I have been a fan of the Good Men Project Magazine since it debuted last June.  Tom Matlack is the founder of the magazine and the author of The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood. I love the premise that a magazine (print or online) for men doesn't have to be all about sex, exercise and women.  It can also be about fatherhood, responsibility and relationships.

This month's edition features an article from Tom Matlack on the simple beauty for a guy's guy of cuddling with his kids.  In Tom's words,

I've gone on silent retreats, done yoga, gotten sober, driven racecars, and pursued the Creator in any number of forms, but nothing has ever come close to the power of cuddling with my kids.

Check out Tom's retrospective on being close to his kids, and see if it doesn't motivate a bit more cuddling with yours.

I just read a startling fact - hearing loss among teens is up more than 30% from just a few years ago.  While the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is not trying to say that it is all from personal listening devices like MP3 players and iPods, it is trying to help teens and parents avoid additional hearing loss by their "Listen to Your Buds" campaign.    This campaign is about educating children and teens about the need to keep volumes coming through their ear buds at appropriate levels.  If you have wondered about how loud the music is in the music player your children use, the information from "Listen to Your Buds" would be important for you.

In addition to music players, children's hearing can be impacted by environmental noise, game activities, and injuries to the ear. Information about protecting your children from these causes of hearing loss are also available on the Listen to Your Buds campaign website.

As one who has experienced mild hearing loss from repeated ear infections as a child (and an adult), I can encourage all parents to take a stronger approach to preventing hearing loss in our children.  And watch for a presentation at your kids' school from the Listen to Your Buds team.

A recent study presented at the American Psychological Association conference confirms what fathers have intuitively known for years - that a close relationship between a father and a son blesses the son throughout his life.  In this study, one important finding was that men who reported having a good relationship with their father during their childhood years were more likely to be less emotional and more rational when dealing with stress in their everyday lives than those who had a poor relationship with dad.  Interestingly, the correlation between the quality of a relationship with mother and effective stress management was not as predictive.

The study's lead researcher, Dr. Melanie Mallers of California State University Fullerton, said:

"The role of fathers has changed dramatically from the time the oldest participants were children," added Mallers. "We do know that fathers have a unique style of interacting with their children, especially their sons. We need more research to help us uncover further influences of both mothers and fathers on the enduring emotional experiences of their children."

You can read more about the study and learn some of the other conclusions.  But most of all, get close to your children and they will have a real advantage in later life.

The first school in the state of Utah to adopt the WATCH D.O.G.S. program is in Magna, just west of the Salt Lake City metro area.  This article from the Deseret Morning News talks about the importance of engaging fathers in their children's elementary education.   WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is the father-involvement initiative of the National Center for Fathering that organizes fathers and father figures in order to provide positive male role models for the students and to enhance school security.  Learn more about the WATCH D.O.G.S. program and see if there is one in your area.  If not, you can learn how to become involved.