Posts Tagged ‘Dads’

Whether the fathers in our lives are our own husbands and we’re watching them navigate the waters as amateurs, or our own fathers whose roles might be changing, there are many new books this year that are sure to shed insight and lend some laughs.

Dude, You’re Gonna Be a Dad! How to Get (Both of You) Through the Next 9 Months by John Pfeiffer

With Chapters like “Things to Squeeze in Before the Baby Squeezes Out” author John Pfeiffer helps men prepare for impending fatherhood with both experience and a sense of humor. John’s advice to men is to prepare themselves and be involved from the beginning, “You need to stay on top of the ball and not get caught with your pants down - a position that’s perfectly acceptable during the impregnation phase, but not so much when you’re asked your opinion on critical issues like the color of the baby’s room, or if and when Mommy is going back to work after baby arrives.”

Available at Amazon.com

The Art of Roughhousing: Good Old-Fashioned Horseplay and Why Every Kid Needs It by Anthony T. DeBenedet, M.D. and Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D.

Our modern world is more focused than ever on ensuring children’s safety and eliminating any dangerous play. But authors Anthony T. DeBenedet and Lawrence Cohen believe there is still a time and a place for some good old-fashioned roughhousing. They believe it nurtures close connections, solves behavior problems, and boosts confidence. Forty-five activities are illustrated in chapters that include, “Games,” “Imagination,” and “Extreme Roughhousing.”

Available at Amazon.com

Driving Lessons: A Father, a Son, and the Healing Power of Golf by Steve Friedman

The walls that sometimes exist between fathers and sons can be heart-breaking and lifelong. Award-winning journalist Steve Friedman was on a mission to share his fathers sport of golf with him, in hopes to break down the walls that existed between them. Driving Lessons is his honest account of two men working to break through years of misunderstanding.

Available at Amazon.com

Our Fathers, Ourselves: Daughters, Fathers, and the Changing American Family by Dr. Peggy Drexler

“Peggy Drexler maps the largely unexplored regions of father-daughter relationships in this insightful and heartfelt book. In scense of both pain and joy she explores the ancient dance of love and longing between fathers and daughters. If you’re been a father or a daughter, or even watched such a relationship play itself out, you’ll want to read this book.” - Alan Alda

Thanks to the extensive research and first-hand interviews from Dr. Peggy Drexler, we are able to view important aspects of the evolving nature of the father-daughter relationship in today’s world. This is an important and noteworthy read for many members of the family.

Available at Amazon.com

Everyone knows a pregnant woman shouldn’t drink, smoke, sniff glue, or take part in any number of colorful habits that can damage a fetus. But nobody talks about what Daddy contributes to the genetic pot, says a well-researched piece in Miller-McCune magazine, which surveys the many studies that show how various substances damage sperm and wonder: “Why don’t more people know about this?”

The meat of “The Bad Daddy Factor”: “Scientists also showed that it didn’t require industrial-strength chemicals to wreak havoc on men’s sperm. Smokers seemed to produce sperm with the wrong number of chromosomes, a DNA error that could lead to miscarriages or Down syndrome. (A stunning 2008 paper revealed that men with deficiencies in folate, that superstar maternal vitamin, had the same problem.) Paternal smoking has also been linked to childhood cancer, and even alcohol and caffeine can cause sperm abnormalities that derail child development.

We now know that what started as an inconceivable mystery — how could men’s environments and lifestyles possibly affect the children they would later father? — has not just one but several answers. Certain substances interfere with the earliest phase of sperm production in the testes, prompting errors in cell division that lead to genetic mutations in immature sperm cells. Chemicals can also cause what are known as epigenetic mutations, which don’t change the DNA sequence itself but alter how the body reads these genetic instructions. Essentially, an epigenetic change involves turning certain genes on or off, telling the body to pay more or less attention to the code they contain. (If genetic changes are akin to changing the lyrics of a song, epigenetic changes are like fiddling with the volume.)

