He was one tough old bird. Born to a rural Slovakian family with German roots in the high Tatra mountains for over 1,000 years, he became a blacksmith in his teens, and a craftsman for the rest of his life. He grew up incredibly resilient, self reliant and practical. One of my oldest friends and...Continue reading
Tag: fatherhood
Be Careful Relaxing
The case of the month is an actual patient of The Turek Clinic. He had been trying to conceive for the better part of two years with no luck. His wife was healthy, had very regular cycles and had been thoroughly “checked out” early on. He was eating great, maintaining a good weight, and certainly treating his...Continue reading
Cycling Toward Childlessness?
She looks at me earnestly, searching for approval and says: “I’ve made sure that he stopped bicycling as I have read that it’s bad for his fertility, right?” Not so fast. Saddle Sore There is hard data to suggest that bicycling long enough can impair erections, especially if the saddle results in pelvic numbness. But fertility? Not the...Continue reading
Killing the Father: The Symbolic Quest of the Son
A man turns into a father all at once—no warning, no preparation, no classes. Many a woman starts turning into a mother in her early childhood. After all, she spends many hours pretending that she’s holding a baby, feeding it, changing its diapers, and nurturing it. Her doll is her someday child. At the dinner...Continue reading
7 Mistakes Clorox Made in Taking a Swipe at New Dads
Clorox, makers of bleach and many other consumer products, just came out with a clever article called “6 Mistakes New Dads Make.” The article gleefully tells us that “Like dogs or other house pets, new Dads are filled with good intentions but lacking the judgment and fine motor skills to execute well.” And that’s just...Continue reading
To Fathers and Fathers To Be
“A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be.” Now there’s the essence of fatherhood. I have a similar albeit less poignant story about what it means to be a father. The Immortal Cinderella When my daughter was little, she had a plastic Cinderella statue that she...Continue reading
Paternity Leave: More than a policy
Imagine this: a father pushing his child in a stroller, fulfilling his duties as a father, seen as attractive and potentially “the new kind of manly.” Author Katrin Bennhold describes this new definition of masculinity in her article, “In Sweden, Men Can Have It All,” as a “most striking example of social engineering.” Ms. Bennhold...Continue reading
Lessons To Teach Your Son
When asking myself the lessons a father must teach their son, I had to break this down into two groups. There are both primary lessons and indirect or secondary lessons that fathers must teach their children. The primary lessons I feel are the most important and the secondary ones are what fathers can teach children...Continue reading
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
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