As 2010 and another year (and decade) wind down, the Cast of Dads got together to squeeze in one last show for the year.  In this eposide you will hear about CC making bacon, Max blowing off some steam, Michael musing over MacAllan, Brad blowing glass, and me… ? Well, you’ll just have to listen to …
Continue reading Happy New Year From The Cast of Dads! (and Dadomatic)2010
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I stumbled upon this amazing video on YouTube by Spoonito who shared home movies that his dad took of him and his sister over the span of 25 years during Christmas time. The dad recorded his son and daughter coming down the stairs on Christmas morning to open their presents from 1985 to 2009. There …
Continue reading 25 Years of ChristmasBeth came home this year and, holding a receipt in her hand, declared, “I’m never shopping at Toys R Us again.” Maybe you shouldn’t either.
Continue reading Toys Aren’t Us: 3 Reasons My Wife Will Never Shop At Toys R Us AgainMan, I love TED. I have used many TED videos as the inspiration for blog posts here on Dad-O-Matic and on my personal blog on several occasions and given the depth and breadth of the content from TED and TEDx events, I suspect this won’t be the last.  This time TED has inspired a more manly …
Continue reading Thinking Outside “The Man Box”A little over a year ago I joined forces with four other dads and we launched the Cast of Dads Podcast. Â The five of us, all with kids of varying ages, first came together thanks to Sony and the Sony DigiDad Project, and we got along so well we wanted to “keep the dream alive” …
Continue reading Happy 1st Birthday Cast of Dads!I grumbled when my 8-year-old wanted me to take her to one of those tree-cutting places. I grumbled more when the woman said it was $60 for the privilege of doing all the labor ourselves. I’d set out to buy a Charlie Brown Christmas tree (you know the type, right?), and I couldn’t see myself …
Continue reading Happy Holidays And Tree-Cutting‘Tis the season when red and green are the new black, and the “holiday spirit” permeates all things commercial and otherwise. Â If you are politically correct, then almost all salutations, spoken, written, or otherwise are readily sprinkled with “HAPPY HOLIDAYS.” Â If you are politically direct, then, at least this week, it is “MERRY CHRISTMAS.” Â I …
Continue reading Will The Real Santa Please Stand Up?Last week one of the Cast of Dads, C.C. Chapman, was celebrating the release of his new book, Content Rules (Affiliate Link) and I saw him tweet, Laura just brought home a sexy 25 Year Old to help us celebrate #ContentRules Well, before you let your mind go right to the gutter (as, of course, mine did), …
Continue reading Celebrating With A Sweet 25 Year Old: Cast of Dads #36A while back, I ran across this dad who draws on paper bags for his kids during his lunch break. Pretty neat stuff. But he’s also used his creativity (and a box cutter) to elevate the humble cardboard box into an even more awesome structure of play. Even neater. Which leads me to think about …
Continue reading The Best Christmas Present Is…As a kid, do you remember the time you took a big old magnifying glass and used it to concentrate a beam of sunlight to try and start a fire? Â More often than not, the object of your makeshift laser weapon – a dry leaf, a slip of paper, or, if you were really daring, …
Continue reading The World’s Biggest Magnifying Glass (and the fires it starts)The Turkey bones are bare, the stuffing has left your guests stuffed and the stuffed guests have left your house.  The television is free to be tuned to programming other than football and you are free to go back to the old grind…  Work. School. Life. Why Does Thanks Need A Day? The family focus of …
Continue reading Don’t Stop…In this short video, I share a few project ideas on what you can do to make media around the holidays: What say you?
Continue reading Holiday Media ProjectsAn open letter to Roger Goodell, Commissioner of the NFL: Dear Roger: We’ve never met…but you’re welcome to stop by to say hello at any of the Chicago Bears home games. Â You’ll find me in the stats booth (always warm, dry and comfortable) on level A at Soldier Field, one door north of the main …
Continue reading Time to Change a Thanksgiving TraditionWe’re baaaack!  We missed a show due to technical difficulties, but that means the Cast of Dads had all sorts of pent up energy for our festive gab fest this week.  As we prepped our families for Thanksgiving we peppered our conversation with everything from freedom of speech issues to drinking and smoking, with a few …
Continue reading From Deep Thoughts To Deep Frying: Cast of Dads #35If you awaken to a house full of noisy kids… be thankful. If you are tired because you spent half the night feeding and rocking an infant to sleep… be thankful. If you are late for work because you walked your son or daughter to the bus stop and the bus never showed… be thankful. …
Continue reading If You Can Read This… Be Thankful!My daughter is eight. She’s been stuffed in front of cameras since before she was born (ultrasounds count, right?). There’s probably no escaping that she’s going to become a media making child. Recently, she asked me to help her shoot a commercial for Moon Foam, this kind of modeling clay that feels like compressed cotton …
Continue reading Making Media With KidsAs a parent, arguably your number one job is to be a parent. In reality, being a parent is simply not enough.  As we raise our kids from infancy to the insanity that is adulthood, we must hold many jobs on the side to make ends meet (and meet the endless needs of our kids).  In addition …
Continue reading 5 Professions Every Parent Needs To Add To Their ResumeI received a curious jar of things from my friend, Jason Falls, on behalf of Wonderopolis.org. It’s a site about literacy and how we can help kids learn more. You’ve gotta see what came out of the bucket (this video runs about 4 minutes long): The site, Wonderopolis had a lot of ways to get …
Continue reading Literacy Comes in Many PackagesOur oldest daughter, now 7, asked me a question recently that set me back on my heels. “What’s special about me?” It took me by surprise because she has always been a confident, outgoing kid. The thing about this simple question that made me pause was that she wasn’t fishing for a compliment, she really …
Continue reading Building Your Daughter’s Self-EsteemHere’s an interesting new solution called Life360 whose slogan is “Your child’s safety comes first”. They offer several tools for protecting your family. The most compelling being the emergency alert system called Family GPS Tracking that instantly notifies other family members the moment you find yourself in trouble. You can get the app for iPhone …
Continue reading Life360 Offers a Mobile Panic Button for Your KidsLately I have been reflecting on reflections, literally and figuratively. Â Perhaps it is the melancholy that I normally associate with the fast approaching Holiday Season, or maybe it is symptomatic of simply aging, and watching my kids grow. Â It seems I notice mirrors and reflections at every turn these days, from the literal mirror mirror …
Continue reading The Man (Dad) In The MirrorGameTruck is a new birthday party idea for video game-loving kids that kicks Pump It Up’s ass. My kids went nuts for it.
