Friday, May 28, 2010

Where do you go with parenting questions?

The Motherlode blog at the New York Times had an interesting post today about how parents might actually not so know as much as we think about their child's development. Regardless, it brings up an interesting question - where do you go for parenting info?

The comments were almost as informative as the blog post itself, especially in revealing the gap between how moms and dads find information. One dad wrote:

"Back in the day, the dads at Y-Indian Guides would ask for my Dad's opinion -- mostly a function of being prematurely gray and having had two kids ahead of me -- so I'm not sure that the model has changed all that much. A fair amount of the standing around on game sidelines includes quick queries and short answers. I'm not going to read a book or a magazine article."

So the question for you dads - is that true? Are books and magazines out? Do you surf the net, or just ask other dads when you have a fathering conundrum? Or just try to figure it out as you go?

5 comments:

  1. As a man who got his undergraduate degree in family and human development, got his masters in marriage and family therapy and currently doing a doctorate in medical family therapy, I look to my wife :-)

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  2. a mix of figure it out as you go and ask other dads. might flip through a mag if I'm stuck in a waiting room without cell service and it the only reading material available, but highly unlikely to pick one up otherwise, or to hang in there through a book from some expert.

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  3. I look for a friend who's dealt with a similar situation, ask some trusted friends in a men's group I'm a member of or try to pick the brain of an older, wiser man in my church. If non e of those work, I punt and try to remember what my father might have done in that situation. He was the greatest dad/mentor/friend a man could have.

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  4. My wife and I are constantly bouncing questions and ideas off of eachother so I'd have to say that is where I go first, but then its my peers who are also fathers. For other questions other than those aorund managing my children's behavior and teaching them valuies on a daily basis, I go to my own father, particularly if I'm facing a large impact decision (moving to a different house, possibly changing careers, etc.)

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