical health – injury prevention
- Family/life/work balance and paternity leave
SDSK provides a comprehensive framework that helps father figures enhance their parenting skills, enrich their children’s development, and strengthen their family relationships.
Triple-P (Positive Parenting Program)
This comprehensive program offers different levels of support and guidance to help you navigate the challenges of parenting. Whether you’re dealing with everyday issues or more complex behavioral concerns, Triple-P provides practical strategies to help you and your family thrive.
Seasonal Programs
Join our expert-led programs covering a range of topics, including:
- Sleep Routines
- Toilet Training
- Anxiety and Stress
- Parenting During Separation and Divorce
- and more
To see the full list of programs and to register, click here.
Caregiver Connections
If you’re caring for a loved one with mental health challenges (Alzheimer’s, addiction, mental disabilities, etc.), you’re a hero without a cape. We understand how tough it can be, and in difficult times, support is essential. Here, you can connect with others who share your experiences, and our peer facilitator will guide you to community resources that can help.
Remember, caring for yourself is the first step in caring for others. We’re here for you.
Click here to learn more and connect with Tammy…
The Dad Shelf
Explore our dedicated Dad Shelf, where we’ve curated all the essential fatherhood resources from our library. Easily browse through them and find exactly what you need to support your journey as a father.
Explore more resources at the Family Centre and on our website.
Click below to learn more.
Local events
In our beautiful city of Lethbridge, there is always something exciting happening. Checking community calendars to plan ahead for your week or weekend is always a great idea.
Here is a list of community calendars to check frequently.
The City of Lethbridge Event Calendar
MY LETHBRIDGE NOW Community Calendar
Good websites to check
In this era of technology, you can find almost everything online. However, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and lost in this vast ocean of information.
Here, we aim to provide you with a few valuable websites focused on fatherhood.
Dad Central is a trusted resource for fatherhood in Canada. Here’s a brief overview:
Mission and Purpose:
Dad Central is a national network of researchers, practitioners, leaders, community members, and passionate supporters.
Their mission is to actively engage fathers in the lives of their children.
They believe that involved, responsible, and devoted dads positively impact every aspect of a child’s ability to succeed in life.
What They Offer:
- Fatherhood Fundamentals E-Course: A practical email course that provides insights and expert advice for dads navigating the challenges of parenthood. It helps dads save time, eliminate overwhelm, and foster a sense of calm.
- Guide to Stop Yelling: A research-backed guide to help dads identify the root cause of yelling and create calmer, more positive responses to their kids.
- Fatherhood Masterclass: Covers six roles dads play in their child’s life, communication skills, and healthy relationships.
- DadMentor Community: Resources for new dads, including information on paternity leave in Canada
National Fatherhood Initiative
This website is a United States initiative and includes many resources, useful content, and blog posts.
Building Brains Together
This incredible non-profit, based at the University of Lethbridge, offers fun and engaging games designed to boost your child’s brain development by focusing on essential skills like executive function. Strengthen your bond while helping your kids thrive.
They also provide multiple FREE online courses where you can learn more about how to develop and strengthen your child’s brain through play-based activities.
Brain Story Certificate & Alberta Family Wellness Initiative
Discover the science behind brain development and why some people handle life’s challenges with greater resilience. The Brain Story Certificate offers valuable insights into how you can help your child build resilience and thrive in life.
By completing this course, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the factors that shape resilience and practical strategies to support your child’s emotional and mental well-being.
Youtube channels
Let us know what you want to see in this section and how we can help you in your fatherhood journey more effectively.