Fatherly

1 week ago | fatherly.com | Graham Techler

The nicknames we use for parents go in and out of fashion, age to age and era to era. At one time, men preferred “Sire.” Other times, “Father” was preferable. What we do know is that the most agreed-upon way to refer to dad these days is by calling him, well, ‘dad.’But why have we ditched ‘father’ for dad? The short answer is that things have gotten a little less formal. But the reason we’ve moved away from formality is that we’ve embraced what’s more linguistically natural for children and parents.

1 week ago | fatherly.com | Joshua A. Krisch

We know how women’s bodies adapt to motherhood. Hormonal shifts, neurological flips, and, of course, the obvious post-partum biological changes. But only recently have scientists begun to focus on how men’s bodies adapt to fatherhood. We now know that fathers experience changes in their hormone levels (especially testosterone and oxytocin); their brains respond differently to parent-related stimuli, and even their socioeconomic status tends to change once children arrive.

1 week ago | fatherly.com | Cameron LeBlanc

The time immediately after birth or adoption is a crucial one for parents and children, and because of that, most countries across the world provide some form of paid prenatal leave, parental leave, or federal paid family leave for their citizens. But not us. The United States stands alone in being the sole nation in the OECD that guarantees exactly zero federal paid parental leave to its citizens.

1 week ago | fatherly.com | Matt Berical

In the 1970s and 80s, when Nordic countries first introduced shared parental leave, it was rare to see a father take advantage of it. Staying at home with kids was viewed as women’s work; men who did so were viewed as unmanly. In Sweden, those who did stay at home were called “velour dads,” a slang term for men who dressed in pajamas. A few decades later, Nordic dads, proudly pajama-clad, have become shining examples of involved fathers.

Aug 27, 2024 | fatherly.com | Christian Dashiell

While a newborn is rightly billed as a bundle of joy, two things can be true simultaneously: For many couples, a new baby is also a powder keg for conflict, as they are forced to evaluate and negotiate how their latest addition will affect life moving forward. Between sleep deprivation, a lack of quality time with your partner, a steep learning curve, plus a brand new, intense love and all the pressure that comes with it — fights are practically inevitable.