Continue reading If your child likes video games …Boo!  It’s Halloween, the day when pumpkins prevail, werewolves and witches win, and ghosts are all good!  While the commercialism of this hallowed eve has certainty grown over the years, with everyone seemingly looking to scare up some Halloween business, it still remains one of the most pure FUN days of the year.  What was mostly a …
Continue reading 5 Last Minute Tips For A Happy HalloweenIf you have kids then there is a good chance that at one time or another you may have found yourself scratching your head and asking “how do I get rid of lice???”  It’s a question that has been itching a few of the Cast of Dads (and their kids) so we talk about some things you …
Continue reading Lice, Lice, Baby! (Cast of Dads #34)Last month I wrote about a very different type of Digital Reader from Intel. Â The Intel Reader is designed to help people with dyslexia and other visual impairments by easily scanning and then “reading” (via text-to-speech technology) virtually any written words that can be photographed by the portable device. Â I had the chance to play …
Continue reading Test Driving The Intel ReaderMy (almost) nine-year-old Zachary was terribly frustrated doing his homework a few weeks back. “I’m so mad! I just want to throw something!” How to respond?
Continue reading Behold the marshmallowI have always been fascinated by language and how just a few letters, rearranged, can dramatically change the meaning of a word…how just a few words, rearranged, can dramatically change the meaning of a sentence…how just a few sentences, rearranged, can dramatically change the meaning of a paragraph…how just a few paragraphs… You get the …
Continue reading Encouragement VS. DiscouragementOur own Chris Cuomo just did a very important special on 20/20 about bullying called “Bullied to Death in America’s Schools“. It was a powerful piece about the escalating number of tragedies caused by bullying. Far too many good kids are tortured by bullies and too many are taking their own lives. The special also …
Continue reading Chris Cuomo’s Special on BullyingBusiness travel can be hard on a dad (or any parent) and being away from your kids can add stress to an already hectic travel schedule. Â That said, traveling dads who are also closet geeks often find ways to leverage technology to keep in touch with the kids at home. Â Thanks to the kismet of …
Continue reading Travelin’ Dads Talk Kids & Travel TipsHello Dad-O-Matic readers. If you are new here or haven’t read my previous articles then welcome and let me give you a bit of background about who I am and What I am doing. Almost a year ago I started a project, I called The DADvocate Project. The objective of the project is to better understand …
Continue reading Take the DADvocate Project SurveyHere are some money tips for dads out there that wants to get their fiscal house in order. Obviously, nothing will replace a full-blown budget and financial game plan. These are just 5 important things you need to address immediately for the financial health of your family. 1. Figure out where you are financially This …
Continue reading Top 5 Financial Things Every Dad Must Do for His FamilyI’ve long admired Michael Ruhlman’s writing. From his first-hand experience learning what it takes to become a CIA trained chef in The Soul of a Chef (my favorite) to his work with Thomas Keller on The French Laundry cookbook, he puts you in the kitchen and lets you live the experience as he has. So …
Continue reading We Became Human Because We Started to Cook & BaconEven a few dropped calls and technical glitches could not stop the Cast of Dads from chiming in on anything and everything that might be on a Dad’s mind… As the title of this post says we dive into a discussion that starts with diapers and ends with sex.  (Perhaps we had things backwards as oftentimes …
Continue reading From Diapers to Dirty Old Men: Cast of Dads #33Mom is magical. As I write this, my wife, Rocky, is in Kenya. But she uses magic to be with us each day. She will be there for nine more days working at Saint Monica’s Childrens Home. I know this number, not because I’m good with math or because I am so lost without her …
Continue reading Dad Should Be Magical TooThe topic of bullying has always been important to me. I’ve seen the pain and anguish caused by bullying my whole life. Fortunately for me, I grew tall early in life so I avoided the torture of being the victim of most bullies but I still witnessed too many friends get picked on for years. …
Continue reading Protecting Our Precious AngelsFriday and Saturday is the kickoff of the second annual BlogHer Food 2010 in San Francisco. In all, more than 300 food bloggers are expected to gather to share recipes, swap culinary creation photography tips and of course, eat and meet with some of their favorite food brands. Though I’m attending for work (disclosure: several …
Continue reading BlogHer Food 2010: Dads Cook Too!From a toddler’s first steps to the steps we need to take to ensure the online safety and security of our kids, the Cast of Dads sound a bit more serious this week as we address our typically diverse topics.  Our serious tone was set perhaps by the breaking news as we recorded of the student …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #32: An Educating EpisodeI’m watching the recent movie adaptation of Astro Boy, a year or so after my daughter watched it. There are so many emotional upheavals and elements I probably didn’t want my daughter to see without some conversation. She’s a smart kid, but this movie is all about rejection. There’s tons and tons of situations of …
Continue reading Parental GuidanceMy love affair with TED continues… Â I have written many blog posts here and on my personal blog about amazing and inspiring TED presentations. Â It is a wonderful way to expose yourself to people and concepts you might otherwise never encounter, as well as see really smart and passionate people share vision and views on …
Continue reading The “Hole In The Wall†and Child-Driven EducationUnless you’re a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan, the end of Monday night’s Bears/Packers game was a gem to watch. With :04 to go, and the score tied at 17, Robbie Gould kicked a field goal to put the Bears up 20-17, en route to a 3-0 start. But that of course left the Packers …
Continue reading So how do you score that play?I have always struggled with my weight and grew up convinced that one of my genetic gifts was “big bones.”  Always on the chubby side as a kid, I became accustomed to shopping in Husky Hell and nicknames like “whale” and “bubbles.”  Although at one time or another I have probably tried almost every diet fad, I …
Continue reading The Weight Is Over: 5 Tips For Family FitnessWith the 1977 release of Star Wars, audiences were introduced to Darth Vader, the baddest bad guy in the entire galaxy. As the story unfolded and the prequels arrived on the scene, many people were surprised to learn that Darth Vader was not always such a bad dude. It may be equally surprising to learn …
Continue reading Darth Vader’s Dos and Don’ts for DadsOver the summer, in particular, I bring my kids down to my office with me fairly regularly. This past summer, my college student daughter, Stephanie, worked here as an intern, so I always had family close at hand, but the real fun is when my younger daughter, Katie, crashes the party. I’m smiling and remembering …
Continue reading When the Kid’s Come To WorkIn this, the “Silent But Deadly” edition of Cast of Dads we dish about everything from decapitation to divorce (and no, there is no discernible connection between the two).  In true Cast of Dads form, even though we touch on some serious parenting issues, from safety helmets to adolescent desires, we still end up flabbergasted by flatulence in the …
