Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast

Dog and cat lovers! This one is for you: babies and puppies are a winning combination for cuteness, but it’s a hell of a combination to keep them all happy and healthy. This week we talked to Mark Hiebert, Medical Director at VCA TLC Animal Hospital in West Hollywood, about our pet-babies, about introducing a new baby into a house with pets, and - of course - about health and safety of our babies and puppies. Chocolate is not as toxic as you might have thought! Veterinarian Mark Hiebert blows up the chocolate-myth and says that it’s dangerous relatively to the dog’s weight and would require a whole lot more than you might think to do harm! Go to the episode page on GaysWithKids.com “Chocolate is not toxic in itself much more for your pet than even for you,” the veterinarian confirms. “The problem is - and the type of chocolate is very important, so let’s pick milk chocolate - the toxic dose is about an ounce per pound. This means that you have to eat a certain amount before it affects you. If I ate 164 ounces of milk chocolate I would be really ill. So if you dropped a chocolate chip on the floor – don’t panic. But don’t wrap your solid dark chocolate bar and put it under your Christmas Tree because the dog will smell it, they’ll eat the wrapper and the chocolate and they will need to come see me in the ER.” What is more concerning to veterinarians is consumption of raisins and grapes. “Raisins and grapes were banned from my house when we had dogs,” Dr. Hiebert says. “They can potentially be fatal. Even a tiny box of them for a medium-sized dog can potentially cause kidney failure. The same with grapes. Another thing that people don’t know about is the sweetener Xylitol. It’s in many sugarless gums; it’s in a lot of sugar-free gummy bear type things. It’s very safe for people and in diabetics it’s a very common sweetener. Very little [for dogs] can potentially cause liver failure, low blood sugar and so forth.” The Pet Food Industry is Insane “You’ve probably seen the ‘grain free’ symbols on dog food. It’s not nutritionally driven. it’s not under AFCO which is an organization that looks at nutritional quality for pets,” Dr. Hiebert reveals. “It started out as an advertising gimmick by one company. They put a grain-free logo on their bag and it soon took off and now the general population believes that ‘grain free’ has come from somewhere [because dogs are supposedly wolves and wolves eat meat].” “[Dogs] are no more wolves than we are our predecessors thousands of years ago. So genetically through selection, what wolves eat and what our pets eat is a little different. But there’s a whole marketing ploy, I mean, the pet food industry is insane. What you feed your dog is as controversial as what religion you are.” Protecting your Kids by Protecting Your Pet “For parents who have young children I really swear them away from [dogs’] raw diets,” Dr. Hiebert says, “because of the risks to human health. The Center for Disease Control has information on it’s website about feeding raw food diets to your pets because of the type of pathogens that are in the raw foods. Salmonella would be an example.” “Everybody washes their food and vegetables before they give them to the kids but they are not worried about the child going over and petting the dog. So if the pet has Salmonella in the stool and they’re going in the back yard, in the grass, the environment may have Salmonella organisms. That’s just one example. There are also other types of parasites that dogs and cats can get that can effect children so those would be things that I talk about with people with children. I try to address routine intestinal parasite control, flea control, things like that.” About Mark Hiebert Dr.

If you think parenting is hard for a couple, imagine what it’s like to be a single dad. This week we talked to Calvin Fleming, a gay, single dad and the owner of Public Relations and Marketing company, about work-life balance, raising two kids by himself – and, of course, about dating. “There was a point where I did consider opening myself up to dating, but after the adoption was finalized I started to open myself up to it and I went on Ok Cupid or Match and went on a couple of dates,” Calvin reveals. “You get the guys where you end up talking about the kids more and then you’re like ‘wait, which one of us do you want to date?’ and then you get the guys that are super cool that I have kids and they tell you how they already have Disneyland annual passes and they are ready to [get married]. It’s not a good path.” Nevertheless, Calvin says he remains open to dating but "I proceed cautiously. Right now I’m actually happy being single,” he says. No matter what gay couples think, the hardest challenge that single gay dads face is work-life balance. “I do work for myself so it makes things a little easier, because my schedule can be more flexible,” he says, “especially with the foster-adopt process, it takes time because you have a lot of meetings with social workers and therapists so you have to be flexible. I don’t understand how people with full-time jobs can jump in and out on a whim.” Speaking extensively on the foster-adopt path, Calvin advises to drop your prejudices about the biological parents who give up kids for adoption. “A lot of the time bio families in the adoptive world are seen as bad but they are not always bad,” he explains. “There are a lot of biological families that have good intentions but they know what boundaries they need to set for themselves (financial and realistic).” Also, Calvin finds it valuable to connect with gay single dads. “I find joy in meeting other single dads because it’s good to have something in common with other dads,” he says. Click here for the single gay dads group on Facebook About Calvin Fleming Calvin Fleming has more than 22 years of experience leading PR and marketing outreach on behalf of major consumer brands, start-up companies, cause-related marketing initiatives and government public education campaigns. Based on his wealth of experience, he’s able to bring together diverse teams to help clients meet their specific goals – collaborating with Spanish and multilingual media experts, social media and web developers, event planners, video production companies and other specialists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdfXsMb3agU&t=23s Episode Credits: Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex Maghen Guest: Calvin Fleming, GoodPR Music: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy here Articles referred to in this episode: Gay Dads Group on Facebook For any questions, comments or advise, please do not hesitate to contact us at hello@daddysqr.com or on Twitter @yanirdekel

