Dear Mr. Dad: I have been noticing kids who look much younger than high-school age buying frapuccino-type drinks at Starbucks and similar coffee places. It worries me, because I didn’t think caffeine was good for children, and didn’t allow my own son to have any while he was a teenager. Is coffee really bad for...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My father, who had been sick for quite some time, recently died. He and my 7-year old daughter were very close. Naturally, she’s sad that Gramps isn’t around anymore, but I know that she doesn’t completely get why. Do you think she’s old enough to grasp what death is? If so, what’s...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My wife is about four months pregnant and I’m really excited about becoming a new dad. The problem is that I’ve recently put on some weight (which is really weird, since I weigh exactly what I did in high school). I’ve also been having nosebleeds and I’m vomiting a lot (which is...Continue reading
Nichoas Kristof, in his New York Times Op-ed piece, has side stepped his usual poignant political commentary to pontificate on sperm and its implications for the survival of our species. Got to wonder what he’s putting in his coffee nowadays. Struggling Sperm His piece begins with the notions that human sperm have lost their once-nice...Continue reading
Being a dad can be tough. Finding ways to balance work, life, relationships, and time for yourself can be exhausting. As a busy dad myself, I remember what it was like when my little girl arrived. Stress was piling up at work, the days were getting longer, I was sleeping about 2-3 hours a night,...Continue reading
You probably heard it already: George and Amal Clooney are expecting. Yessiree, that perennial 55-year old bachelor, once described by the New Yorker Magazine as: “lightly ironic, clever, and self-deprecating, with furrowed brow and bobbing head, and a gyration in the lower jaw,” is awaiting diaper duty…for twins nonetheless. Ironically, this little feature of the salt-and-pepper haired...Continue reading
I knew I needed a men’s group in the worst way. I had just returned to the San Francisco Bay area after a cross-country trip with my wife. We had hoped to save our marriage, but the trip nearly killed us, or rather it nearly killed me. My wife was a violent woman who slept...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: I have three children and have been divorced for several years. My girlfriend of six months and I are thinking about getting married. But I’m concerned about her relationship with my kids. It’s not that she doesn’t like them—I’m sure she does. It’s just that she always seems shy and reserved around...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My kids are 9 and 11 and they’re fortunate enough to be good at almost everything they do. But if something comes up that they don’t pick up immediately—whether it’s a sport, a board game, an art project, or something else—they tend to get frustrated and quit. How can I get them...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My husband and I are both American and speak only English. We’ve heard that it’s good to expose children to other languages. Is it really? If so, when and how do we do it? A: There’s absolutely no question that learning a second language is good for kids (and adults). Here’s how:...Continue reading