FIRST WORD
Let’s Hear It for the Dads
I PJ Feinstein
Editor pfeinstein@midatlanticmedia.com
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info@thefamilymagazine.com n a recent study conducted by The Ohio State Univer-
sity, researchers found that highly educated men from
dual-earning couples who were more stereotypically
masculine — competitive, adventurous and dominant,
etc. — displayed more positive parenting behaviors than
men with fewer “old-fashioned” traits. The catch: They
also had to believe that dads should be highly involved
with their kids.

“These men are combining traditional aspects of
masculinity with new nurturing ideals to create new
fathering identities. They may be in the midst of trans-
forming fatherhood,” says Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan,
psychology professor and lead author of the study.

You know who else is transforming fatherhood? Stay-
at-home dads. In this issue, Mid-Atlantic Media staff
writer Eleanor Linafelt explores the challenges unique
to SAHDs, as they often refer to themselves, who strug-
gle to find a social network of like-minded dads and have
to steel themselves for possible judgement from those
wondering why they don’t have a “real” job.

As we go to press, nearly 38% of the total U.S. popula-
tion has been vaccinated, and with mask mandates being
lifted across the county, many of us are eager to dine
indoors and start traveling again. But is it really safe to
do those things if our young kids haven’t been inocu-
lated yet? Contributor Sophie Panzer asks what parents
everywhere want to know: What are our options?
Here’s something I’m planning to do with my boys
this summer: grab a sweet treat at all 10 D.C.-area ice
cream shops listed in our Family Fun story. We’ll also be
visiting our neighborhood pool. Speaking of swimming,
our Parent You Should Know this month is Tom Dolan,
a two-time Olympic champion, whose eponymous swim
schools in Northern Virginia were recently acquired by
Big Blue Swim School. Dolan wants to teach kids how to
be safer swimmers and to help them build important life
skills along the way. He’s also happy to let his students
wear his Olympic medals, in case you’re wondering.

Stay safe, and happy Father’s Day to all the different
kinds of dads out there. n
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