Fatherhood is a lot of work. There are times where there is no end in sight, and it feels like I won't spend a minute to myself for the next month on end. Fatherhood, and motherhood, is also a lot of joys. You hear people say children are a gift, a blessing, a joy. To … Continue reading Encouraging, Enriching and Acknowledging the Joy of Childhood
Becoming a father was quite an overwhelming experience. There are books, groups, friends, blogs and resources to help a soon-to-be father wrap his mind around what is about to happen, but nothing really prepared me for the all-inspiring and humbling experience of holding my fresh, newborn son in my hands. The feeling of overwhelm didn't … Continue reading How God Sees Us and How Dads Want to Be Seen
Gratitude is good for your psychological health, and now researchers are even tracking whether or not gratitude could have physical health benefits, too. So I thought what better way to invigorate writing about fatherhood and faith than a thank you list to my dad. The job of parenting rarely receives accolades. I don’t think I … Continue reading A New Year’s Day Thank You to My Dad
It's amazing how excited kids get about passing a stool, a turd, a crap, a bowel movement. Whatever you call it, this is the one thing we all have in common but some may even consider the topic "taboo," as it does in the description of the recent movie Poop Talk. My daughter potty trained … Continue reading Working to Stay Poop Proud
I've told my son countless times when he's asked me where something is that he is going to have to learn to keep track of his own stuff, and that I have a hard enough time keeping track of where my belongings are. And I'm not just making it up to get out of helping … Continue reading Why Short-term Memory Loss May Help You Be A Better Dad
A teacher enrichment day following Thanksgiving added another day to the long Thanksgiving break to total six days off in a row. The last day fell on a Monday, and I drew the straw to take the day off of work. My first-grade son chose to go to The Works Museum, a children's museum focusing on … Continue reading Sticks & Stones May Break My Bones, but I’m Ignoring Your Words that Hurt Me
There appears to be one thing universal to most parents that I interact with. There is always a point, no matter how small or large, that we loose our sh*& as parents. Maybe it's a toddler who is having a fit because she wants a second piece of Halloween candy from her bag. Maybe it's … Continue reading Can You Be A Parent without Loosing Your Sh*&?
As a father who likes to fix what's broken or to help my kids feel better, I'm pretty quick to be uncomfortable when my kids aren't feeling okay. Maybe they are frustrated, maybe they are melting down, or maybe they are mad at a friend, I'm always quick to say that it will be okay … Continue reading It’s Okay, Don’t Feel Bad. It’s Also Okay to Not Feel Okay.
With about seven minutes remaining before we needed to be out the door to catch the school bus, my first-grade son melted down because his socks were too tight. I'm not the dad who can remember which clothes fit, nor am I the dad who proactively vets his kid's clothes when they jump sizes, and … Continue reading The Socks Are Too Tight, so Who Forces Who?
My grandfather's generation is the Korean War generation. The Silent Generation known for hard work and keeping quiet. Growing up, these kids were expected to be seen and not heard and also expected to carry their load and either work the farm or help in the family business to support the household. Then there is … Continue reading Perfecting Childhood
