The Would Be Father

“Like the YouTube channel, this is a touching yet informative guide for those seeking fatherly advice, or even a few good dad jokes.” — Library Journal

How can you become an effective, involved father when you see your baby only briefly after work? What is the best way to start saving for your child's college education? The answers to these questions and hundreds more are found on the pages of this easy-to-follow, information-packed volume. Author Armin Brott devotes a chapter to each month of the first year. In each chapter he charts the physical, intellectual, verbal, and emotional changes the child is going through, and examines the emotional and psychological development the father may experience. He also covers such general parenting issues as coping with crying, finding quality child care, and understanding changes in the relationship with one's partner. This new edition features the latest research on many topics, from what's going on at the hospital right after childbirth to what a dad can do when his partner is having trouble breastfeeding, to advice for dads in the military and others who are separated from their kids. More information on preemies, twins, and triplets has been added, along with advice for divorced and renewed dads. The resources section and bibliography are considerably expanded. Illustrated throughout with New Yorker-style cartoons that underscore the joys and woes of parenting, The New Father is an essential sourcebook for every dad. It is sure to give moms fresh insights as well.

For too long, we've thought of fathers as little more than sources of authority and economic stability in the lives of their children. Yet cutting-edge studies drawing unexpected links between fathers and children are forcing us to reconsider our assumptions and ask new questions: What changes occur in men when they are "expecting"? Do fathers affect their children's language development? What are the risks and rewards of being an older-than-average father at the time the child is born? What happens to a father's hormone levels at every stage of his child's development, and can a child influence the father's health? Just how much do fathers matter? In Do Fathers Matter? the award-winning journalist and father of five Paul Raeburn overturns the many myths and stereotypes of fatherhood as he examines the latest scientific findings on the parent we've often overlooked. Drawing on research from neuroscientists, animal behaviorists, geneticists, and developmental psychologists, among others, Raeburn takes us through the various stages of fatherhood, revealing the profound physiological connections between children and fathers, from conception through adolescence and into adulthood—and the importance of the relationship between mothers and fathers. In the process, he challenges the legacy of Freud and mainstream views of parental attachment, and also explains how we can become better parents ourselves. Ultimately, Raeburn shows how the role of the father is distinctly different from that of the mother, and that embracing fathers' significance in the lives of young people is something we can all benefit from. An engrossing, eye-opening, and deeply personal book that makes a case for a new perspective on the importance of fathers in our lives no matter what our family structure, Do Fathers Matter? will change the way we view fatherhood today.

Written with an expectant father's needs, questions, and concerns in mind, Your Pregnancy for the Father-to-Be includes important information and valuable tips to help a man help his partner during pregnancy and the birth of their new baby. Topics include providing comfort as the mother-to-be experiences physical and emotional changes, interpreting the pregnancy tests and medical procedures, learning to be a great labor coach, and planning the family's financial future.

This boxed set includes The Expectant Father, The New Father, and A Dad's Guide to the Toddler Years. Armin Brott has written on fatherhood for the New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, Washington Post, American Baby, and Parenting. He is the host of a weekly radio show on parenting. Mr. Brott lives in Berkeley, California.

From the collection Gryphon, Charles Baxter’s luminous story of caretaking under any circumstance. Burrage never thought he’d be the responsible one. When his brother and sister-in-law die in a car accident, he becomes caretaker to his young nephew, a fragile boy who wants to know what the future will be. Burrage begins writing the boy’s horoscope—stars, trains, and hide-and-seek—until his predictions begin to fail, in a rowboat, in the middle of a lake. Charles Baxter is one of our finest short story writers, a modern master. “The Would-be Father” is one of his first published short stories. An eBook short.

Self-initiation is killing our young men. Without strong mentors, boys are walking alone into a wilderness of conflicting messages about who they should be as men. It's no wonder that our sons are confused about what the world expects from them and what they should expect of themselves. The Intentional Father is the antidote. This concise book is filled with practical steps to help men raise sons of consequence--young men who know what they believe, know who they are, and will stand up against the negative cultural trends of our day. Jon Tyson lays out a clear path for fathers and sons that includes specific activities, rites of passage, and significant "marking moments" that can be customized to fit any family. It's not enough to hope our sons will become good men. We need them to be good at being men. This book shows how fathers, grandfathers, and other male mentors can lead the way.

The male case against patriarchy - why it hurts men, and how they can change it. The macho society that held John Wayne as a role model has created an emotional wasteland where 80 percent of men are unable to accurately express their feelings, and that same percentage feel estranged from their fathers. The stifled male, disconnected and out of touch, fills the void with apathy or anger, and the toll is staggering: short, unhealthy lives, ruined relationships, and damaged children. This destructive behavior repeats itself in the next generation as the sins of the father continue the cycle. In Becoming the Kind Father, Calvin Sandborn aims to break that cycle. His intensely personal story is heart-searing and inspirational. Brought up to fear his father’s alcohol-fueled fury and hateful put-downs, the author buried his feelings and fine-tuned his own rage. His father’s early death and the collapse of the author’s marriage provided catalysts for change. Interspersing clever literary references with painful childhood memories, intense self-examination, and astute observations, Sandborn provides well-researched psychological findings and self-help tips, including how to: Identify and share feelings Treat yourself as a kind father would Form trusting male friendships Break the anger habit Forgive the world and yourself This guide offers helpful insight for the millions of men who want to become kinder human beings. A must-read for every woman who loves an angry or emotionally distant man. Calvin Sandborn is a journalist, author, and environmental lawyer who currently supervises the University of Victoria Environmental Law Clinic. He is also a kind father and grandfather.