Continue reading Fart Is A Four Letter “F” Word… (Cast of Dads #31)Harold (my 4-ish year old) wanted to shoot a video: The fun of doing this is that he knows how to open Photobooth (on a Mac). He knows how to switch it to video and hit record, and he knows how to speak to the camera (kind of). When I think about what our kids …
Continue reading Sharing Tech With Kids(Note: If you and/or anyone in your family is dyslexic or suffers from any vision impairment, please read on for a chance to test an Intel Reader in your home for one month…Â Â Disclaimer: Product links below are Amazon Affiliate links. Â I am part of the “Intel Insider” program and am compensated and/or receive other value …
Continue reading Get Your Hands On A Digital Reader That Says It All: The Intel ReaderTrust me, it’s hopeless.  Do you dread walking into your kid’s room?  Are you tired of picking up socks, clothes and toys off of the floor?  Do you beg and bribe your kids to clean their rooms?  Well, you might as well stop right now and save yourself years of stress and anxiety.  You can reduce your future botox bills …
Continue reading Stop Picking Up Their Clothes!A while back, I wrote 600 Days Without Solid Sleep. Well after yet another night marked by a 2AM wake-up call, I thought I would run the numbers, and what do you know? A nice round 1000 days! How could I not mark such an auspicious occasion? Pardon me if I appear a bit snarky, …
Continue reading 1000 Sleepless NightsThanks to sites like Dad-O-Matic and loyal readers like you, the blogosphere is emerging as a terrific outlet for Dads to get out front and take a more vocal stance on parenting and fatherhood issues and experiences. Â There are hundreds of caring and sharing “daddy bloggers” spreading their unique perspectives on “the world according to …
Continue reading Social Media Club Takes Dads On Tour – Atlanta This Week!Before I post a new episode of Cast of Dads I always listen to it, and even though I was “there” and part of the recording, I try to listen back to the finished show as a “listener” and experience it as I hope you will. Â I have to say, this show, our 30th episode, …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #30: Stuffed Animals, Stuffed Mouths, and Other Stuff…“Instead of enjoying her company over the holiday weekend, I’ll be waving good-bye to her as my mother takes her to California for a dance competition.” A Dad carves a moment out of his morning to spend some time with his busy girl.
Continue reading Loving the Little MomentsA member of the Dad-O-Matic extended family has recently gone public with details of a situation that would be any parent’s worst nightmare – having your children suddenly taken away from you, and not being able to see or communicate with them for more than a year. Â This has been the terrible situation Colin Bower …
Continue reading A Father’s NightmareI’ve long been a fan of homemade ice cream. Not homemade in the store…homemade in my home. It’s really one of the easiest recipes to make…as long as you keep the ice cream maker in your freezer, you’re always ready to go. But what about something a bit lower in fat? Say a popsicle? Every …
Continue reading Instant PopsiclesIt is back to school time, and today my youngest child, my daughter, started at a new school. Â This time, however, I didn’t have to pack her lunch, or walk her to the bus stop. I won’t be looking forward to any more parent teacher conferences or notes sent home about missed homework assignments. Nope. …
Continue reading Degrees Of FatherhoodHere’s the scoop:  As you know, for the past few years I have been active as a so-called “Daddy Blogger,” sharing my dad point of view and stories here at Dadomatic.com and in the weekly Cast of Dads podcast.  With three awesome kids now ages 22, 20 and 18, I have no shortage of experiences and opinions on …
Continue reading A Man Inside (Intel)One of the fun things about getting together with the Cast of Dads is that sooner or later each of us gets the chance to share an embarrassing moment…  Or maybe that’s just me who keeps sharing goofy moments?  Well, if it is me, this episode is no exception as I dive into a poorly sung rendition …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #29: From Dudes To Doggs…I wonder how many runners there are out here? I wonder how many would be offended if I called myself a runner? Let me tell you my story and you can decide for yourself. Me I know the answer. I’ve never been a runner. I’ve never thought of myself as a runner and I never …
Continue reading RunningSummertime is often a time we catch up on reading and this summer is no exception.  I finally sat down to read a book I purchased last summer, Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival (Amazon affiliate link) by Norman Ollestad.  This is a true story, but written with the depth, pace, and strong characterizations one …
Continue reading Book Review: Crazy For The Storm – A Memoir Of Survival(Note: I originally posted this on my personal blog, but felt it was also relevant here on Dadomatic. Â I hope you don’t mind the repetition if you are a visitor to both.) Last night I went to a Memorial Tribute arranged by a co-worker and friend whose father passed away unexpectedly a few weeks ago. …
Continue reading Don’t Wait For The Memorial…In this episode of Cast of Dads one of the dads tells of a late night spill that ended with a trip to the ER and some stitches… which leads to a discussion of kids and injuries… which leads to me recalling the tale of my daughter and her missing finger tip… (you’ll have to listen to …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #28: Stitches, Veggies and Scooping PoopIn the latest episode of Cast of Dads, we actually started the show with a couple of specific topics in mind: “Kewl Birthday Parties” and “the dangers of drowning.” Â From happy to scary and everything in between we cover it all, and then some, in a show that combines serious parenting tips with a lot …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #27: Same Old Spit…When we were kids, entertainment was mostly a passive activity.  We plopped down in front of the TV and zoned out on BATMAN and THE MONKEES (ok, I might be showing my age here, but those are the shows I was enamored with…)  Our kids, however, are growing up in an increasingly connected, interactive world, …
Continue reading An Entertaining Future is #StillHereIf you have more than one child at home do you find that they often “tattle” on each other? I have written about digital tattle tales before and on a recent trip to San Francisco I was thinking about it again, and how, in my case, counting on one or more of my kids to …
Continue reading Checks And Balances: Is It OK For Your Kids To Be Tattle Tales?Much is being written about the awesome and uber viral Old Spice campaign featuring former football player Isaiah Mustafa. Â It turns out the “Old Spice Guy” is a dad, and, it seems a great dad at that. Check out this “call out” to his daughter as part of the interactive “real time” videos that Old …
Continue reading A Most Awesome “Dad†Moment Courtesy of Old SpiceI was fortunate enough to interview Jeff Fatt, the purple Wiggle from the world famous Wiggles! They’re going to be coming to the USA for their Wiggly Circus tour this summer. Jeff took the time from his hectic schedule to give me a call. I tried to ask him questions that I’m sure many of …
Continue reading One on One with a Wiggle: Jeff FattAre you enjoying some quiet time with your spouse while the kids are away at camp? Â If so, you are also probably getting ready for the infamous “visiting day,” when parents invade the camp grounds to see what their offspring are really doing while off at Camp Cost-A-Lot. Â Having been both a camper and a …
