Dear Mr. Dad: My wife and I are getting divorced. She has filed for sole custody of our two children, ages 2 and 4. I’ve always been avery involved dad and my wife knows how important my kids are to me. I asked why she’s asking for sole custody and she says that her lawyers...Continue reading
Category: Parenting
Tech for Toddlers
Dear Mr. Dad: I’m thinking of giving my 18-month-old my old iPad. She loves playing with it and I think she should have her own. My husband disagrees. What do you think? A: I’d hold off for a while. There’s a lot of information out there on technology’s effect on children, but very little on toddlers...Continue reading
Gender vs. Sex. Yes, There Is a Difference
Dear Mr. Dad: My 13-year old son told my husband and me that his gender identity is “non-binary” and that he wants to start using different pronouns—“they” and “their” instead of “he” and “him.” We asked whether that means he’s gay, but he just laughed and said that there’s a big difference between gender identity...Continue reading
Keys to Becoming a Better Dad
Dear Mr. Dad: This may sound a little stupid, but I’m not sure how to be a more involved dad. I work a lot and my wife is a stay-at-home mom. She seems to have everything under control all the time, and there doesn’t seem to be much of a role for me. What can...Continue reading
Bedwetting 8-Year Old — When is Enough Enough?
Dear Mr. Dad: My 8-year old still wets her bed at night. She’s really embarrassed about it and doesn’t want to have sleepovers, either at our home or—especially—anywhere else. She’s really stressed about it, which I imagine is just making the problem worse. How common is it for an 8-year old to be wetting her...Continue reading
That’s It: Only 173 “Last Warnings” Left…
Dear Mr. Dad: My husband and I have always tried to emphasize good study habits to our 13-year old daughter. But no matter what we say or how many times we say it, she goes into her room, closes the door, and plays on her phone or texts her friends instead of doing her homework....Continue reading
She Wants Another Baby, but He Doesn’t
Dear Mr. Dad. We have an almost two-year old who keeps us pretty busy. Recently, though, my wife has been talking about having a second child. I’m honestly not that thrilled about the idea. We barely have enough time to take care of ourselves and our baby. How are we supposed to add a fourth...Continue reading
Overcoming Prejudice and Encouraging Diversity
Dear Mr. Dad: My daughter is in 7th grade has been coming home with stories about her classmates using the most bigoted and hateful language about other students and other people in general. Peer pressure is a big thing in middle school and we’re afraid that she’s going to pick up some of these attitudes. What...Continue reading
The Benefits of Sports, Part 1
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
Ways to Show Your Pregnant Partner That You Care
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