Dear Mr. Dad: I’m a new dad and have been reading to my baby. But I’ve started to notice that most of the parents in children’s books are moms. There are some books where dad is the main parent, but most of the time we’re not there at all. My wife says that the media...Continue reading
Despite the decades-long drumbeat for gender equity, young American men still feel strong social pressure to adhere to traditional male roles to be tough, sexually aggressive and controlling, even though most personally don’t believe in the tenets of old-style masculinity. This disconnect between how they feel they should act and how they say they want...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad: While I appreciate your column and your attempts to get dads more involved, the simple fact is that women are biologically better suited than men to be parents. Your response? A: Sorry, but you’re dead wrong. Margaret Mead once said that fathers are a biological necessity, but a social accident. And throughout much...Continue reading
Dear Mr. Dad. My husband and I have two-year-old twins—a girl and a boy—and we both love spending time with them. But I’ve noticed that he and I have very different styles, in several ways. We do different activities with the kids. And I’ve also noticed that I do a better job of treating the...Continue reading
We use a lot of sex stereotypes in our everyday speech, most of the time without realizing it. Sometimes even the most gender-neutral phrases carry a strong stereotyped message. In most cases, the words are harmless, but other times they’re dangerous. Take, for example, the word “behave” as it’s often used in schools. For decades,...Continue reading
Cops who pull drivers over for traffic violations have heard every excuse imaginable—and some that probably aren’t. In most cases, the driver pleads ignorance (I didn’t know, I didn’t see it, who, me?), but the kind of claimed ignorance depends on whether the driver is a man or a woman, according to Insurance.com’s latest “Ticketmaster”...Continue reading
If you’re debating whether to grow out that beard (or shave it off, if you have one), put the razor down and back away slowly. A new study has just confirmed that women prefer men with about 10 days worth of stubble over those with light stubble, a clean-shaven face, or a full beard.