Continue reading 5 Tips For A Successful Summer Camp Visiting DayThe heat was on for this week’s Cast of Dads show as the Northeast experienced record breaking (and air conditioning breaking) temperatures. Â From the humidity to stupidity, we crack open some beer and wine and I cracked some of my usually corny jokes (well, you might not consider them jokes). I seemed to have had …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #26: Hot Fun In The Summertime…It is Independence Day but I find myself considering “independence” in more ways than the birth of our nation. Having recently gone through both a High School and a College graduation with my kids, lately their independence has been on my mind.  So, to celebrate parenthood on the 4th of July, here is a quick …
Continue reading 10 Milestones In Your Child’s Path To IndependenceThe Russians are coming, the Russians are coming!  From warships in San Francisco, to spies to Diplomatic tweets, this week the Cast of Dads hopped around more topics than a room full of kangaroos.  If you’d like us to be a little more focused in the future feel free to E-mail us your topic ideas! Meanwhile the …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #25: Russian Home To The FamilyThis has been floating around Cyberspace a while I think, but it just landed on my radar and it is too good not to share with Team Dadomatic. Enjoy! Dad Life from Church on the Move on Vimeo. Kudos to the super creative team that wrote and produced the Dad Life song and video! Â Go …
Continue reading Hip Hop By Pop: Dad LifeI’m going to admit that I’m on the fence. With this ad for Huggies Diapers (click through if you can’t see it in your reader), the ad itself is a bit awkward (adult women making “oh he’s HOT” faces at toddlers – yes, it’s tongue in cheek), but I dunno. Diapers that look like jeans? …
Continue reading Huggies Jeans DiapersIn this show the Cast of Dads regroup to recap our respective Father’s Day activities, but as usual we can’t possibly stay focused on one topic.  Before long we jump from discussing a dad’s happiest day, to a day many dads fear: V-Day! (with “V” standing for Vasectomy!)  Want to know which of the Cast of …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #24: From Father’s Day to “Vâ€-DayI’ve been giving a lot of thought to being a dad. I have two kids, one boy and one girl and for a long time I looked at my kids as something that got in the way of me achieving my dreams. Something that kept me from being a great scientist. I had a dream …
Continue reading Father’s Day ReflectionIt is Father’s Day, and if you’ve been lazy, busy, or just procrastinating way too long I have good news for you. There is still plenty of time to give the best Father’s Day Gift ever, and here’s how: If you are in the same city, go see your dad. Give him a hug – …
Continue reading The Absolute BEST Last Minute Father’s Day Gift!Have you heard the story about the married couple photographed together at Disney World 15 years before they met? (I found out about it from a link Chris Brogan shared via Twitter.) The couple didn’t know each other, and they didn’t even live in the same country at the time the photograph was taken: That …
Continue reading Happy Father’s Day, GodYou may not like Mondays, but this week the Cast of Dads decided we did like them, especially since a Monday evening recording session allowed us to whet our whistles with beer, putting us all in an especially buoyant mood for our pre-Father’s Day show. As dads ourselves we have the pleasure of celebrating both …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #23: Beer, Father’s Day, and the “Swedish Special!”Everyone loves a gift that keeps on giving…something that will be used frequently and thus serve as a lasting reminder of the occasion and the gift giver.  The best way to find a perpetual gift for dad is to take a look at things that are part of his everyday routine.  Get dad a gift he will …
Continue reading A Routine Gift For Father’s Day…As Father’s Day 2010 approaches and my daughter nears her 7th birthday, I’ve been thinking about the story of Abby Sunderland, the 16-year-old California teenager who recently tried to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world. She didn’t make it (a storm broke her mast and she had to be rescued in …
Continue reading How Old is Old Enough?My mother is one of the strongest people I know. When I was a kid, I idolized my dad. He was the coolest, smartest dad on earth, and I wanted to be just like him. My mom, not so much. Mom and dad got divorced when I was 7 or 8. My mom was a …
Continue reading Happy Father’s Day, MomAn Alarming Situation Like most dads (and humans for that matter) I generally go to sleep at night and rely on mechanical assistance to wake myself up at the desired hour each and every morning. With that in mind I have been forever in search of the perfect alarm clock.  I have tried them all – …
Continue reading A Father’s Day Gift For The DASHing Dad! (and a chance to win one)We all fall behind sometimes. Admit it. Are you one of those lame people who doesn’t get gifts until the night before? Have you sent out Father’s Day gifts in July? It’s okay. I feel your pain. So when my friends at the Hachette Book Group asked me if I wanted to run a last …
Continue reading Last Minute Father’s Day GiftsWhen I was little, I would ask my father, “What do you want for Father’s Day, Dad? His answer would not make sense to me. “I don’t want anything.” Then, realizing this answer would not satisfy, “I want good, well-behaved children.” Seemed like a non-answer to me. Now I’m a Dad My children, aged 6 …
Continue reading What do you want for Father’s Day, Dad?Dealing with the crazy schedules of five busy dads, this week we recorded Cast of Dads on a Monday, and it felt like the show had a different vibe from our normal Sunday morning chats.  That said, like always we geek out over a wide range of topics, from “Intel Inside” to pitching tents outside, to …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #22: From Intel to In TentsIn this episode the Cast of Dads memorialize our Memorial Days, and as usual, we jump through more topics than a circus dog through hoops! Most importantly, we pay our respects and thanks to all those who have served and continue to serve in the Military, and we are forever grateful for the sacrifices made …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #21: Memorial DazedAs so called “daddy bloggers” for Dadomatic we sometimes get invited to attend events that may lead to information and content that will be of interest to you, our readers. A few months ago, for example, Christopher Johnston was flown to New York to attend an advance screening of the family movie “Secrets of the …
Continue reading Getting the Intel on Intel at the “Upgrade Your Life” EventAs I sit at home reflecting on Memorial Day I can’t help but wonder what happened to the guys I went to basic training with. Did anyone see combat? Did any of my buddies die? I’ll never know. But what I do know, as I listen to the Army helicopters fly over my house towards …
Continue reading Reflections on Memorial DayLast week I wrote about my son’s graduation from college.  The night of his graduation ceremony his girlfriend and her family threw a party for him at their home.  There were the expected balloons and banners clearly declaring the graduation theme, but there were also two really clever additions that gave the party a special graduation flavor.  I …
Continue reading Cheese & Chocolate: Two Tips For An Awesome Graduation Party!It’s funny how everything “old” is new again. I recently dusted off my copy of Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends and Influence People. Inside I found a passage I marked that resonates with me as a father. With hopes the Carnegie folks won’t mind, I’ll share the passage here. Father Forgets by W. Livingston …
