Scott Lucas on BBC Radio 5 Live

In a change from the latest on the elections and Barack Obama, I was part of a discussion on Simon Mayo's show this afternoon on father-son relationships. Still, I have to thank US politics for the 15 seconds of fame: the BBC is quite intrigued that Ryan, with The State of the United States, and I may be Britain's unique father-son bloggers on "America"....

It's the last item on the programme, beginning just before the 2:44:00 mark.

Comments

[Dave]

Father and Son playing video games -- I think that's great. Video games are great for parent-child bonding. My brother and I tried to get our dad to play with us. He made the effort, but he just didn't have the patience. We watched him throw down the joystick one day with this one, which was a HARD game. -- http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=iEj0fZjyJ7I This one was my favorite -- http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YHGJiNs8WUU

Children and their parents -- Two are better than one, but we'll have to wait and see about the long-term social and psychological effects of same sex parenting. Social engineering experiments can be a disaster, and I think to repudiate centuries of wisdom and tradition passed down through the ages carries its share of risks. But the changes might bring about positive results. Again, we'll wait a generation or two and see.

[Dave]

Age -- I don't see anything wrong with the mid 30s bracket for having a child. You're still young enough to keep up with your kids. Parent mortality rates are higher with older parents, of course. So I think 40 is too old to bring a child into the world. Sudden heart attack kills many middle-aged men, leaving kids bereft (think Tim Russert). Again, I think the 34-37 bracket is fine.