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The concern regarding whether masturbation can decrease testosterone is that reduced levels of the sex hormone lead to issues as far-ranging as fatigue and increased body fat to low sex drive and erectile dysfunction. But this isn’t a fear worth harboring. “People have said that men who are going to compete in a boxing match or football game should refrain from ejaculation, so as to keep their testosterone higher,” Jillene Grover Seiver, Ph....

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the most senior public health official in the nation, gets it. “Hesitancy in parents is certainly understandable, because parents are very concerned about their children,” he tells Fatherly. There’s a “but” on the tail of this statement — one that’s backed by scientific evidence and careful epidemiological logic, and an earnest want to protect the lives of young kids, 442 of whom have died due to a COVID-19 infection....

In my defense, I’m fairly new to the Sesame Street game, mostly because I resisted letting my nearly 3-year-old from watching too many different shows. For a long time, my wife and I only allowed Daniel Tiger to colonize our daughter’s imagination, and then gradually allowed other shows to creep in, too. Pete the Cat has the best music, but I think Tumble Leaf is the most calming, gentle and smart, albeit a bit dull....

“She said that day, ‘I have to get back on the bar. I don’t want to get scared. You never end on a bad one,’” recalls Annie Rester, who is both a proud mother and a woman puzzled by her own child’s abilities. It didn’t take long for Emma’s parents to notice that their daughter was extraordinary. She has always been developmentally ahead of the curve, inquisitive, and tough. Also active....

Cool, five people liked my Instagram of him in the sandbox. Jesus. My ex is Nantucket with her husband and kids. That’s where we used to go. How the fuck did she get 1,972 likes? Where’s my kid? Oh. There he is. I can not understand why the Times is still running anti-Vietnam War editorials. Seems a bit after the fact, but I guess it’s good to agree on stuff....

But today, through the wonders of modern medicine, parents are, for the most part, unaware of the trauma these diseases caused just half a century ago. And in so many ways, the MMR vaccine is a victim of its own success. Since all three diseases have been largely eradicated in the United States due to widespread vaccination, it’s easy to forget the devastation they once caused — until outbreaks caused by anti-vaxxers propel these preventable diseases into the limelight....

Tim Goodacre, a stay-at-home dad has been performing in a duo with his 12-year-old Jack since the latter was a little boy. Together they performed an original song called “The Lucky Ones,” that, per Tim, was “about how lucky we are to have what we have.” While some people would use the father-son thing as a gimmick Tim and Jack simply sit and pour their hearts out. And they are real deal — not only is the song composed beautifully but their voices mingle together marvelously....

My kids and my wife ganged up on me to get a dog. My wife says it will be good for my 6-year-old son and his 9-year-old sister. She says it will teach them responsibility. But I’ve never been a dog person and frankly, I’m worried. What should I do? Kenneth, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania * Dogs are angels with paws and wagging tails, Kenneth. It concerns me that you’re even asking what you should do because the obvious answer is: Get the dog!...

It’s important to say at the outset that representation is important. There are all types of kids who should have the opportunity to see themselves reflected in the muppets. For that reason, I wholeheartedly support the creation of a gay Sesame Street character. And I trust the child psychologists and educators associated with the Sesame Workshop would do a damn fine job in making a gay muppet both relatable, empathetic, and educational....

The Leopard Incident “I forget how far along she was, but my wife lost it – just lost it – over a video of a newborn snow leopard that had been born at our zoo. Someone sent it to her on Facebook, and I heard the ‘DING!’ from the message. Next thing I know, she bursts into hysterical tears. I thought someone had messaged her that someone else died, or something....

Girl Scouts’ season is fast approaching, and despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Girl Scouts have graced us with a new cookie. It sounds too good to be true, I know, but it’s happening. Be prepared to stock up on a few (or a few dozen) boxes this winter. And since many of us are probably already eating Halloween candy now, the Girl Scouts news at least gives us a good excuse to eat dessert, since buying a few of their cookies has the added bonus of doing some good in the world and supporting troupe members’ education....

It’s a good bit of marriage advice. To see how this plays out in real marriages — and to offer you a bit of inspiration if you’re looking for a ritual of your own — we spoke to 11 dads about the small things they do to keep their relationships fun and exciting, no matter how complicated life may become. I Always Leave a Note (or Dirty Drawing) in My Wife’s Lunch “I’m a big note guy....

When You Are Running 15 Minutes Late and Your Kid Refuses to Get Out of Bed “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” When Your Kid Asks If Santa Is Real “The truth. It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should, therefore, be treated with caution.” When Your Friends Won’t Stop Passive Aggressively Judging Your Parenting “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends....

Big, shiny streaming service HBO Max only launched on May 27, but it’s already starting to lose some of its luster. A slew of superhero movies will depart the service on July 1, and the timing about a month after launch certainly makes their removal feels like a bait and switch. The Batman movies released in the ’90s, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, and The Lego Batman Movie are among the 15 DC titles leaving the service which, it should be noted, has a DC hub....

The show, which tells the true story of the twisted world of the private ownership of big cats like tigers and panthers across the United States, and the fight on both sides to either end or propagate the practice, is an absolute rollercoaster of a ride. What Is It? Largely following Joe Exotic, the so-called Tiger King of Greater Wynnewood Zoo in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, the 7-part documentary takes twists and turns that feel unthinkable....

First off, I want to make clear that both Bob Iger and Kevin Feige have previously stated that Deadpool 3 will be rated R, so this could all be moot. But we also all know that plans evolve, and when dealing with the biggest franchise in the world, known for its strictly PG-13 offerings, and connective tissue that entices everyone to see every entry, we should at least brace ourselves for a Deadpool film that’s a little different from what’s come before....

Be the first to get Fatherhood — our comprehensive guide to birth, budgeting, and becoming a happy parent — available for preorder now! When to Introduce a Pacifier “There is no magic to introducing the pacifier,” says pediatrician Dr. Karen Breach of the Carolinas HealthCare System. That said, there are some general guidelines. It’s tempting for parents to resort to using the pacifier after the first seemingly endless night of feedings, just to get some sleep....

“Laypeople tend to endorse the ‘cynical genius’ belief — that is … that cynical individuals would do better on a variety of cognitive tasks and cognitive ability tests than their less cynical counterparts,” researchers Olga Stavrova and Daniel Ehlebracht wrote in “The Cynical Genius Illusion,” a study published by the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin in 2018. “Less competent individuals embraced cynicism unconditionally, suggesting that — at low levels of competence — holding a cynical worldview might represent an adaptive default strategy to avoid the potential costs of falling prey to others’ cunning....

He consulted an evolutionary biologist for answers. It gets a bit convoluted as VanHooker really dives deeply into details and playful scientific inquiry, but the gist is this: he suggests, using the introductory scene from the 2015 film Minions which illustrates their evolution, that the Minions most likely originated with three single-celled progenitors that date back to the primordial soup. The question remains, did these progenitors reproduce asexually, or, well, together?...

We’re here to help. Here’s how to calculate your due date like a scientist: The Basics: Naegele’s Rule Online due date calculators generally rely on the simple, if somewhat inaccurate, Naegele’s Rule. Franz Naegele, a German obstetrician, came up with his eponymous rule in the early 1800’s. He predicted childbirth exactly 280 days after the last menstrual period before getting pregnant. Naegele’s thinking was simple enough. The average menstrual cycle is 28 days long, with ovulation occurring at day 14....