Continue reading A lesson on fatherhood from Dale CarnegieThe Cast of Dads gathered this weekend at 5pm instead of our usual morning date, which led to a little more giddiness and a lot more “adult” talk.  In fact, the original title of the episode is “From Douche-bags to Dish-washing!  To find out how we managed to align such disparate “D” words, you’ll have to just listen to the show! Topics discussed …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #20: Does The Bag Make The Man?It is graduation season, and the air is filled with the aroma’s of diplomas! Â From Grade School to Graduate School students everywhere and their families and friends are celebrating “Commencement.” Â I have always marveled at how clever it is to honor the completion of school with a word that means “beginning.” Â While we celebrate our …
Continue reading Graduation: A Commence-meant To Be!Once again the Cast of Dads go off on several tangents, from lawn-mowing wives to touch screen computing, and hand-written thank you notes, we leave few stones unturned in this week’s Podcast. Topics discussed in this episode include: Wives mowing the lawn Thank You Notes Resurrection of hand written letters Teaching writing in school Dragon …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #19: U CAN Touch This!Here’s another wonderfully touching song from Trace Adkins. Much like “All I Ask For Anymore“, and “Then They Do“, this one, “You’re Gonna Miss This“, is another tribute to families. This one is a reminder for us all to try to stop and appreciate these magical times–even when things seem like utter chaos and mayhem. …
Continue reading You’re Gonna Miss ThisJust before Mother’s Day the Cast of Dads got together for our weekly gabfest and as usual we covered a wide range of topics, from our daughter’s dancing to, well, things a bit more disgusting. Â We even had to “bleep” out a few references in order to protect you, our listeners, from a Google search …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #18: From Dancing to DisgustingI am NOT suggesting that being a parent and raising our kids is anything at all like training a dog. Really, I am NOT.  However… I once hired a dog trainer who focused almost exclusively on training a puppy by giving it, in his words, “plenty of praise.”  Giving our kids plenty of praise is also a …
Continue reading Training Your Kids (And 3 Things That Are Worthy Of Praise)I’ve been reading Robert Kiyosaki’s books lately. You’d know Rich Dad Poor Dad. I’ve read another six of them. In so doing, the topic of teaching your kids about money and even business came up. Now, most of us, when faced with thinking about teaching our kid about business, think about chores, or maybe a …
Continue reading Teaching Kids About BusinessIf you are a procrastinator like me I have good news for you. Â In fact I have GREAT news for you! Â Mother’s Day is Sunday yet there is still time to send your Mom, or any Mom you love and respect, a heartfelt gift that will honor her, and provide much needed aid to a …
Continue reading A Mother’s Day Gift That Keeps On Giving: To Mama With LoveHere’s a wonderful Trace Adkins song about a man who has changed his priorities in life. He shares all the things he used to pray for like cars and money but now understands that the only thing that truly matters is his family. All he ever asks for anymore is for the health and safety …
Continue reading All I Ask for AnymoreThe Cast of Dads celebrated Spring by jumping from the Cub Scouts, to Crying, to Candy Cigarettes and our greatest fears. We had fun talking and we hope that you have as much fun listening. Topics discussed in this episode: Video Game badge from the Boy Scouts Brownie Try-It badges The softening of our children …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #17: Tears For FearsOn death: “Is it uncomfortable to live underground?” and other gems from Joe Hage’s kids.
Continue reading Tweet Your Kids #5Ever find yourself saying, “Life will be easier when…â€? If you’re a parent, you can fill in the blank mighty easily. Life will be easier when… …he can sleep through the night. …she can feed herself. …he can tell us where it hurts. …she goes to school. …he makes it to the NBA and buys …
Continue reading Life will be easier when…Last week I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at Jeff Pulver‘s 140 Characters Conference: Exploring The State of Now! There were nearly 170 speakers and panelists at this two day event, including celebrities, musicians, technologists, media personalities, educators, and more. Without question, one of the most popular and inspiring presentations was that of …
Continue reading An Education on Education: Chris Lehmann Talks “School 2.0” At #140ConfIn this episode of Cast of Dads, the Dads get down to the real poop of being a father. While we always try to keep the show “family friendly” and avoid any potty mouthed talk, that doesn’t restrict us from talking about the potty, and this week we tackled both the input and the output …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #16: In One End, Out The Other…Before becoming a dad I had no idea how many forms of hugs there are. I think perhaps we need to do something like what the Eskimos do in Alaska with all the words for snow.
I thought I might take a little time today to talk about all the types of hugs there are.
NOTE: I write all these descriptions from the dad’s perspective but they also apply to moms.
Children:
Daddy’s Home – This is a personal favorite of dads. It only occurs at the end of a long day or when you return from a trip. The excitement and joy embraced in this hug often “quite literally†knocks one off there feet.
I’m sad daddy – There are times that nothing can cure the “sad†but a hug sure comes close. Sad hugs are generally full hugs with constant pressure but don’t contain the excitement that might be experienced in other hugs. The sad hug is honestly as much for the daddy as it is for the child because it gives the daddy something he can “do†to help in the situation.
Continue reading Where is my Hug?Yes, you read correctly. Â The title of this post is “Fatherhood One On One,” not to be confused with “Fatherhood 101.” Â For Fatherhood “101,” just dive in and and read ALL the posts on Dadomatic from ALL our great Dads. Â You will get a complete primer on being a Dad from just about every imaginable …
Continue reading Fatherhood One On OneBecause our Top 5 Legal Documents Every Dad Must Know About was so popular, we decided to asked Christopher Johnston, our resident financial expert dad, to give us the top 5 financial things we dads can do for our family. We are happy to share his sage advice right here. 1. Figure out where you …
Continue reading 5 Financial Things You Must Do For Your FamilyI have a confession to make: my name is Adam and I photograph my food. All the time. At home and in restaurants, whether I cooked it myself or paid for a team of others to labor over a hot stove. I photograph the simple (pasta with pesto) and the complex (recipes with 14 ingredients, …
Continue reading I Photograph FoodLast month I told you about a project I had started back in November called the DADvocate project. The project has been rolling along and today I am launching the new DADvocate web site. I’m very excited to announce the new site as I’ve been working on it for over a month and I guess …
Continue reading The New DADvocate Project Web SiteRegardless of what we may think, in the end, it is our kids who hold all the power. Â They are the ones who (sooner than we think) will start taking over and running things in this fast paced, high tech digital world we live in. Â I was reminded of this in the presentation below by …
Continue reading Respect Kids: They Will Own You One Day!A review of the new family-friendly movie, Secrets of the Mountain, brought to you by Walmart and P&G.
