It's Father's Day.
I read two really good pieces on fatherhood and men this morning. The first is in Slate Magazine, by Brad Wilcox, called "Daddy's Home." It's a terrific piece on some of the ways that being a father changes men. In it, he highlights that the impacts are greatest as long as the man lives with his children and their mother (and, of course, the positive impacts are non-existent when the man is not involved in the lives of the children at all).
The next piece I want to recommend to you is also by Brad Wilcox. This one, however, focuses on the "The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad" in the lives of children. It is in the Atlantic. In this piece, Wilcox addresses the question of evidence that there is something special about what men do in the fathering role and, thereby, add to the lives of their children. The question that is being raises is an important one at a time in our culture when ever fewer men are substantially involved in the lives of their children.
These two pieces bring me back to the video I shared in my last post. While there are many exceptions,we know from accumulating studies that the surest way for men to be involved in raising their children is for men to remain involved with the mother of their children. Now check out the video I posted. You will see five involved fathers (along with five involved mothers). The blog post is here. The video I posted is here.
Usual caveat, seriously stated: Many children are doing great in single parent families and many single parents are the reason why. But it's a great thing when a child has both parents pulling for him or her in life. And it's a powerful thing in the life of a man. If you are a father, I hope you have a Happy Father's Day, and more, a meaningful year to come as a father.
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