If you think parenting is hard for a couple, imagine what it’s like to be a single dad. This week we talked to Calvin Fleming, a gay, single dad and the owner of Public Relations and Marketing company, about work-life balance, raising two kids by himself – and, of course, about dating. “There was a point where I did consider opening myself up to dating, but after the adoption was finalized I started to open myself up to it and I went on Ok Cupid or Match and went on a couple of dates,” Calvin reveals. “You get the guys where you end up talking about the kids more and then you’re like ‘wait, which one of us do you want to date?’ and then you get the guys that are super cool that I have kids and they tell you how they already have Disneyland annual passes and they are ready to [get married]. It’s not a good path.” Nevertheless, Calvin says he remains open to dating but "I proceed cautiously. Right now I’m actually happy being single,” he says. No matter what gay couples think, the hardest challenge that single gay dads face is work-life balance. “I do work for myself so it makes things a little easier, because my schedule can be more flexible,” he says, “especially with the foster-adopt process, it takes time because you have a lot of meetings with social workers and therapists so you have to be flexible. I don’t understand how people with full-time jobs can jump in and out on a whim.” Speaking extensively on the foster-adopt path, Calvin advises to drop your prejudices about the biological parents who give up kids for adoption. “A lot of the time bio families in the adoptive world are seen as bad but they are not always bad,” he explains. “There are a lot of biological families that have good intentions but they know what boundaries they need to set for themselves (financial and realistic).” Also, Calvin finds it valuable to connect with gay single dads. “I find joy in meeting other single dads because it’s good to have something in common with other dads,” he says. Click here for the single gay dads group on Facebook About Calvin Fleming Calvin Fleming has more than 22 years of experience leading PR and marketing outreach on behalf of major consumer brands, start-up companies, cause-related marketing initiatives and government public education campaigns. Based on his wealth of experience, he’s able to bring together diverse teams to help clients meet their specific goals – collaborating with Spanish and multilingual media experts, social media and web developers, event planners, video production companies and other specialists. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdfXsMb3agU&t=23s Episode Credits: Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex Maghen Guest: Calvin Fleming, GoodPR Music: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy here Articles referred to in this episode: Gay Dads Group on Facebook For any questions, comments or advise, please do not hesitate to contact us at hello@daddysqr.com or on Twitter @yanirdekel

