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Fathers are Different than Mothers
Fathers are different than mothers. It’s so obvious that we don’t even
stop to think about what the difference means. The relationship of a
mother and her child develops quite literally from the inside out. For
nine months, the mother and her child are together in a physical
symbiosis that defies comprehension. On the most elemental level, they
share ion the miracle of creation, and the day of birth is but the
first important milestone in their already established connection.
Fathers, on the other hand, come to their children form the outside from
the very beginning. We can participate in the progress of our wife’s
pregnancy, we can place our hands in strategic spots to feel the kicks
and jabs, we can listen to the swooshing heartbeat through a stethoscope,
and now, thanks to the marvels of technology, we can watch videos of our
child floating gently within her embryonic world. But our experience is
always filtered; no matter how we participate, fundamentally, we remain
on the outside. Our first real contact withy our child is when we pick
up our newborn and cradle her in our arms.
In some profound way, our biological placement in the process of birth
mirrors the challenges we will face throughout out children’s lives. For
most mothers, the primary struggle of parenthood is stepping back far
enough to allow the child room to grow and develop. The challenge for most
fathers, on the other hand, is coming in close enough so that we can
build a strong and lasting bond.
Adapted from
The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Being an Expectant
Father by Joe Kelly and used by permission.
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What's New
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COMING SOON - Our New Website! In just a few short weeks,
Dads & Daughters will unveil our new website -- featuring a blog, daily tips,
polls, updated resources and even video!
We'll also have a Father's Day e-card to send to your dad or stepdad -- a
unique way to honor the special father in your life!
America the Beautiful
In 2004, Americans spent
$12.4 billion (yes, billion!) on cosmetic surgery. The real costs
of our obsession with youth, beauty and a slender physique are tallied in an
epidemic of eating disorders, complications and deaths from unnecessary
surgeries, exposure to dangerous toxins in cosmetics, and the equally toxic
effects on a generation of young people who are told–in some 40,000 media
messages a year–that unless you look like the supermodels and rock stars, you’re
not good enough for anyone to love. It’s a message too many of them are buying.
Click
here for listings.
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