Drugs can also interfere with sperm transport. A 2009 study revealed that a standard dose of paroxetine — the active drug in the antidepressant marketed as Paxil — causes a fivefold increase in the number of men who show evidence of “sperm fragmentation,” which can increase the chances of miscarriage. Researchers have known that certain antidepressants can influence ejaculatory response; it turns out that they seem to slow the transportation of sperm through the male reproductive system, causing the cells to age prematurely. ‘Sperm are being damaged because they’re not traveling properly through the body,’ says Peter Schlegel, who led the study and is a urologist at New York’s Weill Cornell Medical College.”

Shhh! Do you hear that? It’s the sound of a bunch of moms-to-be demanding their husbands quit smoking.

Ah, the men in our lives - the brothers, fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, and dear husbands. This weekend, they might be glued to an iPad/Blackberry/HDTV to tune into the World Cup, latest on the oil spill, or the US Open to see if Phil will best Tiger in another major this year, but these books should pique his interest as well:

The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Man Skills by Joshua Piven, David Borgenicht and Ben H. Winters

For all that might come his way:
* Chapter One “Great Escapes” includes How to Drive Down a Flight of Stairs
* Chapter Two “Sports & Hobbie” includes How to Flip an Overturned Kayak
* Chapter Three “Love & Sex” includes How to Make Your Betrothed Parents Like You
* Chapter Four “Domestic Disasters” includes Emergency Phrases for When You’re in the Doghouse
* Chapter Five “Work” includes Things Never to Say in a Meeting
* Chapter Six “Out & About” includes How to Build a Shelter in the Snow
Chronicle Books - April 21, 2010
Available at Amazon.com

…unfinished business…One Man’s Extraordinary Year of Trying to do the Right Things by Lee Kravitz
He was one of the many; he lost his job. But what he did next might be a bit distinctive. Instead of setting out to get a new job, he took a year to set some things straight, things that had been neglected during his years steadfastly dedicated to his profession. His unfinished business led him on ten journeys of redemption, including repaying long-overdue debts, keeping promises, and reaching out to a distant friend. The stuff that life should be made of - re-thinking, redoing, reliving.
Available at Amazon.com

Handy Dad: 25 Awesome Projects for Dads and Kids by Todd Davis
There is nothing that might say ‘childhood’ quite like the original homemade projects: bottle rockets, rope swings, and go carts. These days, kid’s tastes might be a bit more sophisticated, so this handy project book also includes details on how to make half-pipes and ziplines. Packed with helpful and entertaining pictures, 25 Awesome Projects is organized so Dad and kids can start with the “Easy Projects,” move on to the “Afternoon Projects,” and as the dog days of summer kick in, they’ll be ready for the “Weekend Projects.”
Chronicle Books - April 28, 2010
Available at Amazon.com

Made by Hand by Mark Frauenfelder
What is your “Coconut Day?” While on vacation in the South Pacific, author Mark Fraunfelder relished in collecting and cooking coconut with his young daughter. He was hooked. At home, he worked to add small and meaning projects to their daily rituals believing it improved the quality of their lives. The book shows that it’s not just about what is being produced, but what is learned in the process, the pride in the accomplishment and the focused effort that often has a calming effect.
Available at Amazon.com

Geek Dad: Awesomely Geeky Projects and Activities for Dads and Kids to Share by Ken Denmead
Cool is a state of mind, and most “geeks” these days relish in their self-proclaimed status and are incredibly passionate about the projects they pursue (see Glee.) Denmead’s subcategories for each project - concept, cost, difficulty, duration and reusability - help readers easily navigate the book to find items they want to make that match their budgets, skill-levels, etc.
GeekDad Blog
Available at Amazon.com

You’ve seen him once or twice at the playground — the totally involved and evolved stay-at-home dad. Who is this thoroughly modern man, and what makes him tick?

The Daddy Shift: How Stay-at-Home Dads, Breadwinning Moms, and Shared Parenting Are Transforming the American Family, offers a look into the changing world of fatherhood today. Inspired by author Jeremy Smith’s year spent at home with his young son, this book investigates the stories of a diverse group of dads who have embraced care giving and egalitarian marriages, from both a social and economic standpoint.

How 2009.

Available at beacon.org.