I’m going to keep bringing up the topic of mental health, because it continues to be a huge challenge for so many of us in modern society. As much as I’d like to think we’ve lifted the taboo on discussions about depression and anxiety, the truth is we’ve still got a lot of work to do to break through that social stigma. We all struggle in our own way. So, let’s talk about it a little more openly.

Tamara Goyette of Discovering Parenthood wrote something recently that really resonated with me. She asks if feeling alone is the new normal. On some level, we’re told that this “season” of our lives (read: “parenthood”) is a time when we don’t have as much time for friends. Our kids take up all our time. Add in the pandemic and it feels like all our social connections are melting away. Myself, I’ve always struggled with finding somewhere I belong, so there has always been this sense of “being alone,” even if I’m surrounded by people. It’s not easy.

Just because that’s “how it’s always been done” doesn’t mean that it’s the best way. Julie Hambleton from Secret Life of Mom discusses some of the mental health challenges that children can face later in life if they experience rejection from dad. The dated stereotype of the homemaker mother and the detached father might work for some families, but there is mounting evidence that the warmth and security of the family unit—in all the forms it takes—is so important for good mental and social development. No one wants to feel rejected, by anyone.

Parenthood is hard. And it can put quite a strain on your mental health when you need to be “on” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Chris Gaffney of Uncommon Discourse knows about this all too well as a stay-at-home dad. When he fantasizes about running away from it all, longing to feel free and unencumbered, he still can’t help but be pragmatic and responsible about it. He dreams of running away to a casino, but he doesn’t like gambling. Father does know best, after all.

By his own admission and description, Kevin McKeever is “Always Home and Uncool.” That’s why it’s rather funny that his teenage son told his friend that some day he’d be getting his dad’s minivan. In his words, “This here is gonna be my whip.” It was pretty cool in its day with satellite radio, built-in navigation, and a DVD player. Kevin fought the purchase at first, but “the supposed emasculating stigma… wore off shortly.” As I continue with our family car shopping, should we get a minivan too?

And finally, did you know that I’m not the only dad blogger who writes sonnets on occasion? David Stanley gets his published on The Good Men Project from time to time. One of his most recent is listed as a “protest poem,” deploring all of us to stand side by side. We’re more than friends in this effort to “set our country right.” In an environment rife with hatred, violence and vitriol, what can we do so we can “stand triumphantly as one”?