FODDER OF THE WEEK: INVOLVED DADS DON'T GROW ON TREES (BUT THEY DON'T THRIVE ON CRITICISM EITHER) - WHY MOM'S SHOULD LEARN TO PUT UP OR SHUT UP

For anyone who has followed my work (the work of being an involved dad that is) you know I don't take kindly to moms taking liberties and slamming their husbands for poor parenting (a.k.a. not doing their fair share when it comes to household chores and taking care of the kids). It's just counter-productive. I spend my days trying to build up new dads, helping them rise to the occasion, but it's an impossible task when their wives just keep bitching and keeping them down. Now I'm not saying there aren't some useless dads out there- there are more than I would like to admit- but criticizing the good ones (like me) is just asinine because all it does is strengthen their resolve to piss you off.

RANT ALERT: IN 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.... (Press Play on Video)

FODDER UP! PART XV: TAKING CARE OF DAD, PART ONE- HANDLING THE STRESS OF FATHERHOOD - MALE POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

If you think about it, the stress associated with first time fatherhood alone should make most men crumble. There's money stress, relationship stress, distress from a lack of sleep and a lack of knowledge and the pressure that we as dads put on ourselves to somehow keep it all together. It's a careful balancing act between keeping your sanity and keeping up with the Jones' as we go about the business of providing for our family, not in the 1950's "breadwinner" sense of the word but in a "how do I manage my time to keep up with all the needs of my job, my family, and myself" kind of way. It's tough, and it's only made tougher by the current economic climate and the uncertainty of the future. It's not so easy. Many new dads are both struggling to come to terms with their new found responsibilities as a father and the day to day insecurity that the world they know might crumble tomorrow. But as the old saying goes, "you don't have anything if you don't have your health," and you can't be the very best father that you can be if you're not taking care of yourself first. You need to get your head right in order to get back to the business of being the best dad you can possibly be.


It's Time to Fodder Up! Today's installment: The Mental Health of New Dads - Part One - Postpartum Depression.