Continue reading Secrets of the Mountain – Review & Give-AwayThe Cast of Dads recorded our latest show on April 3rd, the same day Apple released the now much ballyhooed iPad.  Of course us geek Dads couldn’t help but talk about it, even though only CC already had one.  (NOTE: CC’s daughter Emily – pictured below – gives her own child’s eye view of the iPad here.) …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #15: iPad, You Pad, We All PadFor those of you who have not yet enjoyed the work of Neil Gaiman, shame on you. You’ve possibly seen the movie Coraline, based on his book of the same title, and the movie Stardust as well. What you might not know is that he’s one of the finest, most entertaining narrators out there, and …
Continue reading Neil Gaiman Reads “Instructions” Live…The Cast of Dads have been on quite a roll lately and after our “live video” show from Austin Texas we recorded another audio episode the week before Easter.  Due to C.C.’s knee surgery, we are a little late posting the show, but we hope you’ll agree it was worth the wait.  We were all a little …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #14: Car Seats, Common Sense & The Grill Of Your DreamsMy daughter, Violette, and I received a spread of Iron Man 2 books from my friends at Hachette (who run Little Brown and a handful of other publishing houses). With the movie coming out, kids are going to be excited to see the latest exploits of their comic book hero come to life. Now, the …
Continue reading Iron Man 2 Has Lots of Kid Book Tie InsIt is Easter Sunday and I am sitting in a Starbucks reading and writing (fortunately, there is no arithmetic.)  The only signs of Easter here are the bunny ears my caffeine wielding Barista wears, fully qualifying her as an official “Bar-Easter.”  Instead of popping handfuls of Cadbury Mini Chocolate Eggs and biting the heads off of hollow …
Continue reading An Eggcellent Day To Be Silly (Or Remember When…)A few weeks ago I wrote about “5 Things You Should Never Say To Your Kids” and there were some great comments and discussion that followed the post. Â Thank YOU for chiming in. Â In the spirit of countering the negative with the positive, I thought I would follow up with a few things that we …
Continue reading 5 Things You SHOULD Say To Your Kids (A Lot)While our intent is for Cast of Dads to primarily be an an audio podcast, a couple of weeks ago we found that three of us were actually going to be in the same city at the same time: CC and I were both in Austin, Texas for SXSW, and DaddyBrad’s home court, DadLabs, is …
Continue reading Cast of Dads Special: “LIVE” From SXSWMy daughter and I wanted to go out and do something special together. I suggested a nature walk. To make it really fun, I gave her a Sony Bloggie camera (disclosure: SONY gave me the camera to try out, but I’m not obligated to use it for any particular projects) so she could capture some …
Continue reading Amping Up Special TimeThis weekend was awesome. I got to spend a lot of time with the kids and on Saturday I was mainly with my oldest. We went to Horseback early in the morning. The ride to horseback is almost an hour and we talk and sing songs and sometime record a video we call “Saturday’s with …
Continue reading Hold Hands or Push?I miss windows. Â No, I am not an Apple convert waxing poetic about my old computer operating system. Â I actually miss real windows… the glass kind. Â The kind we used to gaze through and let our minds wander in the days before portable electronics became so pervasive. I miss looking out the window, and I …
Continue reading The Pane Truth: What Happened To Looking Out The Window?They say “the show must go on” and this week was no exception. Â I am on the road for business and called in from my hotel for this week’s episode of Cast of Dads. Â I was in Austin, Texas to attend SXSW, and while in town, three members of our cast were able to gather …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #13: Talking, Texting & Tracking From TexasReadeo has unveiled something they called BookChat that uses webcams to allow people to read books via the web in real-time. The idea will not be received well by some folks who will complain that the best part of the reading experience is being together. However, this solution is not positioning itself as a replacement …
Continue reading Readeo Introduces BookChatA tragic accident in a High School baseball game that sent a pitcher into a coma after being hit in the head from a batted ball has created quite a stir against the use of aluminum bats. The school and its opponent have agreed to use wooden bats in their next game. The use of …
Continue reading Good WoodWords ???are powerful. Words spoken by a parent to a child are very powerful and often can carry far more weight and impact than we realize, so as parents we should choose our words carefully.  With that in mind, here are: 5 Things You Should Never Say To Your Kids 1) F#&*! – You need only …
Continue reading 5 Things You Should Never Say To Your KidsIt’s a rough life. You need to relax. Massage therapy turns out to be the perfect thing. Now how do you explain it to the children before they overhear about it, talk to their friends, and think you’re doing something dirty. Farfetched? No. My own late teens son didn’t understand what massage therapy was. My …
Continue reading Massage and your children??No??, this is not a show about Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano, but in this week’s Cast of Dads podcast we do start off discussing who plays the role of chief disciplinarian in each of our homes. Â And of course, what would a show about discipline be without a healthy peek at punishment. Â From “dunce …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #12: Who’s The Boss???Next??. ?Next. Next. Whoa! NEXT! Next. Hey now! Next. Next. Next…  If you have been clicking on “next” a lot lately, perhaps it is because you have been one of the millions of Internet users checking out the latest on-line fetish fad, Chatroulette.  If you live in a cave and haven’t yet heard of Chatroulette Jon …
Continue reading From Chatroulette To Dadroulette!It’s hard for me to believe but I just went back through my posts on DAD-o-Matic and saw that I hadn’t talked much about my number one topic and how and why I got into blogging consistently. My oldest daughter. My oldest daughter Haley has CP, Cerebral Palsy. When I finally decided to start my …
Continue reading I Am Not WeirdMy youngest’s bio on Facebook. Why I love him. I’m a pretty laid back person. Unfortunately, I’m a person who wears their heart on their sleeves. I’m the son of an awesome father, Todd Jordan, who really cares for me. Also, an awesome loving mother, Sharon Jordan, who cares for me just the same. Without …
