Archives for September 2008

A few years ago I sat at lunch with my daughter trying to convince her I should be permitted to visit her at college as often as I wished. Still in high school at the time, I suppose she thought we were spending plenty of time together because she was adamant that I visit only when my company was requested. From the sound of it, it seemed such invitations would arrive few and … [Read more...] about A Daughter Will Always Need Her Father

Q: Isn't it true that mothers are naturally better at parenting than fathers? Don’t moms have some sort of instinct that dads don’t have?A: Margaret Mead once said that fathers are a biological necessity, but a social accident. And throughout much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries our culture has been trying very hard to make this view a reality. Socialized into being … [Read more...] about Are Fathers Biologically Inferior Parents?

Q: I'm the divorced father of two kids. I've been going out with a wonderful woman for a few months now and we're heading in the direction of getting married. The problem is that she's not quite sure how to behave around my kids. What can I do to help her—and my kids—feel more like a family? How do I help my kids accept her as part of our family? A: You are the single most … [Read more...] about How to Help Stepmom Adapt to Her New Role