Children conceived by women over 35 are known to have and increased risk of being born with Down syndrome and a variety of other birth defects. But a brand new study just revealed that the father’s age is important too. Children of older fathers are at increased risk of developing autism and schizophrenia.
Category: Parenting
Divorced Fathers: Shared Residential Sustody – An Increasingly Popular Choice
For those divorced fathers who are currently in the process of creating or re-negotiating your parenting plans (“visitation” schedule) for your children, consider the benefits of shared residential custody. By this, I mean having your children live with you 35%-50% of the time. Many states have revised or are in the process of revising their...Continue reading
Teens at risk–and the adults who aren’t paying enough attention
72% of all deaths among young people aged 10–24 years were caused by one of four causes: car crashes (26%), other unintentional injuries (17%), homicide (16%), and suicide (13%). And hundreds of thousands of teens are affected by non-fatal but life-disrupting conditions such as sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and teen pregnancy. The big problem is...
Kids Versus The New Relationship
One of the greatest challenges for fathers who have switched from “husband” to “single dad” is figuring out the tricky mix of new love interest — or sometimes just new intimate partner — and your children. I’ve experienced the gamut myself as a single dad for almost five years, and I have my own rules...Continue reading
Coffee with Sam: Dana Holmes, professional gift guru, on buying the perfect gift for the women in your life
I recently had the opportunity to have a virtual cup of coffee and chat with Dana Holmes, professional gift guru and hero of many lost givers. What to do when you need that special something, but you just can figure out what that something IS? We’ve all been there. Dana, help us out! Samantha Feuss—You...Continue reading
For the skeptics: The research on dads’ influence on girls’ puberty
Several people took issue (some in an unfortunately hostile way) with my post that mentioned research showing that girls with involved biological fathers start puberty later than those with a non-biological father or no father at all. So to satisfy the critics, here are several citations that should satisfy your inner (and not-so-inner) skeptic.
For Girls, Puberty at Age 6? That’s One of the Best Reasons to Be an Involved Dad
More and more girls are starting puberty early. Some as early as six! If you’ve got daughters–and I’ve got three of ’em–there are a few things you really, really need to know. Let’s start with the good news, some of which I’ve written about extensively. Girls who have actively involved dads start puberty later than...Continue reading
World Autism Awareness Day
This post is dedicated to all of the amazing girls and boys who live with autism and their families. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) “ASDs (autism spectrum disorders) occur in all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups, but are four times more likely to occur in boys than in girls.”
Case Studies in Flying Above the Father in Literature & Film: Hemingway’s Robert Jordan
What was Hemingway trying to tell us?Continue reading
The Importance of Father-Son Proximity and Initiation into the Masculine Culture
Friday after Thanksgiving was a lazy, windy, cold and gray day in Washington, D.C. I nearly forgot I had scheduled to meet a friend because he had expressed an interest in getting involved in men’s health issues. I got to our meeting place early, grabbed a hot chocolate to warm up, and a Wall Street...Continue reading