Dad Bads

Here's a surprise: a dad upset people by dating.

Now the good news. Father of one, Jason "Bachelor 13" Mesnick, is single. [Earlier: Imagining Steve] But, apparently he committed the TV sin (which doesn't mean it's not good for ratings) of proposing to one bachelorette and then dumping her for another. (He might also have committed some sort of parenting sin by dragging his son into all of this; or letting someone else take care of him while he went trawling for primetime nookied as well.) According to a report on the controversy, the only person willing to stand behind this betrayal of "the viewer's trust" is the person willing to say that you shouldn't be stupid when you have a kid and stick him with someone or something you (or your kid) won't love.

However, this idea of not saddling your kid with something that will shadow their whole life does seem like a good one. So, if your name is Sergie Bubka and you happen to become history's most famous pole vaulter it doesn't matter that you son goes into tennis, name him after you and he's going to feel the pressure of the name. And here's good advice for almost every dad: DON"T GET SICK. Your child may be opstimistic, but it's a shadow that won't really ever go away again, no matter how much fun you may make it.