Continue reading Love, Anger, KidsAs noted here, in this week’s episode of the Cast of Dads podcast we talk about how to be prepared for a natural disaster. Â The topic was no surprise, since we recorded the show just hours after the earthquake in Chile was reported and while the world waited to see what coastal areas would be …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #11: A Disaster Of A ShowWhen I was a kid, there was a series of commercials for “Chiffon” margarine that had the tag line, “It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature!”  Lately it seems that perhaps we must have been trying to fool her and now Mother Nature is seeking her revenge and proving her prowess with a daunting display …
Continue reading 5 Ways To Be Prepared When Mother Nature RoarsHere’s a news item about a tragedy that has a silver lining thanks to the University of Clemson and its football coach Dabo Swinney. High School football star Jake Nicolopulos had a dream to play college football for the Clemson Tigers and it was all set to become a reality until he had a stroke …
Continue reading Class ActAt the opening of this episode you will hear a promo for The Boom Effect, an auction and fund raiser for fellow dad and good friend Tee Morris who recently lost his wife.  Tee will be raising his little girl known as “Sonic Boom” on his own, and the Podcasting community has been very supportive …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #10: Walking The Line OnlineHere’s an excerpt from Katrina Kenison’s wonderful book “The Gift of an Ordinary Day” that totally captures the beauty and power of being a parent, for both moms and dads. I loved what she shared here because it’s something that I realized a long time ago. It isn’t really all the big important events in …
Continue reading The Gift of an Ordinary DayLIAR.  It is a four letter word that can be far more hurtful than other familiar expletives. This is especially true when the liar in question is someone you love dearly and completely.  As parents we spend our lives hoping to instill in our children a sense of truth, trust and responsibility.  We teach them …
Continue reading They Say Truth Hurts, But Lying Is More Painful“…You can’t be too careful.” These were the words of a somewhat strident middle-aged lady at Dungeekin Minor’s ‘football’ training session on Saturday, as she vocally and agressively demanded to see the (female) coaches ‘paperwork’. The trouble is – I rather think you can be too careful. When you’re not the parent, and you turn …
Continue reading “In Today’s Climate . . . “(NOTE: usually my posts here are written originally for Dad-o-matic.  That said, I recently wrote on my personal blog about Chef Jamie Oliver’s impassioned and impactful speech about childhood obesity at the recent TED conference.  I realize that Chef Oliver’s speech would likely be of great interest to the Dad-o-matic crowd, so with permission from …
Continue reading Food, Glorious Food??? Are We Feeding Our Kids To Death?On Thursday my middle child Abby decided she was ready to wear panties. She had a hard time on Thursday but when I put her to bed Thursday night she said “Daddy can I wear panties to school again tomorrow?” So on Friday she did better and then yesterday when we were all home she …
Continue reading Panties and BusinessThe Cast of Dads gathered early on Valentine’s Day to catch up and compare notes on our romantic plans for the day.  Despite a few pregnant pauses as we contemplated Cupid, we managed to cover a wide range of topics, from our daughters dating, to the pleasures of power tools.  Here is a complete rundown of …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #9: Pausing For Valentine’s DayYesterday was Valentine’s Day, and while Jeff has provided some great ways to avoid disaster today, I wanted to talk about why I didn’t really start caring about it all, until our oldest daughter was born. It’s not that I’m not a romantic, quite the contrary. I think it’s more that, like most men, I …
Continue reading Valentine’s Day Reborn With MeaningIt is Valentine’s Day!  Time for everyone to get their heart on!  For us Dads it is one of those days (like birthdays, anniversaries, the day you and your significant other met, etc.) that is best not forgotten.  There are many ways to recognize the day and reveal your romantic side, and like most things …
Continue reading 5 Ways To Avoid A Valentine’s Day Massacre!Here’s an amazing project from Pepsi called the PEPSI REFRESH PROJECT where they will spend millions of dollars to fund ideas that we submit that have a positive impact on the world and planet. It’s such a wonderful concept and makes a great deal of sense because not only can we submit our ideas but …
Continue reading Refresh ProjectWe bought our daughter one of those little primary-colored push car toys for her first birthday. It gets great gas mileage and holds up amazingly well in crashes, of which there have been many so far. The other day, she got herself caught in a traffic jam. The legs of our counter-height kitchen table and …
Continue reading Life’s Little Traffic JamsDespite the siren song of beer and wings calling in the distance, the Cast of Dads set aside time on Superbowl Sunday to record an episode: “Superbowl Sunday With The Cast of Dads.” While the talk quickly turned to football, some of us – er, me – revealed we are I am not as up …
Continue reading Cast of Dads #8: Winging It For The SuperbowlWe men took more than our usual bashing during the 60 or so commercials played during SuperBowl Sunday. We deserved some of the mocking but come on already, Madison Avenue. It’s time to give us men a little more credit, don’t you think? Still, I enjoyed the funny ones as much as the next guy. …
Continue reading Favorite SuperBowl AdsShortly after the iPad was released Jeff Sass wrote a great blog about iDad. iDad is a great parody on the value of a dad over an iPad and a fun little read. There is another great DAD moment that was captured in a post last night Who Dad published by Doriano “Paisano” Carta. Last …
Continue reading What is a DADvocate?Congratulations go out to the New Orleans Saints for beating the Indianapolis Colts tonight in the SuperBowl 31-17 behind the MVP arm of Drew Brees. I was happy to see them win mostly because of everything the people of New Orleans went through a few years ago with Hurricane Katrina. It’s such an amazing story. …
Continue reading WhoDadMany moons ago, when I was just a mere tike, when my Mom and Dad taught me to “share” they were mostly trying to get me not to explode in a hissy fit when my younger sister or one of my playmates wouldn’t let go of my Legos or give up my G.I. Joe. Life …
Continue reading Teaching Kids To Share In A Digital AgeHere’s just a quick comedy break… hilarious stuff
Continue reading E*Trade Baby OuttakesI don’t talk about my dad too often, actually this is my first post where I’m acknowledging him. Unfortunately he has had sever depression for the last 10 -15 years and he hasn’t dealt with it. Three months ago after my son was born it finally got in the way of our relationship and we are not currently speaking. This hurts me and is not really by my choice but it is what it is and it does not take away from the fact the my father was a great dad while we were growing up. He was a doctor and he was busy, but he was there for us and present when he was with us. I never felt neglected and I loved, and love him very much.
