You know it when it’s happening. The moment you have to rise to the occasion. It’s shut up and put out time. You summon all of your faculties, as only your best will do. A performance, race, speech, interview, exam or surgery. We all have these moments. I treasure mine. The Case of All Cases...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My fiancée and I are both divorced, and between the two of us, there are four children from previous marriages. Mine are 7 and 5, his are 6 and 8. When my girlfriend and I first met each other’s kids, things were great—the children hit it off really well and liked hanging...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad. My husband and I have two-year-old twins—a girl and a boy—and we both love spending time with them. But I’ve noticed that he and I have very different styles, in several ways. We do different activities with the kids. And I’ve also noticed that I do a better job of treating the...Continue reading
There are many ways to have a happy, healthy family that fall outside of the traditional nuclear family unit. Today’s diverse social climate and advanced technology have expanded the definition of family, reminding us that family is a matter of love, connection and care — rather than simply blood and marriage. Children need parents who...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My wife and I have a son, and since we both come from large families, we were looking forward to creating one of our own. But there are two problems. First, we were hit hard by the recent recession, and have yet to recover. As a result, we don’t feel right having...Continue reading
California. The Golden State. The Wild West. A place of unique firsts: The Frisbee, TV and radio broadcasts, the enclosed mall, the seedless watermelon, the vacuum tube, freeway gas stations, supermarkets and Barbie. Not bad eh? In 1996, California was also the first state to legalize medical pot, sparking a trend that now includes 25 other states....Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My wife and I are in our early 30s and want to start a family. To be perfectly honest, we’ve been regular weed and tobacco smokers for years. To get ready for pregnancy, though, we both quit cigarettes cold turkey. Beyond that, we disagree. I think we should also give up marijuana....Continue reading
It’s funny how we tend to find patterns in things. Left alone, we tend to gather, order, and number everything we can. Take the stars in the sky. Or the stock market. Even gambling. I loved it when I talked to my parents after an academic trip overseas. Here’s how it would start: “How long was...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: I’m a stay-at-home father and I’m committed to being very involved in my son’s life. He just turned one and we usually have a great time together, but I’m starting to get worried that he’s going to think I’m boring. What do I do to keep him entertained? A: This is definitely...Continue reading
Not every dog is every man’s best friend. To find the right one, you have to be honest with yourself about what your personality and lifestyle are like, and then you’ll need to do some research to find a dog that has a temperament to match yours. If you don’t, you could end up with...Continue reading