Interactions with other gay dads benefit both the dads and their kids: The dads can hang together and openly discuss -- y'know -- gay stuff, and the kids grow up witnessing other families similar to theirs. On this week's episode we tackle gay dad groups with John Ireland, the president of Pop Luck Club, the biggest gay dad group in LA. Ireland, who adopted four kids (and fostered another 2) also discusses fostering and adoption as a part of the Raise A Child program that grew out of Pop Luck Club. Last but not least, a big message to gay couples thinking about becoming parents: you are already a member of the gay dads community. Starting your own support group of gay dads in your city is much less complicated than what you might think. “I am surprised how easy it is to start an grassroots organic [group] like this," says John Ireland, the president of Pop Luck Club, "because if there’s a need people will show up.” “Find a tree in a park, put out some blankets, bring on some food and then get it into the paper somehow so people understand that’s what you’re doing. Put up a sign, talk through local networks, coffee shops, flyers. I am constantly surprised how many people there are who want to start families…you have to be creative to get the word out.” You can also write to us and we’ll help you set up an online structure. We also invite gay couples thinking about becoming dads to become part of our community. We don’t want people to feel they only become 'real' when they have children. “I think it’s very important to always create a safe space for people without kids," John says. "Every email we ever send reminds them, this is also very focused on prospective parenting, when we march every year in the gay pride parade in west Hollywood, half of the group doesn’t have kids. I want people to understand that we’re on a path, you’re not just become a member when you get your child because the reality is it can take a while and sometimes it takes much longer than you anticipate.” Remember: parenting is not as easy for some people as it is for others. This is why it's important to become each other's support group. Tips and Recommendations Discussed in This Episode You can start your own gay dads group with as little as two dads (or sets of dads), and build from there. Get on a WhatsApp group and add new dads as you meet them. 2. Find a tree in a park, put out some blankets, bring on some food and then get it into the paper somehow so people understand that’s what you’re doing. Put up a sign, talk through local networks, coffee shops, flyers. 3. If your kid refuses to do something (for instance: go to school), shoot a "photo diary" by documenting the process and send it to Shutterfly to create a book. When the process becomes a story it can be easier for your child to get used to that process). 4. In order to avoid conflict with toddlers it's not a crime to sometimes give a vague answer, like "maybe later," or "let's do that other thing first and then we'll see." The answer doesn't have to always be a defined "Yes" or "No."   Episode Credits: Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex Maghen Guest: John Ireland, President, Pop Luck Club Music: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy here

Interactions with other gay dads benefit both the dads and their kids: The dads can hang together and openly discuss -- y'know -- gay stuff, and the kids grow up witnessing other families similar to theirs. On this week's episode we tackle gay dad groups with John Ireland, the president of Pop Luck Club, the biggest gay dad group in LA. Ireland, who adopted four kids (and fostered another 2) also discusses fostering and adoption as a part of the Raise A Child program that grew out of Pop Luck Club. Last but not least, a big message to gay couples thinking about becoming parents: you are already a member of the gay dads community. Starting your own support group of gay dads in your city is much less complicated than what you might think. “I am surprised how easy it is to start an grassroots organic [group] like this," says John Ireland, the president of Pop Luck Club, "because if there’s a need people will show up.” “Find a tree in a park, put out some blankets, bring on some food and then get it into the paper somehow so people understand that’s what you’re doing. Put up a sign, talk through local networks, coffee shops, flyers. I am constantly surprised how many people there are who want to start families…you have to be creative to get the word out.” You can also write to us and we’ll help you set up an online structure. We also invite gay couples thinking about becoming dads to become part of our community. We don’t want people to feel they only become 'real' when they have children. “I think it’s very important to always create a safe space for people without kids," John says. "Every email we ever send reminds them, this is also very focused on prospective parenting, when we march every year in the gay pride parade in west Hollywood, half of the group doesn’t have kids. I want people to understand that we’re on a path, you’re not just become a member when you get your child because the reality is it can take a while and sometimes it takes much longer than you anticipate.” Remember: parenting is not as easy for some people as it is for others. This is why it's important to become each other's support group. Tips and Recommendations Discussed in This Episode You can start your own gay dads group with as little as two dads (or sets of dads), and build from there. Get on a WhatsApp group and add new dads as you meet them. 2. Find a tree in a park, put out some blankets, bring on some food and then get it into the paper somehow so people understand that’s what you’re doing. Put up a sign, talk through local networks, coffee shops, flyers. 3. If your kid refuses to do something (for instance: go to school), shoot a "photo diary" by documenting the process and send it to Shutterfly to create a book. When the process becomes a story it can be easier for your child to get used to that process). 4. In order to avoid conflict with toddlers it's not a crime to sometimes give a vague answer, like "maybe later," or "let's do that other thing first and then we'll see." The answer doesn't have to always be a defined "Yes" or "No."   Episode Credits: Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex Maghen Guest: John Ireland, President, Pop Luck Club Music: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy here

