WTH are They Saying WOMBAT ROTFL???

One of the most important things in learning a new language is to speak to others in the language and have others speak to you in the same language. Also, in reviewing numerous parenting books, language acquisition of infants is greater with those that are spoken to often. Thus, from an early age parents need to be cognizant of this and need to instill the importance of communication in their kids. As your kid Read More...

Daddy’s Day Off

6:30 am – Woken up by the sound of laughing coming from Little Man’s room. Look at my phone to check the time, let out a low growl, and pull the covers over my head. 6:47 am – My covers are missing and Little Girl is smacking me in the face with my glasses. No wonder I wake up every morning with a headache. 7:09 am – LM is yelling that he needs to go use the potty. Time to get up and take h Read More...

A Morning Without the Computer

Our computer is almost never turned off. There it sits on the dining room buffet with its white pulsing light and its quiet hum. It is always there for us when we need it. And when we don’t. It is a laptop and is always accessible. Checking email, browsing the Internet or looking through old photos can be done anywhere in the house at anytime of the day or night. That is the beauty of technology. And the beast. I Read More...

Do as I say not as I do

How are we teaching out kids these days? Usually the answer is by example… well thats not so easy as I personally think kids in our generation (of being parents) are getting smarter.  I also think that the doors and walls are getting thinner and we’re getting louder.  So think about this next time you’re fighting with your spouse where are the kids? What are they hearing? and most importantly, w Read More...

Difficult Decisions

When we were children, decisions might have been tricky to make, but there was no real downside.  Did you want chocolate or vanilla ice cream?  Should you play with the figures or blocks?   Which cartoon would you watch?  No matter which decision you made, you would still have ice cream, you would still play and you would still be watching cartoons. At some point, our decisions became more Read More...

One Day He’ll Read to Me

My bedside table is an interesting case study in failure.  I say this because there are several books sitting on it that I started, but ultimately failed to finish.  The latest is my copy of ‘Washington – A Life’ which, no surprise, is a biography of the life of George Washington. I actually did better on this volume than most of the others in the pile, making it through nearly 500 pages, and t Read More...

Sensitivity and Raising a Young Man

I have had this on my mind all evening and I had to have someone to talk to about it. Though a random post for DadRevolution, I turn to this community for an open ear. If there is one thing I know about this community of online dads, it is that there is always an ear that will hear you. Let me give you the breakdown. My wife and I were having a discussion about how are son views other children that he does not know Read More...

Always Use Words, Not Violence

Children are exposed to violence everyday as they turn on the television, look on the computer, read magazines or stories. They see it in front of them and yet do not always know how to process this. If they also see and feel violence within their own home in how their families deal and react to them, this begins to teach them other things that may not be as healthy (not to say that the former list of items are Read More...

Two Small Words

In my four years of being a dad I have learned many things. I have learned how to treat the croup without going to the doctor, how to change an explosive diaper in 4.86 seconds, and how to carry two children and a laundry basket at the same time. The journey is always teaching me a lot about being a dad, and also about the kind of person I am. Fatherhood has changed my life in so many ways that I could write on eve Read More...

Reflections On What Is. . .

As my twins reach the ripe old age of twenty-six months I am reminded that our household is firmly entrenched in what is commonly called the terrible twos. And, while I’d be lying if I said that that phrase wasn’t true for us, I’d also be lying if I didn’t tell you that I’m enjoying the heck out of my kids right now. The things that they do and say on a daily basis never cease to impress me and make me sm Read More...

I’m not your friend!

My son has recently started alternating calling me “Daddy” and using my first name. Uh, excuse me?! I’m not your friend. I’m your father! Maybe when you are in your thirties we can share a beer while grilling and laugh about some of the crazy stunts you pulled on me and your mother, but I still expect you to call me “Dad” or “Pops” or something along the lines of R Read More...

Disney Dad

Last week, we headed to Disney World so my wife could attend the Disney Social Media Moms conference.  While she attended sessions to learn how better to utilize social media, I was left alone with my boys… and three park hopper Disney World tickets. Our first day together, we headed to Epcot to go character hunting.  It also happens to be Epcot’s annual International Flower and Garden Festival.  Read More...

Older Dad Blues

I got a bit of a late start at being a dad.  My amazing son was born at the end of June in 2007,  and barely two months later I turned 40.  We didn’t hold a big party for my 40th birthday party, since Mrs. LIAYF and I were still in sleep deprivation induced shock at the time.  Plus, I’m not sure I would have known how to respond to not only the jokes about being over the hill, but also about how o Read More...

Daddy Distracted

dis·tract·ed Adjective   /disˈtraktəd/ Synonyms: adjective: distraught, confused Unable to concentrate because one’s mind is preoccupied Charlotte seemed too distracted to give him much attention she ran her fingers through her hair in a distracted fashion Troubled or distraught distracted with grief Well thats the out of the book definition – its something everyone deals Read More...

Spring and New Chances

Spring is officially here today! Everyone is looking forward to warmer temperatures, abundant sunshine, and of course, outdoor playtime. We are all gearing up with new shoes, outdoor toys, and sunscreen. Finally time to get out of the quarters that held us captive for the winter and enjoy the fresh air. Besides the allergies for both myself and The Kiddos, spring is a much looked to time of year for us. Active, ene Read More...

Being a Great Role Model To Your Child

Being a good role model encompasses not only what you say but rather what you do in your everyday life. Your children are watching you everyday to learn the things that are not only expected by you, but also what is right and expected as a contributing member of society today. Thus, the things you do or do not do say volumes to your children whether you know it or not, and whether you like it or not. For me, I Read More...

Best Friends or Just Roommates?

All parents have dreams for their children. I am no different. We dream that our children will be successful and happy. Some of us have specific dreams for their career, their salary, who they will marry, or what part of town they’ll live in. Being the father of twins my number one dream, far and away, is that my kids will grow up to be best friends. I have had this dream since we found out we were having twins a Read More...

The Dishwasher Dad Grills: Zen and the Art of the Grill

It is a rare and special thing to know one’s true calling. Michelangelo was an artist, Einstein was lucky enough to stumble on physics, even Charlie Sheen seems to have settled into what nature intended for him. But most of mankind unluckily stumbles though life, fruitlessly searching. I, however, am also one of the chosen few. Alas, my natural place on earth is at the kitchen sink. If you go by Intelligen Read More...

The Importance Of Room To Play

When we purchased our house, we turned the upstairs room into a combination playroom and computer room.  We had many good days playing with baby NHL there.  When he got older and his baby brother was born, though, going up the stairs (which are perilously steep) became harder and harder to do safely.  Since it wasn’t being actively used, we began to use the room for storage.  Have a box we nee Read More...

For Reading Out Loud!

I know this is not exactly timely coming a day after the actual event, but I thought it worth mentioning that yesterday, March 9th 2011 was World Read Out Loud Day.  Read Out Day is a concept of LitWorld, and as described on their event home page is: about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to Read More...