What it’s like to be a father in 2018

Edition: US - Today's top story: Fathers forgotten when it comes to services to help them be good parents, new study finds [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 17 June 2018 [[The Conversation]Academic rigor, journalistic flair]( Editor's note To celebrate [Father’s Day](, we’ve brought together our father-focused coverage into a special edition of our newsletter. From health to science to sociology, it’s a nuanced portrait of today’s fathers. Joel Abrams Manager, Media Outreach Top stories Fathers want to be more involved but often feel sidelined, studies suggest. George Rudy/Shutterstock.com [Fathers forgotten when it comes to services to help them be good parents, new study finds]( Joyce Y. Lee, University of Michigan; Shawna J. Lee, University of Michigan Fathers are important for children starting from the very beginning of life, but few early parenting resources are available for men. Two scholars who recently studied this explain what they found. They only seem to grow up so fast. VCoscaron/Shutterstock.com [A Father's Day reminder from science: Your kids aren't really growing up quickly]( Keith Payne, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill Time often seems to fly by when you're a parent. A social psychologist explains why it actually – and fortunately – does not. Fathering in the 21st century - [Navigating the tricky waters of being a stepdad]( Joshua Gold, University of South Carolina Stepfathers often enter a family unit with certain expectations about what their role should be. They're usually wrong. - [The understated affection of fathers]( Kory Floyd, University of Arizona Wives sometimes chide their husbands for being cold or distant toward their sons. But men express their love in subtle ways that deserve to be honored rather than belittled. - [How families with 2 dads raise their kids]( Andrew Leland, Rutgers University Research reveals few differences between the parenting of gay men and their straight peers. But it looks like gay fathers could be more apt to volunteer at their children's schools. - [Why dads can't be the dads they want to be]( Kevin Shafer, Brigham Young University Why is it all about mom? Fathers want to be more involved in their children's lives, but are limited by public policy and social institutions. This is a bad deal for dads, kids and moms alike. - [Fathers also want to ‘have it all,’ study says]( Gayle Kaufman, Davidson College Like moms, more dads are sweating the work-life balance. While just 35 percent of dads reported such conflicts in 1977, today 60 percent struggle to bring up baby while bringing home the bacon. Fathers' hormones and health - [Low testosterone may make you a better father]( Brenda Volling, University of Michigan While many men want to seek treatment for 'low T,' a low level of testosterone is good when it comes to being a nurturing father. Here's why. - [Postpartum depression can affect dads – and their hormones may be to blame]( Darby Saxbe, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Having a newborn can be rough, whether you're a mom or a dad. New research ties men's testosterone to their postpartum depression – with some surprising upsides for their partners. - [How testosterone and oxytocin hormones interact in male work and parenting effort]( Adrian Jaeggi, University of California, Santa Barbara; Ben Trumble, University of California, Santa Barbara Levels of a male sex hormone known to influence aggression and a "love" hormone that promotes bonding both rise in traditional hunters headed home after the kill. What's going on? - [Prostate cancer screening: An expert explains why new guidelines were needed]( Li-Ming Su, M.D., University of Florida Prostate cancer is the second deadliest cancer among men, but not all types of the disease are as deadly as others. That has led to confusion over screening. An expert explains why new guidelines make sense. [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111