For young children, those first Halloweens can be lots of fun—wearing costumes, staying up late, counting their haul of candy, and sneaking extra pieces when parents aren’t looking. But Halloween also worries me a bit because I’ve seen how easy it is for kids to mistake medicines for candies. As a dad, I know that...Continue reading
Month: October 2016
October is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month
We all want nothing more than to be understood. But for some kids, that isn’t as easy as it seems. Learning and attention issues are much more common in children than most people realize. In fact, in the U.S., 1 in 5 children struggles with brain-based learning and attention issues that affect reading, writing, math,...Continue reading
I Was Told This is a Woman’s Disease
For Eric Dunlap, the diagnosis began with a throbbing pain in his upper chest during an intense home workout. It was 2000, and Dunlap, then 34, was beginning to settle into the American Dream just outside of Atlanta. He was a few years into a marriage with his college sweetheart, and was the father of...
Even More Distracted Driving
Dear Mr. Dad: A few weeks ago, you had an email from a 13-year old whose mother talks on the phone. You should have told the child to rat her mother out to the cops. The mother is endangering her own life, her daughter’s life, and innocent bystanders’ and drivers’ lives. The 13-year old should send a note...Continue reading
Men’s Health Takes Center Stage at the White House
In 2012, Men’s Health Network launched the Dialogue on Men’s Health series, which regularly brings together healthcare professionals, patient groups, community organizations, private corporations, and government agencies to address the unique challenges that confront men, boys, and their families. So you can imagine how delighted we were when the U.S. Department of Health and Human...Continue reading
Distracted Driving: A Real Killer
Dear Mr. Dad: This may sound dramatic, but I’m hoping you can help save my mom’s life. She’s constantly on her phone, talking or texting, while she’s driving. I’m only 13 and I’ve tried telling her to stop but she says she has it under control and says I should be quiet. She’s cut out...Continue reading
Why Dads Matter As Much As Moms
For many decades, conventional wisdom told us that when it came to child development, mothers were the most important parent. Fathers, apparently, weren’t good for much more than piggybacks, reading an occasional bedtime story, and, of course, discipline. Researchers who studied child development bought into that conventional wisdom and rarely bothered to investigate whether dads...Continue reading
Are You Facing Foreclosure? The Making Home Affordable Program Can Help
Are you a homeowner and behind on your mortgage payments or at risk of foreclosure? If so, you’re not alone—one in 17 homeowners in the U.S are in the same situation. Fortunately, there is hope: The federal Making Home Affordable (MHA) program has already helped more than 1.8 million families reduce their mortgage payments by...Continue reading
Depression, Springsteen, and Me: On Moods and Madness
I recently read an article, “Why Bruce Springsteen’s Depression Revelation Matters” and it reminded me how important it is for well-known people to talk about their own mental illness and mental health. In Springsteen’s recently released book, Born to Run, the rock legend talks about his long history of depression and how he has dealt...Continue reading
Why We Need to Change the Current Narrative of Male Friendships
In an interview with Anna Kendrick, Stephen Colbert joked, you ask a guy when the last time he saw his best friend and his answer is two and a half years ago. Cue the laughs at the distinction often made between male and female friendships, but the reality isn’t as funny. The disturbing truth is...Continue reading