Editor’s note: This story deals with the subjects of depression and suicide. If you, or anyone you know, is experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can contact the National Suicide Hotline by phone (1-800-273-8255) or text (send HOME to 741741). In this episode, Jake Wiskerchen and host Jonathan have a conversation with Chris Malenab, an assistant coach…
Category: Tales of Fatherhood
Stories of fatherhood from our team of dads.
Reno Dads Podcast Episode 21: Traveling with Kids
In this episode, Jake Wiskerchen and David Bradfield recap some of their advice in how to travel with kids, inspired by Jake’s latest article, Tips for Traveling with Kids. And from the archive, David’s article with travel tips from a former CIA officer. Shout out and special mention of the “Mile-High Blowout” article from Scott,…
My Tips for Traveling with Kids
Almost a year ago, I discussed a few brief tips on traveling with children during a Noggin Notes podcast episode. Since then, my oldest child has aged (he’s now four) and the youngest is now toddling on his own far too much for my liking, so I figured an update was due. About a month…
Life Lesson: Not All Farts Can Be Trusted
My family and I recently returned from a trip to Las Vegas for a wedding. If you’ve every traveled with kids, it seems almost inevitable that they will return home with some sort of ailment. This time was no different for my 6-year-old daughter. I thought we had largely avoided any sickness, but in the evening of…
Dad Jokes and the Importance of Laughter in my Family
Perhaps one of the greatest contributions I bring to my household and my children is the time-honored tradition of dad jokes. If you aren’t already familiar, a dad joke is a joke that elicits groans and eye rolls because it’s just the right mix of corny and punny. My family has always seemed to have…
At the two-year mark, parenting is harder, better than I thought
A few months ago, I was trying to get my 1-year-old daughter ready for preschool. She was… uncooperative. As I gathered her shoes, she came running into the living room crying, holding her blanket and a stuffed animal. “No! Daddy!,” she screamed. “Stinky butt!” My daughter, who couldn’t yet complete a sentence, took a phrase…
One Year Later: A New Dad Retrospective
A year ago, new dad Danny tried to predict what the first year of fatherhood held for him. Fast forward to today, and Danny reflects on his first year of being a dad.
Deployed Dad
Duty. Honor. Country. Our military service members live by these three words. When they deploy overseas, these words help focus them on the mission. Another word, perhaps not spoken at all, is sacrifice. Every time a service member deploys, they are making sacrifices to defend our nation. This decision truly defines what sacrifice is: giving up…
35 Family Halloween Costume Ideas
I wouldn’t have expected that I’d be advocating for family Halloween costumes, but here I am. I’ve always aggressively rejected the “matchy-matchy” gimmick. If my wife and I were even wearing the same color shirt, I’d go change. But, perhaps I’ve fully embraced this dad role, because now I look forward to planning our family…
Everyday Dad / Disneyland Dad
To a certain extent, every parent (and parenting team) has to wrestle with being the “cool” parent or the “strict” parent. I’ve seen plenty of parents who take pride in being the disciplinarian, the rule maker and enforcer, all the while knowing that their partner is relieved (in a sense) of that side of the…
Twitter on the Sh!tter: a fatherhood tradition passed down, and evolved
Saturday mornings in the Oxarart house are for breakfast. Eggs are a mainstay. Most of the time so are sausage, bacon, and potatoes. Pancakes, French toast, and biscuits and gravy offer a change of pace. A pot of dark roast coffee waits for us when we wake up. Around 9:30 a.m., after clean up, a…
The Journey of Fatherhood as Told Through 20 Star Wars Quotes
One of my favorite film series of all time is Star Wars. So, to celebrate Star Wars Day this year, I thought I’d share some fatherhood moments as expressed through Star Wars quotes. And no, I didn’t take the easy way out with the “I am your father,” Vader quote (even though I really wanted…