MINNEAPOLIS – This weekend, Americans will celebrate the fathers in their lives. While they've likely had a big influence on their kids, they might not realize their kids influenced them early in life. How does fatherhood change men, and when is it noticeable? "There's nothing in your life that doesn't get changed when kids come into the picture," said Ben Hoogland, a licensed marriage and family therapist.
It turns out that becoming a parent is, for most of them, a turning point – one that may actually have some biological import. "Like almost everything, I think there's a nature and a nurture aspect to it," said Hoogland. "Testosterone tends to drop.
Their brains tend to change." Researchers said the drop in testosterone happens right after the baby is born, creating a desire for dads to be more caring for their child and more patient during tough times. "(I'm) definitely being more patient," one father at Como Zoo told WCCO this week, while another mused, "I didn't really like kids before I had my own.
" These changes are often noticed more profoundly by new fathers' partners. "He softened and had almost like a different perspective on the world because he was seeing it through the eyes of our children," said Karen Harrer. "I feel like he can tolerate things with the children, especially when they were younger that moms can't, like crying.
" Several fathers have said that the sound of a baby crying now makes them react differently than before fatherhood. They have an ins.
