THE FATHER LIFE

Boy, when you need laughter, go call up
your grandfather.  He may be as rusty as
a 1948 Buick Eight convertible, but his
jokes will be as fresh and new to you as
each pair of sneakers your mother got
you for the advent of every school year.
Boy, when you need guidance, go knock
on your grandfather’s door.  He may be
as [...]

Not all dollhouses are created equal, and their looks are not deceiving.  A dollhouse’s color and construction convey its intended audience, which is why little boys tend to stay away from those that are pink and pretty.
But, should they steer clear of dollhouses altogether?  Not necessarily.
Dollhouses make for great storage spaces.  Toys kept in their [...]

Dear Josh,
I remember the first real baseball game my dad ever saw me play. I was 14 and he had come in from Las Vegas to visit. I was the leadoff batter and we were the visiting team, so I was the very first batter. Unbelievably, I hit my very first homerun over the fence [...]

Countless studies have shown that growing up with a father increases boys’ school performance and decreases their risk of committing a crime and abusing drugs and alcohol. Here are eight more ways dads influence boys—whether they live in the home or stay involved on a regular basis.

Shape their identity. Boys look to fathers in their [...]

Dear Josh,
Tomorrow you turn 7 years old and I have been racking my brain about how to tie this birthday into a bigger picture manhood plan for you. I have been re-reading a book by Robert Lewis called Raising a Modern-Day Knight. He subtitles it “A Father’s Role In Guiding His Son To Authentic Manhood.” [...]

My son loves a sunny afternoon. Doubtless, he will tug at my pant leg, grab at my hand, or in childlike desperation use mysterious skills and attempt to dismantle our screen-door to find fresh air and sunshine. And doubtless my wife or I will heed his pleading and let him scamper across our postage stamp [...]

A couple of years back, investigative journalist, Peg Tyre, wrote a big story in Newsweek titled The Trouble With Boys. In that article, Tyre wrote about how, “by almost every benchmark, boys across the nation and in every demographic group are falling behind.” It caused quite a stir and many, frankly, were outraged. Wasn’t everyone [...]