Steven Wilkerson, a former Marine who fought in Iraq and a father of three, makes $8 an hour at a Tampa fast-food restaurant. He usually gets off work and takes the bus home at 10 p.m., too late to see his kids before they go to bed. Wilkerson, 28, is just one of millions of...
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
Dear Mr. Dad: I’m in the military and about to deploy. I have two children under 5 and a third who will be born while I’m gone. What should I do prepare (them, my wife, and myself) before I leave? A: At any given moment, there are about half a million children under five in military...Continue reading
Black Friday, Thanksgiving, and NFL Sundays aren’t the only things happening in November. Today kicks off the annual open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare. With it brings a slew of options for millions of Americans shopping for health insurance for 2019. But are you confused about where to buy insurance on...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: You’ve talked a lot about kids and sports. Why are sports so important? A: Kids these days have it tougher than we did when we were their age. Today’s kids live in a world where social media puts every aspect of their lives under a harsh microscope—something we and our parents and grandparents...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: You often talk about how to be an involved dad, but how can I be an involved husband, especially while my wife is pregnant? A: Here are some ideas that will boost your popularity at home and make your wife the envy of all of her friends, pregnant or otherwise: Offer to give...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My baby is nearly two. When’s the right time to start potty training and how do we do it? A: I’ve always maintained that changing diapers is a highly underrated bonding experience—especially for dads. But no matter how fondly you recall the experience, most of us are delighted when we can put that...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: While I appreciate your column and your attempts to get dads more involved, the simple fact is that women are biologically better suited than men to be parents. Your response? A: Sorry, but you’re dead wrong. Margaret Mead once said that fathers are a biological necessity, but a social accident. And throughout much...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: My 15-month-old baby is suddenly afraid of everything—including a lot of things he wasn’t afraid of just a few weeks ago. He’s scared the bathtub, getting his hair cut, the vacuum cleaner, the dark, and even our dog (the same dog that he actually rode on recently. What’s going on and what...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