Allowance can be a tricky subject to tackle. Even my wife and I have differing views on allowance. When someone brings up the conversation of allowance, the traditional understanding tends to be that you pay your child a certain amount of money in exchange for their completion of a list of chores. This mimics the…
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.
Navigating the Transitions
My son Jameson is two years old, and he’ll be three in another month, but it feels at times like he’s going on five or six. He says and does some of the most grown-up things I never would’ve imagined he’d be doing at this point in his young life. He quite frequently tells me,…
What Do I Want for Father’s Day?
Every Father’s Day, we’re bombarded with advertisements that tell us what to get dad for a gift. And let’s be honest, some of it is really cool stuff! But, we asked actual dads what they want for Father’s Day this year. This isn’t a sponsored post. We’re not endorsing any products. This is what real…
Perspectives on Parenting from Higher Education
I got into teaching English in higher education, in part, because I love learning. College was fun for me, even in spite of its challenges; in fact, the challenges were what made it so fun. Discovering new ideas and new ways of looking at and living in the world were invigorating. They still are— that’s…
The Importance of Community Sports
Who Is Advocating For Our Children? I began writing this post about the importance of community sports, specifically youth sports like baseball and soccer, in February before COVID hit hard. At the time, I was watching the impact that travel and club sports were having on community sports organizations. I wanted to appeal to our…
Mission Critical Broadcast Interview
I recently had the opportunity to sit down for an interview with my former CIA teammate Mark (Center Line Systems) and his buddy, Lee (an addiction counselor in Minnesota), on their new Mission Critical Broadcast. We spoke a lot about our Reno Dads mission, our perspectives on our role as fathers, and some inside stories…
Childcare During Quarantine
I have been in the childcare field ever since I was old enough to pick up a bottle and a baby. Over the years, I have seen all different kinds of childcare environments including daycares, ABA therapy services, facilities, and in-home care. I can confidently say that having a nanny is one of the most…
Elite Sports Jiu-Jitsu Gi
Right before COVID-19 struck, Elite Sports and I were talking about their Gi products and they sent me a jiu-jitsu Gi to try out and share my thoughts on. Naturally, as the Gi arrived, everyone went on lock down! So, like so many folks, I am on a jiu-jitsu hiatus thanks to this virus, but…
COVID-19 Schedule for Kids
I don’t know about you all, but this COVID-19 event hit our house pretty hard. Thanks to my (still classified) adventures in the CIA during Arab Spring, my family has been through a society collapsing event before, so that part wasn’t really a big deal. We are generally pretty prepared with endless amounts of food,…
5 Ways to Support Your Child During the COVID-19 Pandemic
As parents, the COVID-19 crisis has introduced a number of new responsibilities, stressors, and challenges. Whether it’s dealing with a changing employment situation, taking charge of your kids’ schooling, adjusting to a new schedule, or generally feeling uncertain about the future, life looks a lot different right now. This can leave you feeling anxious, fearful,…
Stuff to Do While You’re Socially Distancing
If you’re like most families right now, you’re at home with your kids all day every day, and have probably even run out of things to do. Can we plop the kids in front of their iPads for hours on end? Sure, but that’s kind of pathetic, isn’t it? We can do better. The blessing…
Navigating the Autism Spectrum
Many people may know that April is autism awareness month, but what most of you don’t know is that my son has autism. Don’t know much about autism? Most parents don’t really understand it until they are told their child is on the autistic spectrum. Autism Spectrum Disorder is defined as “A developmental disorder of…