You know what they say: New Year equals a new me, right? Well, despite the overwhelming feeling of relief by many that our calendars have flipped from 2020 to 2021, it is absolutely vital to both men and women to make a plan to stay on top of their health. Some could read that last...
Category: Parenting
What Happens to Birth Rates During Pandemics?
At first glance, you’d think that staying at home (by law) during the COVID-19 pandemic would mean more babies being born. After all, conception rates are seasonal, with the highest rates occurring during the winter months when we’re all huddled inside. Romance and sex are all about contact time, right? Turns out, it’s a bit more complicated...Continue reading
Okay, So Now What Do I Do with Her?
Dear Mr. Dad: I’m a brand new dad and have never been more thrilled in my life. I want to be involved but I never babysat, am the first among my siblings and friends to have a child, and I have no clue what I’m supposed to do with my perfect new daughter. Got any...Continue reading
Why Fighting in Front of the Kids Might Be a Good Thing
Dear Mr. Dad: I remember a column you wrote a few years back about arguing in front of the kids, and, as I recall, you thought it might be a good thing. Like lots of couples these days, my husband and I have been arguing a lot more than usual. Sometimes it’s about the coronavirus,...Continue reading
Slow Children Playing. Really Slow…
Dear Mr. Dad: The Olympics are just around the corner and I’ve been wondering whether American athletes are going to compete, given the epidemic of childhood obesity that we keep hearing about. If our kids are so out of shape, how will we ever be able to compete? A: Back when I was in the fourth...Continue reading
Why “Good Enough” is “Exctly Enough”
Dear Mr. Dad: My husband and I just divorced, as amicably as possible. We’ve heard a lot a lot about how children in divorced families act out, get bad grades in school, take drugs, have all sorts of mental health problems, and on and on. Frankly, both of us are worried that our children are...Continue reading
Control vs. Influence: They’re Not the Same
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
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
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