It's no secret that physical appearance is important for gay men. When you're a dad and have so many other responsibilities maintaining your own body can feel impossible. In this episode we tackle the 'Dad Bod' question with our guest Tommy Woelfel, a certified spin instructor. Put your gym clothes on, because you'll be motivated to start your journey today to looking like daddy Chris Hemsworth! Scroll down for tips and advice discussed in this episode. The pressure to look good and be fit when walking around at the grocery store permeates the gay community. Whether it’s self-imposed or you feel it from the "community" there are a lot of people who say it’s a bad thing. Some disagree, saying that it motivates them to stay healthy and work out. Our guest, Tommy Woelfel, says that "goes hand in hand: if you work on the outside you’re benefitting the inside." 'Dad Bod' is a pop-culture term referring to a masculine body type that is a unique cross between muscular and overweight physiques. The term's been used loosely since 2008 but brought to the 'mainstream' in 2015 after an article written by Mackenzie Pearson went viral. In 2016 'Us Weekly' created confusion in publishing an article on Chris Hemsworth's physique, "giving a whole new meaning to dad bod."   View this post on Instagram   Father-son bonding! #ChrisHemsworth went surfing in Byron Bay, Australia with his dad Craig (Photo credit: Media-Mode / Splash News) A post shared by Us Weekly (@usweekly) on Apr 27, 2016 at 7:22pm PDT   Tips and Recommendations 1. Start with cardio: go to a class. All you have to do is get to the gym. Once you get there the instructor, the energy of the class, and the music should push you the rest of the way to get those results. 2. Eating at night is a problem: try not to eat after dinner and before breakfast. If you can handle 12 hours between the two, it gives your body time to rest and take care of itself. 3. “You can’t lose yourself in your family; and I don’t mean to take away anything from people whose family is everything because that’s great. But I also feel it’s very important to maintain your own independence as a social person and as a healthy person so those things should not be sacrificed." 4. Become an example to your kids: when the kids see you are committed to healthy eating, they will naturally lean towards that too. If they see you drink soda and you tell them it's not good for their body, there's less of a chance that they will follow that than when you don't say anything and just show them that you don't. 5. When looking for a new gym, try to find one that’s close to you or close to work or on your w...

It's no secret that physical appearance is important for gay men. When you're a dad and have so many other responsibilities maintaining your own body can feel impossible. In this episode we tackle the 'Dad Bod' question with our guest Tommy Woelfel, a certified spin instructor. Put your gym clothes on, because you'll be motivated to start your journey today to looking like daddy Chris Hemsworth! Scroll down for tips and advice discussed in this episode. The pressure to look good and be fit when walking around at the grocery store permeates the gay community. Whether it’s self-imposed or you feel it from the "community" there are a lot of people who say it’s a bad thing. Some disagree, saying that it motivates them to stay healthy and work out. Our guest, Tommy Woelfel, says that "goes hand in hand: if you work on the outside you’re benefitting the inside." 'Dad Bod' is a pop-culture term referring to a masculine body type that is a unique cross between muscular and overweight physiques. The term's been used loosely since 2008 but brought to the 'mainstream' in 2015 after an article written by Mackenzie Pearson went viral. In 2016 'Us Weekly' created confusion in publishing an article on Chris Hemsworth's physique, "giving a whole new meaning to dad bod."   View this post on Instagram   Father-son bonding! #ChrisHemsworth went surfing in Byron Bay, Australia with his dad Craig (Photo credit: Media-Mode / Splash News) A post shared by Us Weekly (@usweekly) on Apr 27, 2016 at 7:22pm PDT   Tips and Recommendations 1. Start with cardio: go to a class. All you have to do is get to the gym. Once you get there the instructor, the energy of the class, and the music should push you the rest of the way to get those results. 2. Eating at night is a problem: try not to eat after dinner and before breakfast. If you can handle 12 hours between the two, it gives your body time to rest and take care of itself. 3. “You can’t lose yourself in your family; and I don’t mean to take away anything from people whose family is everything because that’s great. But I also feel it’s very important to maintain your own independence as a social person and as a healthy person so those things should not be sacrificed." 4. Become an example to your kids: when the kids see you are committed to healthy eating, they will naturally lean towards that too. If they see you drink soda and you tell them it's not good for their body, there's less of a chance that they will follow that than when you don't say anything and just show them that you don't. 5. When looking for a new gym, try to find one that’s close to you or close to work or on your w...

