Father ’s Day: Tools for coping when celebration brings pain

With Father’s Day mere days away, we’re hearing more advertisements for outdoor grills and golf clubs, sailboats and fishing gear. As an infertility counselor, I am glad that Father’s Day is not welcomed with the gush of sentiment that envelops Mother’s Day. Still, a day dedicated to celebrating fatherhood can be difficult for any number of people. Among them are men and women who lost their fathers when they were quite young, and those who have experienced rocky relationships with their dads. There are men who have regrets about their own role as fathers, and older gay men who missed out on fatherhood because they came of age when gay couples rarely had children together. Some single men long to be fathers on their own, but realize there is limited societal support for that choice. And there are married men, straight or gay, struggling to become fathers. Some heterosexual men feel the pain of watching their wives grieve anew with each failed pregnancy attempt. And some gay men grapple with the myriad challenges of wading through the adoption process, or assembling the funds and a team of professionals and helpers that can bring them a child through surrogacy. How can you cope with Father’s Day? How might you cope if you are, shall we say, not exactly in the mood for a Father’s Day barbecue? Although there can be no one-size-fits-all approach, here are a few strategies that might help. A must-go family gathering. Unlike Mother’s Day festivities, which frequent...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Fertility Infertility Men's Health Mental Health Relationships Source Type: blogs