Dear Mr. Dad: You often write about how couples can improve their communication and how that communication can protect their relationship. But what about after the relationship ends, which is what’s happening with my girlfriend and me? A: It may sound strange, but communication during and after a divorce or breakup is still critical. First, maintaining...Continue reading
Tag: divorce
Joint Custody—Even for Toddlers—Is the Best Option
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
The Establishment Creates Fatherless Kids
Attorney Robert Franklin recently said: “The terrible effect of fatherlessness on children, including when they become adults, is the single greatest social ill we face. And yet we promote it – actively promote it – as a matter of public policy.” Worse still, it’s done to benefit a wealthy special interest group. Family law is a $50 billion industry...Continue reading
Putting Together a Co-Parenting Plan
Dear Mr. Dad: My husband and I are getting divorced. Unfortunately, we’re so angry at each other that we can no longer even be in the same room together. Fortunately, despite our anger, we still understand how important each of us is to our children—and how important our children are to each of us. Do...Continue reading
Effects of Divorce on Men
Tough, resilient, and confident – this is the way men are portrayed in the media. Men are not pictured as being weak or needing help, especially when it comes to the family unit. But, according to a study published in the Journal of Men’s Health, men are more susceptible to health issues following a divorce...Continue reading
The One Thing You Must Do If You Want Love to Last
Love has been a complicated presence in my life from the very beginning. My parents had been trying, unsuccessfully, to have a baby for many years. My mother was finally able to get pregnant through a procedure of collecting and injecting my father’s sperm into her womb (a procedure that was “experimental” seventy-plus years ago)....Continue reading
The One Thing That Kills Most Marriages
My wife, Carlin, and I were enjoying a wonderful dinner at the new vegan Caribbean restaurant in Willits when a friend and his wife saw us eating outside. “How’s the food here?” Henry wanted to know. “It’s great,” we told them. “It’s real, authentic, handmade, and delicious.” As we chatted they introduced us to Henry’s...Continue reading
Life in the 21st-Century Blended Family
Dear Mr. Dad: My fiancée and I are both divorced, and between the two of us, there are four children from previous marriages. Mine are 7 and 5, his are 6 and 8. When my girlfriend and I first met each other’s kids, things were great—the children hit it off really well and liked hanging...Continue reading
What’s Platonic Parenting and Could It Work For You?
There are many ways to have a happy, healthy family that fall outside of the traditional nuclear family unit. Today’s diverse social climate and advanced technology have expanded the definition of family, reminding us that family is a matter of love, connection and care — rather than simply blood and marriage. Children need parents who...Continue reading
Divorced Dads and Babies: Are Overnight Visits OK? Absolutely!
Dear Mr. Dad: My wife and I are getting divorced, and while things are generally amicable, we’re having some major disagreements about whether it’s okay for our two young children, ages three and one, to sleep over at my house. We both want what’s best for our kids, but my wife says that because the...Continue reading