Maintaining happiness both at work and at home is an issue that may arise for dads, especially at the beginning. On one hand, we want to feel happy and fulfilled at work; we want to feel that we are using our knowledge, experience, and creativity in order to help the organization we're part of move forward - and of course we want to be compensated well for doing so. On the other hand, we want to be happy at home, with our kids and with our way of parenting. While most of us consider ourselves 'works in progress,' there are some things what we should be aware of while striving for happiness and balance, both at home and at work. This is why we brought on to our show an executive coach, Peter Gandolfo, to try to get some inspiration. Coaching as it's seen today can take several different forms. "The two that I focus on most are adults in transition," says Peter, "and those can be transitions that they are choosing to make because they want something to be different than it is today, but sometimes it's also a transition that happened to them, let's say a relationship ended and it wasn't their choosing, or they became 'redundant' at work and they now need to figure out what are the next steps. The other path that you can take with coaching is what people would often call Leadership Coaching, and this usually comes from a position of strength, and that you or your organization see that you have a lot of value to add, but you want to focus on building skills that will allow you go even further so you can work towards a goal that you've set out for your future." On the podcast, Peter gave advice on how to approach a major change that you might want to make in your life, using the example of men who quit their jobs to become stay-at-home dads. "The part that is the most helpful," Gandolfo says, "is reflecting on what are your goals for the future and how does making the decision at this stage of your life support those goals." What should we do in order to feel fulfillment at work "When we are frustrated at work it's very easy for us to fall under the trap that everything is in the power and control of someone else or something else," Peter says. "What I'd like to do with my clients is acknowledging while a lot of that may be true, this is a system and you are one piece of this system and you can't control how others will respond but you can change the inputs into the system. So identifying what part is in your control can help change the level of engagement at work." Questions or comments? please write to us About Peter Gandolfo Peter Gandolfo is an executive coach with certifications from the Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara, California and ICF (ACC). His coaching combines 20+ years of experience in marketing, management, and consulting with his love for helping others succeed. In addition to individual coaching, Peter facilitates team workshops on building a coaching culture, leveraging strengths through change, unpacking for innovation and more. Peter also leads Creating Your Future, a weekend-long retreat for gay men, designed to help you connect with what’s most important to you now so that you can begin making the changes necessary to realize your dreams. Read more about Peter and his work on his website   Episode Credits: Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex Maghen Guest: Peter Gandolfo, Executive Coach Music: Hercules & Love Affair, "Leonora" buy here Articles referred to in this episode:

Maintaining happiness both at work and at home is an issue that may arise for dads, especially at the beginning. On one hand, we want to feel happy and fulfilled at work; we want to feel that we are using our knowledge, experience, and creativity in order to help the organization we're part of move forward - and of course we want to be compensated well for doing so. On the other hand, we want to be happy at home, with our kids and with our way of parenting. While most of us consider ourselves 'works in progress,' there are some things what we should be aware of while striving for happiness and balance, both at home and at work. This is why we brought on to our show an executive coach, Peter Gandolfo, to try to get some inspiration. Coaching as it's seen today can take several different forms. "The two that I focus on most are adults in transition," says Peter, "and those can be transitions that they are choosing to make because they want something to be different than it is today, but sometimes it's also a transition that happened to them, let's say a relationship ended and it wasn't their choosing, or they became 'redundant' at work and they now need to figure out what are the next steps. The other path that you can take with coaching is what people would often call Leadership Coaching, and this usually comes from a position of strength, and that you or your organization see that you have a lot of value to add, but you want to focus on building skills that will allow you go even further so you can work towards a goal that you've set out for your future." On the podcast, Peter gave advice on how to approach a major change that you might want to make in your life, using the example of men who quit their jobs to become stay-at-home dads. "The part that is the most helpful," Gandolfo says, "is reflecting on what are your goals for the future and how does making the decision at this stage of your life support those goals." What should we do in order to feel fulfillment at work "When we are frustrated at work it's very easy for us to fall under the trap that everything is in the power and control of someone else or something else," Peter says. "What I'd like to do with my clients is acknowledging while a lot of that may be true, this is a system and you are one piece of this system and you can't control how others will respond but you can change the inputs into the system. So identifying what part is in your control can help change the level of engagement at work." Questions or comments? please write to us About Peter Gandolfo Peter Gandolfo is an executive coach with certifications from the Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara, California and ICF (ACC). His coaching combines 20+ years of experience in marketing, management, and consulting with his love for helping others succeed. In addition to individual coaching, Peter facilitates team workshops on building a coaching culture, leveraging strengths through change, unpacking for innovation and more. Peter also leads Creating Your Future, a weekend-long retreat for gay men, designed to help you connect with what’s most important to you now so that you can begin making the changes necessary to realize your dreams. Read more about Peter and his work on his website   Episode Credits: Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex Maghen Guest: Peter Gandolfo, Executive Coach Music: Hercules & Love Affair, "Leonora" buy here Articles referred to in this episode:

