As parents, we like to be informed. It gives us a sense of power and control, and when it comes to our children, we feel we’re better able to make decisions to protect them and keep them safe. Every parent is faced with a critical choice to make for the health of their child –…
Category: Being a Dad
As Big Daddy Kane once said, “Dadding Ain’t Easy” (or something like that). Our dads explore best practices, dad skills and things to think about when playing the role of father. Since there’s no “how to” guide that we’re aware of, we offer our thoughts on how to be the best dad you can be.
Why I Set Up an Email Account for my 4-month-old Daughter
I just got done setting up an email account for my daughter… she’s 4 months old. A little early, you might say? She just started gripping toys, what makes me think she can actually type with those slobber-covered fingers, right? Well, if I do everything the way I’m supposed to, she won’t be checking it…
Rites of Passage at the Barbershop
Last week, I took my 14-year-old son to the barbershop. As an adult, my visits with Troy at Derby Supply are for me a simple pleasure to which I think most men can relate. Â But for a 14-year-old boy, in the twilight zone of adolescence, it can be a strange and maybe even intimidating experience….
Sh!t Dads Say at the Park
Reno Dads presents… “Sh!t Dads Say at the Park.” There are a lot of things dads say (or hear said) at the park while their kids are playing, punching, falling, and putting everything in their mouth. Disclaimers: We’re terrible actors, and aware of that. This is humor, so relax and enjoy 🙂 HUGE CREDIT to…
The Power of Play, Part II: To Play is to Be Human
Previously, I shared a story when I and a few of my college buddies stumbled upon the great game of Toilet Paper War. From there I, with the aid of UC Berkeley researcher Alison Gopnik’s article “Why Play is Serious,” attempted to convey how crucial play is to children and adults alike, especially if they…
I Envy the Man with a Man Bun
“There’s many a man hath more hair than wit.” -Shakespeare The man bun has quite the bad rap. I say to each his own, and if you can pull it off better than the new Ken doll, then you go girl! Hold on. Don’t get upset at me just yet as I’m an equal opportunist…
The Power of Play, Part I: To Play is to Learn
I can say with a sense of pride that one of my greatest qualities, one that I believe my friends and family would attest to, is my ability to be jovial. Jovial: (adjective) cheerful and friendly; synonym(s): good-natured; sociable; high-spirited; exuberant; chipper; bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Whenever I get a character question on a job application…
The Painful Truth About Fatherhood
What the hell?! Why didn’t anybody give me the straight talk about this bullshit?! To all of you seasoned parents out there, fuck you! Lemme explain my perturbed and prickly attitude. First off, I love my children, with all of that crazy instinctual love that makes one willing to kill or die for them. Anyone…
15 Travel Tips From Former Undercover CIA Officers
Travel season is getting underway and I have seen a plethora of traveling posts about traveling with kids that concentrate on trip logistics (e.g. proper planning) or general tips (e.g. packing snacks for the kids), but few that go into detail on actual security practices that will protect your children and family. Traveling, both abroad and domestically, can…
Did Becoming a Father Change Me?
As Father’s Day approaches this weekend, it’s an appropriate time to take a moment to reflect on the journey of fatherhood. More specifically, we’re reflecting on what life was like prior to becoming a father, and after our children were born. Did we change? Or was our true self revealed? Did we discover characteristics in…
Clearing the Air for Our Kids
With a 10-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son both active in soccer and baseball leagues, our family spends a lot of time in area parks. When we’re in our parks we never escape evidence of tobacco debris that’s been thoughtlessly thrown away, whether it’s cigarette butts, spit-out chew, or tobacco packaging. And though it doesn’t…
A Man with a Lot of Questions
It was the first Tuesday evening of 2017, January 3rd to be precise, when my wife broke the news to me: I was going to be a father. When I got home around 7:45 that evening, she surprised me with a gift that she had “forgotten” to give me Christmas morning. It was wrapped inside…
