Last week, my son and twin daughters each received either first place or runner-up awards for their fourth and first grade read-a-thons. Sure, they’ve won ribbons and certificates before, but those “awards” were simply for showing up and following directions. These read-a-thon awards were my kids’ first wins for concerted effort in competition. When I heard the news, I was excited, and pressed the kids for details…
Continue reading Why Am I More Competitive Than My Kids?April 2009
You are browsing the site archives for April 2009.
This month marked a milestone for us. My oldest daughter, Brin, received her driving learner permit. It was also memorable for another reason: We tried seven times to get it. You might think that the poor dear had difficulty passing the test, but that wasn’t where the problem lied. She passed the test with one …
Continue reading Seventh Time's the Charm?Open the trunk of my car and in about three seconds you’ll know. Inside are a gigantic mesh bag of soccer balls, boxes of spare uniforms, and scads of orange cones, air pumps, roster sheets, and all the other impedimenta of youth soccer.  Yes, I am a soccer coach. Twice over, actually, as I …
Continue reading Lessons learned on the pitchHi, I’m Hugh from Dude to Dad, and I need your help on the greatest Mother’s Day project I’ve ever been a part of. Now I’ve been a part of some epic Mother’s Day projects, but what I’m about to share with you leaves all of them in the dust. Check it out to see what I mean (and see how you can help a fanstastic cause).
Continue reading Mrs Dude's Boob Fund – The Ultimate Mother's Day ProjectEven though I’m sure Martina McBride’s wonderful “In My Daughter’s Eyes” is really meant to be a song for moms and daughters, I think dads can totally appreciate the beautiful sentiment behind it. I know I sure do. I love this song and totally understand what it’s all about. It can just as easily be …
Continue reading My Daughter’s EyesIf you are reading this, there is a good chance you have kids. If you have kids, there is a good chance you have had to take your kids with you on an airplane trip. If you don’t have kids, if you ever fly on commercial airlines there is still a good chance you have …
Continue reading The Plane and Simple Truth…I have been following the story of the Burger King commercial – “I like Square Butts” with interest. When I first saw the commercial I personally thought it had crossed the line. I wasn’t sure why Burger King thought it would be appropriate to use a highly sexualized video to promote a kid’s meal. I …
Continue reading Burger King & Spongebob : A Marriage Made in Parenting Hell?Family Traditions come in all shapes and sizes. Some traditions involve special places. Some traditions involve special foods. Many traditions involve special people. My family traditions involve jokes. I come from a long line of practical jokers. My grandfather was famous (well, infamous) for placing a rubber rat in the oven, on top of a …
Continue reading An April Foolish TraditionAs parents, we have to make big decisions on our children’s behalf and sometimes we have to make those decisions in moments of crisis, with incomplete information, and contradictory or ambiguous advice from experienced professionals. This post is about making the decision to give a troubled child powerful drugs when no one can assure you …
Continue reading Giving Your Kid DrugsSometimes it is about the candy.
Continue reading Easter HaulKids love days off from school.  Snow days, religious holidays, hurricane days, water main breaks, power outages… anything to cause them to miss class is a cause celebre for any child.  Admit it, even you “cut” school at least once in your educational career. I did.  We all have!  Sometimes it is even at a …
Continue reading It Is OK To Play Hookey (Sometimes…)Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Cinderella” is a strong contender for record of the year at this year’s Dove Awards on 4/23/2009 which is the Christian world’s equivalent to the Grammy Awards. It’s a poignant and extremely touching reminder for all us dads on how quickly our precious little cinderellas grow up. In the blink of an …
Continue reading CinderellaIs sibling rivalry alive and well in your home? If you have more than one child, you are well aware of the many challenges of brotherly and sisterly love and the many levels (physical and emotional) at which siblings are prone to compete with each other, consciously and unconsciously. As parents, one of our greatest …
Continue reading Spy vs. Spy: When Siblings Spill The Beans…My job doesn’t require a lot of travel. Now and again, though, I have to hop into a rented car and head off into the world, leaving home and family behind. Recently this happened for the first couple of times since my daughter was old enough to really notice and be bothered by it. She’s …
Continue reading When I'm On the Road and Wishing I Was HomeWelcome to my (semi) regular Friday feature, Worst of the Week. As a white, suburbanite husband and dad of two kids, there’s a lot that can go wrong and this entry is all about how to fix it. I hope you enjoy it! It’s a minor miracle of sorts at the Marshall household – the …
Continue reading Worst of the Week: Spring Cleaning