Daddy Square is a new weekly podcast for and by gay dads, joining the successful blog of the same name. Coming to you from West Hollywood, and premiering September 17 2018, Yan Dekel, an independent web designer, and Alex Maghen, SVP Technology at Warner Bros., are a married couple with 3-year-old twins. In each episode they bring a guest and tackle an issue that arises in parenting in general and in gay parenting in particular. All of their interviewees are professionals in their fields and gay dads themselves. Future episodes will deal with Dad Bod, fulfillment at home and at work, different ways of parenting, and more. Michael McAtee, Marriage & Family Therapist in Los Angeles was interviewed on the first episode of our podcast, and talked about the effects of kids on parents’ relationships, including the decline in sex. “[Lack of sex in a relationship] can be a signal that something is off in the relationship and can be potentially resolved,” McAtee says. Hosts of the podcast, a couple of gay dads from West Hollywood, say that couples’ therapy helped them see each other in a whole new way, bringing the sexy back (if you will) to their 10-year relationship. “Lack of sexual stimulation,” McAtee says, “can be an indicator that maybe it’s not the right relationship anymore, but other times it may be useful to talk about ways of spicing up the sexual relationship and that can include different kinds of novelty and things like that. If the partners are open to exploring other sexual partners with each other that can sometimes really light the fuse.” Get the Daddy2 Community Sheet! Download a cheat sheet of what we learned during the first season of Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast, some gratuitous pictures of pretty men, and some ideas to think about. Also, we want to stay in touch with you and build an army of dads (and friends). Fill in your name and email and we'll send you a link to download! #mc_embed_signup{ clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } .mc-field-group input {background-color:#fff;} /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Subscribe to our mailing list * indicates required Email Address * First Name Michael McAtee is a licensed therapist, a human rights activist and board member for PFLAG Manhattan Beach as well as Southbay LGBT Center. Additionally, he's founder and co-leader of Free2bLGBT, a support group for LGBT teens based in the Southbay. In addition to private practice, Michael has worked in several clinics throughout Los Angeles including LA LGBT Center, Occupational Therapy Training Program, Children’s Bureau of Southern California and more.

Daddy Square is a new weekly podcast for and by gay dads, joining the successful blog of the same name. Coming to you from West Hollywood, and premiering September 17 2018, Yan Dekel, an independent web designer, and Alex Maghen, SVP Technology at Warner Bros., are a married couple with 3-year-old twins. In each episode they bring a guest and tackle an issue that arises in parenting in general and in gay parenting in particular. All of their interviewees are professionals in their fields and gay dads themselves. Future episodes will deal with Dad Bod, fulfillment at home and at work, different ways of parenting, and more. Michael McAtee, Marriage & Family Therapist in Los Angeles was interviewed on the first episode of our podcast, and talked about the effects of kids on parents’ relationships, including the decline in sex. “[Lack of sex in a relationship] can be a signal that something is off in the relationship and can be potentially resolved,” McAtee says. Hosts of the podcast, a couple of gay dads from West Hollywood, say that couples’ therapy helped them see each other in a whole new way, bringing the sexy back (if you will) to their 10-year relationship. “Lack of sexual stimulation,” McAtee says, “can be an indicator that maybe it’s not the right relationship anymore, but other times it may be useful to talk about ways of spicing up the sexual relationship and that can include different kinds of novelty and things like that. If the partners are open to exploring other sexual partners with each other that can sometimes really light the fuse.” Get the Daddy2 Community Sheet! Download a cheat sheet of what we learned during the first season of Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast, some gratuitous pictures of pretty men, and some ideas to think about. Also, we want to stay in touch with you and build an army of dads (and friends). Fill in your name and email and we'll send you a link to download! #mc_embed_signup{ clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } .mc-field-group input {background-color:#fff;} /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Subscribe to our mailing list * indicates required Email Address * First Name Michael McAtee is a licensed therapist, a human rights activist and board member for PFLAG Manhattan Beach as well as Southbay LGBT Center. Additionally, he's founder and co-leader of Free2bLGBT, a support group for LGBT teens based in the Southbay. In addition to private practice, Michael has worked in several clinics throughout Los Angeles including LA LGBT Center, Occupational Therapy Training Program, Children’s Bureau of Southern California and more.