There are ways in which family/society/cultures stifle men.

Men are the privileged sex. Absolutely true. But, it is not an absolute privilege. We can talk about relative disadvantages that dads experience. And, we can talk about disadvantages that go further back...

I found this article to be a profoundly interesting insight into ways men are hurt... And possibly a contribution to how, as a consequence, men are less capable and more inclined to hurt others.  Read Why Do We Murder the Beautiful Friendships of Boys?

ETR acknowledges young dads

It is slow going getting common perceptions to shift from the inaccurate. If a belief is deeply held, people tend towards confirmation bias. That is, they interpret the world in such a way as to see what they expect to see. When it comes to dads, we have been given a great many images and concepts that insinuate the primacy of mothers and the fragility of fathers' commitment to their children

Nothing could be further from the truth. Dads are devoted, like moms. Dads want to be with their children. If we observe significant amounts of separation of dads from their children, we need to look into that. It appears that ETR (Education, Training and Research) is opening up these questions... take a look at this article they published. They have done a great deal of work in the areas of the sexual and reproductive health of young people and it is gratifying to observe that they are looking at young fathers with a desire to understand, rather than assume and judge.

Thanks ETR.

We all need to show respect for ALL parents...

Please, read this and listen to the Latino USA piece including in this link.

The young woman featured in this story went to extraordinary lengths to show us to our ourselves. I know it's Washington state, and not NM, but I think we can all see how relevant this is to us here in NM. 

If we have positive expectations for our young people, ALL of our young people, we can improve outcomes. Even if they have had a child. ESPECIALLY if they have had child. Imagine what we can do if we have positive expectations AND we offer resources designed to support them (not blame).

HAVE YOU READ THIS INTERESTING ARTICLE ON ABSENT FATHERS?

The New York Times published this article titled "Why Fathers Leave Their Children" and it brings up some interesting ideas, not the least of which is the recognition that most absent fathers didn't simply make a callous decision to abandon their child one day. The separation between fathers and their children is typically a process. A process that is painful and wrought with disappointment and self doubt.

While the author, Mr. Brooks, resorts to some simplistic remedies by the end of the article, his illustration of how separation can occur, and his avoidance of putting blame squarely on mom OR dad, are refreshing takes. 

Thanks for the effort Mr. Brooks, and thanks for caring NYTimes.