As Father’s Day draws closer, my email inbox has been overflowing with one ad or pitch after another, with each one urging me to try the latest novelty grilling apron, lithium-ion battery power tool, auto/truck accessory, sporting goods, or *gasp* yet another whimsical tie. After deleting the 20th email or so, I started to realize how, over the last 20 years of my tenure as a father, very little has changed with regard to Father’s Day, the impact of stereotypes on fathers and the relationships we have with our families. Continue reading “Mindful Approach and Attitude About Modern Fatherhood”
The Working Dad’s Survival Guide: How to Succeed at Work and at Home (http://amzn.to/1PWQtky) is the first book of its kind- advice and encouragement for men who aspire to career success and being highly-involved loving dads. I recently had a chance to catch up with and interview the author, Scott Behson, PhD., so here are 10 questions with Dr. Behson: Continue reading “10 Questions With Scott Behson, PhD, Author of “The Working Dad’s Survival Guide””
This week, the online world was introduced to a young man named Carter Gentle, a brave little boy with a congenital heart defect who has undergone multiple open-heart surgeries, and when looking at his chest riddled with scars, Carter cried when seeing them out of the fear of being judged by others as hideous or ugly. Carter’s dad, though, acted nobly by sharing this story online, so that his son could hear from the rest of the world how beautiful he is because of the stories his scars tell us about uncommon strength. In less than 24 hours, Carter had over half a million people reassure him that his scars were not only nothing to be ashamed of, but stories of which he should be proud. As of this writing, that number is in the millions.
As Carter’s story spread, others came forward to share their scar stories, as well as how they came to terms with what those scars represented to them. The sharing of this story has given way to a crucial conversation on the definition of beauty as it relates to personal “flaws,” and more importantly, how we, as a society, allow our culture to define what is flawed. These conversations have been ongoing in my family for the last seven years or so, thanks to one event that could be considered any parent’s nightmare. Continue reading “The Bookmarks to Our Life Stories”
We showed up at the elementary school in our pajamas, my daughter and I. The smell of freshly delivered pizza wafted through the air, drawing us into the lunchroom, which would soon be overflowing with about 30 giddy, energetic fifth-grade girls, along with 30 quietly nervous, fidgeting parents.
The event attended was called “Girls Night Out,” which was described as a “...program to offer information on the growing up process, as well as some preparation for the changes that will be taking place in the students’ lives and their bodies.” Continue reading “Let’s Talk About Sex (and Puberty): No More Fear”
Note: I ran across this amazing and powerfully written story of father strength, conviction, and the ability to see past blind rage to do the right thing, and I knew I had to share it here…
ANGRY FATHERS
by Mel Lazarus
“Daddy’s going to be very angry about this,” my mother said. It was August 1938 at a Catskill Mountains boarding house. One hot Friday afternoon, three of us—nine-year-old city boys—got to feeling listless. We’d done all the summer-country stuff, caught all the frogs, picked the blueberries and shivered in enough icy river water. What we needed on this unbearably boring afternoon was some action. Continue reading “A Powerful Lesson in Doing the Right Thing”
