Someone used a hammer to destroy a statue of Mahatma Gandhi that stood in front of a temple in New York. One of the suspects is said to have struck the statue of Gandhi with a hammer, and then a few minutes later, six unidentified others kicked the statue while also using hammers to bring it down. The incident was reported in international media. The statue was also splattered with profane language that had been scrawled using spray paint. It is important to note that the same statue suffered damage two weeks earlier as well. Both of these occurrences have prompted the New York Police Department to open an inquiry into them.

Our society puts much of the burden of parenting on mothers. Father’s typically spend less time with children and are less involved with house chores. True equality in parenting is not widespread. That, however, is changing, with many fathers embracing what has become known as “co-parenting”. According to an article in The National News, co-parenting has become an increasingly popular way to parent children.

The article was written by Tristan Hills-Bos, who describes himself as a “working dad”. Hills-Bos and his wife decided that they wanted to raise their children in a more equal way, with responsibilities truly split 50-50. What makes this even more remarkable is that they do not have a nanny to help them. Hills-Bos was essentially agreeing to extend his role beyond the traditional confines of fatherhood.

When Hills-Bos and others describe such an arrangement as “co-parenting”, it can sound as if two distinct entities have come to a parenting agreement and that their relationship is purely transactional. The term has a whiff of diovorce about it. Yet, this arrangement is founded on love, not a desire for separation, and it is about introducing fairness into parenting, rather than leaving the mother with responsibilities that her partner would not think to do. This model has precedence in places like Finland, where fathers are expected to take an active part in rearing their children, and where the state grants fathers the same right of paternity leave so they can go and look after their children. To many people, this sounds incredibly radical: a father going on leave to look after his child, even though the child’s mother also parents that child. Yet, equality in parenting has enormous benefits, not only to mothers, but to the children who get to have their fathers more involved in their lives.

The term co-parenting exists because for many people, “parenting” is a largely maternal activity. Mothers are typically the primary caregivers in the home. Although there are things that women can do that men cannot, such as breastfeeding, and taking extended leave to parent the child. Millennia of social norms reinforce the tendency for the burden to fall largely on the shoulders of mothers.

In Hills-Bos’ case, his wife told him what her expectations were and he agreed. He admits that were it not for her frankness, he would not have drifted toward a co-parenting model, especially because hsi job is so demanding. To live up to his end of the deal, Hills-Bos left his job and now works from home as an independent advisor, columnist and entrepreneur. Of course, not everyone can take the route he took.

Hills Bos says it took him a year to truly become a co-parent to their child. He often did not know what he was doing, but persisted in offering to help and finding ways to get involved in their child’s upbringing. For fathers who want to embrace co-parenting, it isn’t easy, because millenia of social norms and instincts say that mothers must do most of the parenting. But if you preserve and keep at it, the rewards, as Hills-Bos shows, are immense. The sense of fulfillment and of being truly a part of bringing up your child, is just amazing. For more parenting tips, read more articles in the Atlanta Parent Magazine.

For devout Catholics, keeping up with current events in Catholicism is essential. There are many Catholic newspapers, magazines, websites, and other news sources available to choose from.

This article lists the most popular online Catholic newspapers and magazines.

Aleteia

Aleteia is the most popular online Catholic news source. It is available in English, Spanish, French, and other languages.

Check out their website for the daily news in Catholicism, or subscribe to their newsletter to get the information directly to your email. You can also download the app to catch up on Catholic news on your phone.

Catholic News Agency

This online source of Catholic news is also popular. CNA provides free information online that is constantly being updated.

Catholic News Agency covers Catholic news around the world while keeping the sense of Catholic culture.

National Catholic Register

This national Catholic newspaper is a conservative news source that provides news on Catholic culture, education, and entertainment.

You can check out their blog to see online content and breaking news. National Catholic Register also comes in print as a bi-weekly magazine.

Crux

Crux online newspaper provides the latest news about the Catholic Church and the Holy See. Crux also provides advice columns as well as updates on the Catholic Church around the world.

Catholic Herald

The Catholic Herald is a monthly print newspaper based in London that also features online content. Check out their website to get more content that is only available online, or subscribe to get daily Catholic news in your inbox.

Catholic Culture/Catholic World News

Catholic Culture is an online news provider that covers updates in Catholic news. While it is not described as a conservative source, it tends to lean towards that political view. You can view thousands of Catholic news stories on their website.

Church Militant

Church Militant, previously known as Real Catholic TV, helps devout Catholics stay informed about Catholicism’s latest news. The Vortex is their segment that is available on their website or YouTube.

Staying up-to-date with the latest news updates and stories is essential. If you are looking to keep up on Catholicism, the websites mentioned above can are excellent sources. You can subscribe to their email list to get news stories in your inbox every morning.

Online newspapers and magazines are complimentary and have a library of thousands of news segments and articles. They are also the best way to get breaking news since you can check the news every day rather than waiting for your newspaper or magazine to come in.