This originally appeared on The Good Men Project. Republished here with permission. Joanna Schroeder wonders why, as traditional gender roles are starting to fade, the Easy-Bake Oven is now more girly than ever. For three weeks I’ve been barraged with requests from my sons for one single toy. And for the first time in years, […]
Emily Heist Moss’ father wasn’t actively trying to raise a feminist daughter, but by always being on her side, that’s exactly what he did. My dad has always been my number one fan, so vocal in his admiration and praise that I’m often forced to pull the classic teen maneuver, an eye-roll and a “Dad, […]
This originally appeared on Mamamia. Republished here with permission. Dear Mom, You are so gay. Not in the derogatory 15-year-old boy sense of the word—you literally are so gay. But I don’t need to tell you that, do I? Obviously you’ve known for quite some time. You told me when I was 9 and I’m […]
When someone you admire criticizes your parenting, what should you do? One of the first things we learn as a parents is that everyone has an opinion on how we do or have done our job as parents, and almost everyone, from our friends to strangers in a grocery store, feels free to express that […]
This originally appeared on The Good Men Project. Republished here with permission. JD Roberto wishes he could avoid sending his 5-year-old son mixed messages about his sexuality. The most hands-on, intimate, and enduring relationship in a man’s life is the one he has with his penis. Yes, ladies, you might be tired of hearing about our […]
This originally appeared on YES! Magazine. Republished here with permission. The other day I found myself telling my two daughters, 16 and 14, “Don’t have sex until you’re in your 20s—but here are some condoms!” I’m not sure if there is a better example of sending mixed messages. Let me explain. I had just discovered […]
How do you gain your children’s trust from an authoritarian parenting perch? Imagine the Gilmore Girls, if Rory had a brother and Lorelei was actually married to Luke. That is sort of our family. We all genuinely like each other’s company. Our conversations are often fast-paced banter that mixes information about our lives with humorous […]
Chanel Dubofsky responds to the recent outing and harsh criticism of an anonymous blogger who pokes fun at parents who over-share online. Very recently, one of my favorite (OK, maybe my only) anonymous bloggers, Blair Koenig from STFU Parents, revealed her identity. STFU Parents, if you’re not familiar, is a blog that mocks the curious […]
When children come along, couples must reevaluate their marriage contract. In The New York Times piece “Till Death, or 20 Years, Do Us Part” Matt Richtel explores the meaning of marriage today, including proposals in Mexico City to create short-term renewable marriage contracts as brief as two years as a way to deal with how […]
This originally appeared on The Good Men Project. Republished here with permission. Mark Greene offers helpful tips for avoiding those awkward conversational faux pas with your local SAHD. Lately, stay-at-home dads have been showing up on TV and in the movies. (Usually, as well-meaning simpletons who commiserate about dropping their kids in the toilet by […]
Lynn Beisner describes the harrowing internal debate over whether or not to report her 14-year-old daughter’s grossly inappropriate encounter with a male friend. At the end of my daughter’s first year of high school, she asked to throw a party. She had really struggled that year, taking advanced placement classes with kids in their senior […]
Soraya Chemaly shares the importance of teaching your children to respect other children’s rights. For months, every morning when my daughter was in preschool, I watched her construct an elaborate castle out of blocks, colorful plastic discs, bits of rope, ribbons, and feathers. Only to have the same little boy gleefully destroy it within seconds […]
