Relationships & Family

How to Communicate Your Needs in a Relationship

by Brett & Kate McKay

As we’ve discussed before, many men these days have trouble being assertive. One of the things these “Nice Guys” struggle with is communicating their needs to others. Because they shy away from conflict, and don’t want to trouble or inconvenience others, they constantly let other people’s needs supersede their own, and they find it difficult [...]

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The Importance of Roughhousing With Your Kids [VIDEO]

by Brett

About a year ago, I wrote a post on why you should roughhouse with your kid. I thought it would make for a good video, so here it is. Watch and learn the six ways roughhousing makes your kids awesome as well as Gus McKay’s favorite roughhousing moves. (If you’re an email subscriber, watch the [...]

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How to Make Friends in a New City

by Jeremy Anderberg

Brought to you by Jameson Black Barrel. How to make friends when you move to a new city.

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How Not to Become Your Absentee Father

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Andy Harrelson. In 1969, then governor of California, Ronald Reagan, signed into law the country’s first no-fault divorce bill. Many other states quickly followed his example. Whether his signing the bill was the cause of the skyrocketing divorce rates that were to come in the next decades [...]

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How a Man Handles a Miscarriage

by Marcus Brotherton

Expect a rollercoaster ride. That’s all I can say. Climb into the car near the front of the rows, buckle your seatbelt, then grip the chrome handle in front of you. Clack. Clack. Clack. The car is nearing the top of the first high hill now. Get ready to raise your hands and scream. The [...]

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The Least Expensive & Most Romantic Valentine’s Day Gift Ever: DIY Penny Charm Bracelet

by Brett

PSA: Valentine’s Day is next week. Are you looking for a thoughtful gift idea for the occasion that goes beyond the usual chocolates, flowers, and plush teddy bear holding a satin heart, but don’t want to plunk down a 15-carat wad of cash? Well, I’ve got you covered. Today I’ll share how to make one of the [...]

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14 Red Flags to Look Out for in a Relationship

by Brett & Kate McKay

You’ve probably had a friend who started dating a woman that really made you scratch your head. She was flaky, possessive, and high-drama. Everyone could see that the gal was toxic and really bringing your buddy down…everyone, that is, except your buddy. You tell yourself, “That would never happen to me.” But then it does. [...]

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How to Be Santa Claus (For Your Kids)

by Brett & Kate McKay

If your family celebrates Christmas, and you’re of the opinion that belief in Santa Claus constitutes one of the most magical parts of childhood rather than the Big Lie, you’ll annually have the privilege of taking on the role of old Kris Kringle. This is a big responsibility. For eight or so years of your kid’s [...]

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Too Seldom Is Heard an Encouraging Word: Why and How to Offer More Compliments

by Brett & Kate McKay

“Idle words are characterless and die upon utterance. Evil words rankle for a while, make contentions, and then die. But the hopeful, kind, cheering word sinks into a man’s heart and goes on bearing fruit forever. How many beautiful written words—words in book and song and story—are still inspiring men and making the world fragrant [...]

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How to Be an Awesome Uncle

by Brett & Kate McKay

Psychologists tell us that one of the most, if not the most important factor in our happiness is the number of quality relationships in our lives. Decades ago, such relationships were easy to come by. You were very likely to be surrounded by extended family who all got together often for loud and boisterous celebrations. [...]

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Dating Advice from 1944: How to Win Over Her Family

by Brett & Kate McKay

Editor’s note: Awhile ago, I told you all about a little book of dating advice from 1944 that I bought after seeing it advertised in the back of one of my old men’s magazines. The section I shared last time on “How to Pick Your Right Girl” was definitely the choicest part of the book, [...]

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The Art of Dadliness: How to Get Your Kids to Do Their Chores (And Why It’s So Important They Do Them)

by Brett & Kate McKay

Every dad wants his children to grow up to be responsible, contributing members of society. But before they head out on their own and make their mark on the world, our kids need to learn how to be responsible, contributing members of the family household. Household chores are training exercises for real life. Chores not [...]

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A Man’s Guide to Moving Back in with His Parents…While Maintaining at Least a Little Dignity

by Brett & Kate McKay

Continuing to live with your parents after you turn 18, or moving back in with them after graduating college…isn’t that the antithesis of manliness? That’s certainly how the regular spate of “What’s the matter with the menz?” articles portray it. The fact that the number of 25-34-year-olds who are living with their parents has doubled [...]

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10 Great Songs About Dads

by Brett & Kate McKay

The relationship between fathers and their children is one of the most important and influential of all human connections. Children want to be like their fathers, or their complete opposites. They can feel protected, smothered, or abandoned by their dads. Dads can wonder if they’re doing fatherhood right, struggle to express their love to their [...]

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Listen Up! Part III: Crafting Good Questions and Responses

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Tony Valdes. As this series on listening comes to a close (see part 1 and part 2), we should consider a few things in terms of the transition from listener to speaker. When the time comes for the roles to shift, our responses to the messages of [...]

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Listen Up! Part II: 15 Techniques to Improve Our Listening

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Tony Valdes. Welcome back to our three-part series on becoming better listeners. In the previous installment, we established that listening is a desirable ability to have as men. But how can we practically begin to exercise this ability and develop it in ourselves? There are active steps [...]

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Listen Up! Part I: Learning the Manly Skill of Paying Attention

by A Manly Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Tony Valdes. As part of earning my bachelor’s degree in rhetoric and communications I elected to take SPC 3350, a college course titled “Listening,” taught by the forebodingly named Dr. Paine. I’ll admit that I was skeptical when I sat down on the first day of class. [...]

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Beware The Tit for Tat Trap

by Brett & Kate McKay

As we talked about in a previous post, Kate and I have what might be termed a “Marriage Master Mind.” We share everything just about equally—the blog, parenting, household chores, and so on. We get along really well, especially for people who spend practically 24/7 together and have to balance issues involving both work and [...]

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A Young Man’s Guide to Prom

by Brett & Kate McKay

It’s prom season here in the United States. Millions of high school students will be taking part in this springtime ritual that got its start in the 1890s in the Northeast. Since then, every April young people have been donning tuxedos and dresses to eat, dance, and have a good time. Some of my best [...]

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