Dear Mr. Dad: My mother passed away several years ago and my father suffers from dementia. They were great parents and are definitely role models for me as I father my own children (ages 7, 12, and 16). The problem is that when my kids ask me questions about their grandparents, I barely have any...
Category: Parenting
What to Do If Your Partner Doesn’t Want Children and You Do
Feeling like you desperately want to have kids while your partner doesn’t may put a lot of strain on your relationship. Some people may harbor more or less irrational fears or negative attitudes towards parenting. In most cases, some myth-busting or consultations with professionals may get to the root of the problem. However, this is a...Continue reading
Paternity Fraud
Dear Mr. Dad: I’m in the early stages of what is going to be a very contested divorce. One of the core issues is that my soon-to-be-ex-wife admitted that she’s been having an affair for the past four years. As if that weren’t bad enough, we have two children that were born during that time...Continue reading
When Lying and Cheating Are Good News
Dear Mr. Dad: I don’t know how to put this nicely, but my seven-year-old son is a liar, a cheater, and a thief. He fibs—usually straight to my face—every chance he gets, and after several recent trips to grocery stores, I found that he’d stolen some small items. What have my wife and I done...Continue reading
A Family Affair: Bringing Your Kids into Your Business
Dear Mr. Dad: I’m in my 60s and have been thinking about retiring from the small-ish company that my great-grandfather founded nearly 100 years (I’m the CEO). We made it through the COVID pandemic, and I’ve been thinking a lot about retiring and bringing my adult children in to learn the ropes. This isn’t exactly...Continue reading
Disciplining Stepchildren: Can You? Should You?
Dear Mr. Dad: I recently got remarried and really want to make my relationship with my new wife a success. One of the things I love about her is that she’s a great mother. I really like her kids 7 and 11), but ever since we got married, they treat me horribly. They’re rude, refuse...Continue reading
Maternity Leave: Great Idea, but What About Dad?
Dear Healthy Men: I just read that the United States is one of the only industrialized countries in the world without a paid maternity leave program. Where do you stand on that issue? A: We support it—and we’re glad to see that President Joe Biden and others in his administration have come out in support of...Continue reading
Overcoming Picky Eating
Dear Mr. Dad: I’m a single dad and I love cook. I make a special point of preparing meals I think my kids will like—or at least eat! But time after time I find myself dumping perfectly good, untouched food into leftover containers, or worse, into the trash. The kids seem to want nothing but...Continue reading
How to Help Your Kids Make New Friends
Having friends is not just fun but very important for children. Friendships give kids a sense of belonging and help them with developing various social skills. However, all children are different, so it is only natural that some have difficulties making friends. If you think you recognize your kids in this sentence, don’t worry. There...Continue reading
How Your Relationships with Your Children Change When They Leave Home
Dear Mr. Dad: Our daughter is going away to college. On one hand, I’m thrilled that she’s becoming so independent. But we’ve always been very close and I’m worried that our relationship will suffer. Will it? A: Well, the day you’ve hoped for and dreaded is finally here. Your child is going to move out. Some...Continue reading