Words of Wondering

Do you "father" or "parent?" Either; neither; both ... and when?

What exactly is the difference between fathering and parenting other than the former is often used to mean creating a sperm-egg interaction that results in life?

Perhaps that is the question with which to test your expert, the one you hope will shepherd you down the perilous road of rearing junior. And experts there are aplenty, from the religious (such as the Mormon-run seminars) to the bloggers (like the Wall Street Journal's John J. Edwards III) to those who decry all the parenting/fathering advice as they offer more.

Case in point is Carl Honoré, author of Under Pressure. The best part of learning from him — perhaps suggesting he actually could explain the nuances of the parenting-fathering question — is his sensitivity to words. His favorite term for the people who take over their children's life as if it were their own is the Scandinavian, "curling parent," someone who sweeps the ice in front of little Johnny and/or Janey.

** Did you ever pause to consider if the specific interaction with your kid was fathering or parenting? Or both? Or neither? **