Greater Good Magazine spoke with experts to unpack some of the most common concerns parents face in the early years. What they found? Parenting rarely comes with black-and-white answers—there are often many ways to parent.
One parent posed a familiar question:
“I’m the dad of a one-year-old, but it feels like I never see him. I leave for work before he wakes up, and he’s asleep by the time I get home. And when I do get time with him, he clearly prefers his mom. I keep telling myself this phase will pass—but should I be doing more?”
Natasha Cabrera, professor of human development at the University of Maryland, College Park, explains that many dads today want to be fully present but still feel the weight of being a provider. She notes that families often find creative ways to stay connected despite busy schedules. “Dads are just as critical as moms to the child—we just haven’t said that out loud about dads enough,” Cabrera adds.
Read the rest in Greater Good Magazine
