When Daddy is the Better Mommy
Posted by G.I. Jane
I often catch myself thinking my husband’s a better Mommy than I am. In today’s society, it’s the norm for both parents to be working, but my scenario involves a spouse who teaches – and therefore has the luxury of more time off with our kids. I’m both grateful and jealous of this fact. Who doesn’t like the occasional “snow day” and summers off? It’s a love-hate feeling that I wish would go away.
The truth of the matter is we don’t give Dads enough props. According to the most recent Census, the number of stay-at-home fathers in the United States has more than doubled in the past 10 years. It may seem untraditional but it’s working. I guess there’s a silver lining to everything!
At the end of [...]
A “Super” Father’s Day!
Posted by Tim Kassouf
Contributed by guest blogger Tim Kassouf
I should let you know that I’m a huge Superman fan. When my wife and I got engaged, we announced it Superman-style. Again at our wedding, I sported the classic, big red ‘S’ – alongside our Justice League bridal party.
When I realized that the newest Superman movie, Man of Steel, is opening on Father’s Day weekend this year, I was fired up! For me, Superman was always the best metaphor for how I see my own Dad, and Superman’s return to the big screen is another great opportunity to remind him that I’m still convinced he can fly.
If the important dads in your life are Superman fans like me, getting a babysitter and [...]
He’s a Runaway
Posted by Ward
Recently, my older son, who is now eight, has been learning to deal with his emotions. He has a tendency to turn small episodes into large emotional outbursts. After talking to friends, I have discovered this is a normal developmental stage that he will outgrow, though not soon enough for me.
Last Saturday, after getting up, I suggested he clean his room and the basement to earn his allowance. After about a half an hour, I go down to the basement and find that he and his brother are playing with their vast Lego collection. I told them that this is not how you earn allowance, and no allowance will be given if the room is not cleaned.
That comment sent my older son into an emotional tizzy with a barrage of outbursts, including: “You don’t love me!” “You think I’m a rotten kid!” “Nobody likes me!” All followed by a stomping up [...]
Check out our Parenting Essentials Newsletter!
Posted by Auntie Em
Parenting Essentials Newsletter – January 2012
The Fight
Posted by Ward
I was at work yesterday and my phone rings. As most people do, I checked the phone number to see if I recognized it. It was one of those familiar looking numbers that I just couldn’t place. So, feeling like I needed to add a little risk to my day in the office, I answered the call. Turns out it was the principal of my sons’ school. She said, “Andrew was in a fight today and I would like to meet with you, Andrew and his mother tomorrow morning to discuss this.”
My first reaction was to ask if he won, but I stopped in mid-sentence and asked if the boys involved were OK. I kind of already knew Andrew would be – he’s just that kind of a kid.
Andrew is six and actually having a pretty good year in kindergarten, so this was a surprise. And, although he is a stocky, tough [...]
Allowance
Posted by Ward
Wanting to teach my children the value of money, I thought it would be good to start giving them an allowance. They get their money each week if they clean up their toys in the basement, on the main floor and in their rooms. This way every time we go to Target or Walmart, they are not asking me to buy them something; they should have the money to buy it themselves.
This has been going on for several months now and I think they have gotten down the concept that they need to save for bigger things, which is why my house is now full of a ton of little things. They just can’t save. I will give them their allowance once the house is straightened, and no matter where we go [...]
Home Alone!
Posted by Ward
No, this has nothing to do with the movie of a similar name. And, no I did not leave my child(ren) home alone. I’m not that bad of a dad. My wife took the boys to her parents for the weekend, and I was home alone. I was very excited about it. The weather was beautiful and I had plenty to do around the house. I even scheduled some time with my friends. It was going to be a great weekend.
So, Saturday rolls around, and I went to the driving range to work on my constantly developing golf game. I saw two dads there with their kids and I thought it would be a great sport for Andrew (my younger boy) to pick up since he doesn’t like to run much. Then, it was off to Home Depot to buy flowers, mulch and soil for the front yard. Usually I [...]
Sports Day
Posted by Ward
I went to my son’s first lacrosse game the other day. This is a monumental occasion because I ask if he wants to join the team for every sports flyer that comes home and he never does. Finally, when asked about lacrosse, he said yes. We signed him up and I thought, “Great. He’ll be an athlete and this will be his sport.”
I watched him practice the first time and he started picking it up: scooping, cradling, throwing. Come game day the coach puts him in at forward about four minutes into the game. I’m excited, visualizing him scooping up the ball and throwing past the goalie for the game-winning goal. I come back to reality and see him standing in front of the other goal, stick down by his side, having a nice conversation about something with the opposing goalie, not realizing a game is going on. Later in [...]