Continue reading I’m a dork just like my dadDo you remember when the Christmas toys were new and exciting, even after Easter? Those were the good old days when a favorite toy lasted beyond the current TV season. Like many parents, I try to get gifts each Christmas that will have staying power. Invariably, some of the toys don’t live up to the …
Continue reading The Expiration Date on Christmas ToysThis week the Cast of Dads took a step back from tech talk and focused our discussion on more fatherly pursuits, thanks to some feedback and suggestions from our listeners. We appreciate getting your feedback on the show and if there are specific topics you would like for us to tackle let us know in …
Continue reading Cast of Dads 7: More On Morons…This is my first post as a new dad contributor to Dad-O-Matic and it is about giving back. Where do kids learn to be so compassionate for others? Usually from their parents in most cases but not in this particular situation. I have three kids and my oldest child Sabreena is very into one particular …
Continue reading Children Giving BackI just watched this 88-second spot and it really got thru to me loud and clear. Thanks to Zane Aveton (aka @zaneology on Twitter) for sharing this tonight. I hope it impacts all of you the same way it has for me. What a powerful reminder. Find more videos like this on AdGabber
Continue reading Family TiesLemonade is a documentary short that delivers a powerful message. It focuses on several advertising professionals and how they dealt with the shocking impact of being laid off. Many of them looked at this sometimes devastating blow as a wake up call and chose to go for their dreams and do what they’ve always wanted …
Continue reading When Life Gives You LemonsAn apple a day… gives the media lots to talk about.  This week both the tech news and so called “mainstream media” was all abuzz about the long rumored, finally revealed, “tablet” device from Steve Jobs and his team at Apple.  When all the dust settled, as expected, everyone’s attention turned to the “core” of …
Continue reading The iPad vs. The iDad!Got any tricks to help your kids with homework and test-taking? Joe shares one here.
Continue reading Dad! I don’t know how!DADvocate – Internet Discussions from Kevin Metzger on Vimeo. This is a video interview with Security Expert Ben Halpert. Ben has two daughters and a son on the way. When his first daughter was born he began thinking about the security risks for being on line with children and how and when that conversation should …
Continue reading Savvy Cyber Kids – An InterviewScreaming, shrieking, whining, crying, banging, bumping, laughing, sneezing, coughing, belching. farting, yelling, slapping, hitting, pushing, shoving, snapping, breaking, kicking, throwing up, falling down, dancing, running, skipping, jumping, bouncing, trouncing, wrestling, fighting, snoring.  Never boring.  These are just some of the sounds and actions in a house full of kids, sounds you may find annoying or …
Continue reading Noise Is Good!I wrote here a while back about how my two boys, Zach and Zane, came to live with us permanently at the end of November. To say that our holiday season was crazy, filled with ups and downs, and tiring would barely scratch the surface. Throughout this time, Trish, the love of my life, and …
Continue reading This Weekend the Boys Get a RoomNesting behavior has always baffled me. So I was more than a little frightened when I returned home from a business trip to find my wife had recovered her car seats and the den furniture in blue fleece and installed matching carpet in both. “Honey,†I asked cautiously, “do you know something I don’t?†“We’re …
Continue reading A father’s guide to safety devicesNo, we didn’t take to the road this week, but we did get our first e-mail question from a listener who happens to be a truck driver.  He goes by the handle of “Jokerman” and he wanted to know if the Cast of Dads could share our thoughts on MP3 players and eBook readers.  Well, …
Continue reading Cast of Dads Episode 6: Keep On Truckin’!When something like the recent horrific earthquake in Haiti occurs, parents of young kids are left with deciding how to talk to them about it. I’m not a psychologist, so this isn’t me giving you advice about how you should handle it. For my wife and me though, the simple truth is the only way …
Continue reading Talking Haiti, Death, Tragedy And Hope With A 6 Year OldSex… is not what this post is about.  No birds and bees here.  Instead I want to talk about the “other” conversation to have with your kids as they approach the age of puberty and start to become young adults.  That is the talk about privacy and managing with common sense the digital trails we …
Continue reading Having “That†Conversation With Your Kids…My favorite show on TV these days is without question MAD MEN which has won best drama Emmy for its first two seasons. I love the era they cover, the early 1960s and the look back at American families from that period of time. The thing that comes to mind right away is just how …
Continue reading Dad MenWe dads know that we’re teaching our children by what we do, not just by what we say. This video brings home that message loud and clear. Even if our children aren’t around, we should try to stay true to our code of conduct and behave in a way that would make them proud. Remember …
Continue reading Leading by ExampleImagine having the entire first year of your child’s life in photographs, or maybe photos of the family for a whole year. Here is an suggestion of a Dad as family photo historian project.
Continue reading Photo Related Dad ProjectWell, we did it. My wife and I made it to the one-year mark. (Oh, and so did Lucy.) The first two weeks seemed like a millennium, the last fifty seemed like a millisecond. So, what have I learned, if anything? • It sounds so dang cliché to say, “It’s harder than I imagined, but …
Continue reading The First Year of Fatherhood: One Dad’s ReviewJoe Hage writes, “Parents and children, don’t worry if Junior’s grades aren’t up to snuff. His or her success in life won’t depend on them.”
Continue reading DermottThe Cast of Dads are at it again. Last week I was in Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). For a few busy days Las Vegas is converted from Sin City to Geek Heaven as the Convention Center is loaded with Gadgets galore. In honor of CES, this week the Cast of Dads …
Continue reading Cast of Dads Episode 5: Guys Love Gadgets!Over the holidays I was watching ESPN while helping my wife clean the house and two stories came on back to back the first was about Tiger Woods and the second was about Tim Tebow. Listening to these stories and the contrast of hero vs. fallen hero got me to thinking. I wasn’t raised to …
Continue reading Heroes?“It’s ten o’clock… do you know where your children are?”  In the days before mobile phones and text messaging, that was a line in a frequently broadcast Public Service Announcement.  Even in our connected world today, as parents we still DO want to know where our children are… all the time.  Now we have the …
Continue reading Foursquare And Seven Days Ago…Little loving reminders can mean a lot to your child. What little extra can you do today?
Continue reading A little love…Another year is over and a new one is beginning. This is often a time for setting goals and many people sit down to do it for themselves. I’m wondering how may of you sit down and set family goals and goals for each of your children? Initially my wife and I did not start …
Continue reading Goal SettingAs one year winds down and another begins it is always a time to look back and look forward, to reflect on the year that has passed and to plan for the year ahead. 2009 was both a challenging and rewarding year as we battened down the hatches both at work and at home to …
Continue reading Reflection and Affection