The six weeks encompassing Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s—collectively called “the holidays”—are for most, a magically unique time of year. But for many, the holidays bring hurt. Caused by factors including the weather, separation, death, stress, unrealistic expectations, hyper-sentimentality, guilt, or overspending, holiday depression—also called the “holiday blues”—can zap the merriment out of even the...Continue reading
It’s that time of year again—when holiday and Super Bowl parties, the winter chill, and overbooked schedules come between you and your healthy lifestyle. With some effort and planning, you can stay committed to your healthy habits, maintain your weight, and be on top of your game as you start the new year. The benefits...Continue reading
America – it’s time to start cooking at home. According to the Principal Financial Group’s annual Financial Well Being Index, dining out is the no. 1 item we spend too much money on and it’s hurting our health. This company surveyed more than 1,100 American adults and found our preference for eating our meals away...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My girlfriend and I talked many times about children and mutually decided not to have any. However, without telling me, she changed her mind and got pregnant. I have absolutely no interest in being a father or raising children, but she’s threatening to come after me for child support. Is there anything...Continue reading
Making a difference this holiday season may be easier than you think. Millions of us will be doing online shopping–after all, it’s hard to find a more convenient way to shop. Plus, it cuts way down on those endlessly annoying “Daddy, I want that, and that, and that, and that…..” When you buy something online...Continue reading
Who says a patient has to be sitting right smack in front of you for you to make a difference in their lives? I am the first to admit that reading a book is so much easier if the “book” is in the room with you. But you gotta’ roll with the times. Whoever thought that buying...Continue reading
There are 428,000 youth in the U.S. foster care system, 112,000 of whom are waiting to be adopted. AdoptUSKids’ maintains a national photo listing service for all of those children. Since the project launched in 2002, more than 26,000 children who were once photolisted on adoptuskids.org have been adopted and nearly 39,000 families have registered to adopt...Continue reading
If you’re like most people, your kids will play some sport or a combination of sports when they’re young. Some parents are content to send their kids off to the field or court to be coached by someone else. Others want to get involved, spending quality time with their child while making memories that will...Continue reading
For young children, those first Halloweens can be lots of fun—wearing costumes, staying up late, counting their haul of candy, and sneaking extra pieces when parents aren’t looking. But Halloween also worries me a bit because I’ve seen how easy it is for kids to mistake medicines for candies. As a dad, I know that...Continue reading
We all want nothing more than to be understood. But for some kids, that isn’t as easy as it seems. Learning and attention issues are much more common in children than most people realize. In fact, in the U.S., 1 in 5 children struggles with brain-based learning and attention issues that affect reading, writing, math,...Continue reading