Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Spoiled for choice. How do you decide which path to take to have children after a vasectomy? Do you do a vasectomy reversal or undergo a sperm retrieval and assisted reproduction (IVF-ICSI). Stuck between a pillow and a soft place now becomes a pillow and a laboratory. Analysis...Continue reading
Derrick, a 28-year-old Richmond, Ca., man with an associate’s degree, loves his job doing after-school mentoring, tutoring, and coaching sports with elementary students in west Oakland, but with only 21 hours at work each week at $12.50 per hour, he struggles to pay his $1,400 rent and take care of his 1-year-old daughter. “I like...
Jemal has had four daughters with two women—two of his daughters in their 20s, two in preschool—but is living with none of them. A thoughtful 47-year-old African American man in a large Eastern city, he knows he “made mistakes” and said “I don’t want to repeat them with my younger daughter.” Jemal is among about...Continue reading
In 1993 a father of sons realizes extreme feminism is an attack on his children. More than 25 years ago, I experienced a turning point in my feelings about gender issues. Starting in the late 1960s I had always been a feminist: I supported female faculty at my college in the early ’70s when they were starting...Continue reading
Recent research studies in the healthcare industry have shown a changing trend where patients are undergoing more outpatient surgeries than in the past. Some of these studies have not been able to explain the reasons behind this increase, but a big factor is the advancements that have come about in the medical industry. Here are...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad. I’m marrying a woman who has two teenagers from her previous marriage. This is my first marriage and, although I like her kids, I’m a little worried about how I’ll do as a stepfather of teens. Any suggestions? A: About half of all marriages are remarriages for at least one of the partners,...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My beautiful son was born just a few weeks ago and I’m overjoyed. But my wife is a different story. She’s very down in the dumps, barely eats, and has no energy. I know that giving birth took a toll on her, but I’m worried. What should I do? A: About 70% of...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: I’m a little old fashioned, but I believe in manners. When is the right time to teach them to children? A: In the early stages of parenthood, we don’t care much about manners. Our infant’s loud burps (and other bodily sounds) usually elicit laughter, and as kids learn to speak, we consider their...Continue reading
I’m an angry male. O.K., I’ve said it. There is a lot to be angry about. Gun violence continues. Too many of our children live in poverty. Our environment is deteriorating. We are heating the planet beyond its capacity to support human life. Our country is divided. The political system is broken. Families are falling...Continue reading
I’m a therapist specializing in helping men and the families who love them. I’ve been seeing people for more than 40 years, but it has only been in recent years that I’ve come to recognize the importance of the absent father wound on the lives of men and women. When I was five years old, my mid-life...Continue reading