Dear Mr. Dad: I have a 14-year-old son and I think it’s high time to start preparing him for the future. We want to ensure that he’s on the right career path, whether than means going to college, trade school, or something else after he graduates high school. Granted, he’s only a freshman, but I’m...Continue reading
Category: Fatherhood
Can Tomato Puree Improve Male Fertility?
Tomatoes have had a good year in my field. This tasty little fruit-vegetable (yes, it’s both) has always been a workhorse dietary antioxidant. And when cooked into a sauce or paste, the all-star phytonutrients in tomatoes, including lycopene and Vitamins A and C, become even more concentrated. But could eating tomatoes also improve reproductive health?...Continue reading
Our Child is a Brat–and it’s Your Fault
Dear Mr. Dad: I’m a single dad with a 9-year-old daughter who’s with me half the time. Before the divorce, she was a sweet kid and a pleasure to be around. But lately she’s become a terror, throwing tantrums when she doesn’t get what she wants—and I think it’s because her mother is spoiling her....Continue reading
How Good Are Genetic Screening Tests?
Think of your genome — all the DNA in your body — as a big book. Twenty-three chapters long, containing hundreds of thousands of letters and tens of thousands of words, all telling your story. If you alter a paragraph, a sentence or even a letter in a word in your book, will it read...
Book ‘Em, Dad-O
Dear Mr. Dad: My 10-year-old son is quite smart and perfectly capable of reading, but it’s always been a challenge for him. And unfortunately, his teachers aren’t doing very much to help the situation other than send home notes and report cards saying that he’s reading below his grade level. My wife and I both...Continue reading
Teen Girls and Dating? Nope. Never. No Way. Okay, Maybe.
Dear Mr. Dad: My 14-year-old daughter seems to believe that she needs to start dating. She says “all of her friends” are doing it, and feels left out. Fourteen just seems too young. I don’t think anyone—boy or girl—should start ‘til at least 16. I want to tell her “over my dead body” but I...Continue reading
Sorry, I Just Don’t Believe You
Dear Mr. Dad, My 12-year-old daughter is a liar. I wish it weren’t true, but just about everything that comes out of her mouth is a lie. If she tells me she’s texting a girl from school, it’s probably a boy. If I ask whether she’s cleaned her room, she’ll look me straight in the...Continue reading
“Bad Dad” Can’t Connect with Kids Through Play
Dear Mr. Dad: I have two kids, ages six and seven, and I’m completely crazy about them. On one hand, I’m confident that we have a good relationship, on the other, I worry that I’m a bad dad. One of the things I hate about myself is that I can’t seem to connect with the...Continue reading
The Future of Fathers
Dear Mr. Dad: This Father’s Day is over, but what advice do you have keep dads involved every day? A: As someone who spends a lot of time doing research on and writing about fathers—and even more time trying to be a good dad—I agree that the fact that the one day per year that’s dedicated...Continue reading
The Rhythm of Language
Dear Mr. Dad: My 2 ½-year old is learning lots lot of new words, but has trouble singing even the simplest song. And although he sometimes rocks in time to music, he’s almost never on the beat. Is there a connection between language, music and rhythm, and is a problem with any of them a...Continue reading
