Is your family generally optimistic? In today’s anxiety-inducing culture, optimism can be elusive — especially for kids. Fortunately, a new book titled Making Lemonade: Teaching Young Children to Think Optimistically can help parents nurture their children’s sense of optimism from an early age. Laura Colker and Derry Koralek are early childhood educators who begin their book with a hopeful premise: optimism is primarily a learned way of thinking, not an inborn mindset. Genes account for “about 25 percent of our optimism ... the other 75 percent is determined by environment, social … [Read more...]
Mixed Gender Sleepovers: Cause for Scandal or Celebration of Diversity
My oldest is now 10. Last year, or maybe it was two years ago, he went to a sleepover birthday party as kids do. At the time, I didn't think anything of the fact that he was the only boy on the invite list. After the party ended, I forgot it had even happened. I was at another party a few months ago where the topic was "that party with the boy sleeping over." The parents were sagely nodding to each other, relieved that one girl just went for the movie and didn’t sleep over. According to the group wisdom, her parents had done well. "Uh, yeah," I finally said. "That one boy there was my … [Read more...]
Adventurous Eaters Club Wants Kids to Explore Kitchen, Play with Food
One of the many universal struggles we parents go through with our kids is getting them to eat diverse and healthy meals. Life, after all, has more and better things to offer than just chicken nuggets and boxed mac and cheese.
Help is here for many moms and dads with the arrival of The Adventurous Eaters Club: Mastering the Art of Family Mealtime, a new family cookbook by actor Misha Collins of TV's Supernatural and his wife, Vicki.
The book, available starting today, tells the Collins' story of struggling to get their firstborn … [Read more...]
November Mustaches Means Movember Men’s Health Movement is Back
Time to sprout those November mustaches, men! City Dads Group is once again asking its members to grow November mustaches to support The Movember Foundation, a leading global organization dedicated to bringing awareness to serious health concerns for men such as testicular cancer, prostate cancer, mental health and suicide. The month-long campaign challenges dudes (and those who love them) to grow mustaches or exercise during the month to spark conversation and raise funds for research for things such as cures and treatments for cancer and improvement suicide prevention efforts. Since … [Read more...]
Halloween Dad Jokes Frightfully Funny, Punny and Treat Worthy
Halloween dad jokes may be the scariest part of this once ghoulish holiday. I mean, c'mon -- the most horrifying thing about trick-or-treating nowadays is the shrinking size of the candy bars. Fun size, my disembodied eye! As a service to our readers (and disservice to their friends, co-workers and relatives), we have scoured the internet for the best/worst Halloween dad jokes. If you use these, you will prove you know jack o' lanterns about the puny business of this horrible, horrible season. Enjoy ... and beware. Beeeeeeeeeeewaaaaaaaaaaaare! Best/worst Halloween dad jokes Q: What do … [Read more...]
Dads Day of Action Brings Paid Family Leave Issue to Capitol Hill
City Dads Group members took to social media Tuesday to support efforts in Washington, D.C., to convince U.S. lawmakers of the importance of paid family leave and erasing the stigma of fathers taking time off to care for their children. Nearly 50 of our dads and other fatherly friends used #Dadvocates, #PaidFamilyLeave and #PaternityLeavePledge on Twitter and Instagram to tell their stories about the need for parents to receive paid time off from work to care for their children, especially in those critical early … [Read more...]
Pay Attention: Life’s Best Stories Found Around the Diamond’s Edges
I remember being extra fidgety one Sunday morning while sitting in the stark white Presbyterian church of my childhood. I used to bounce my leg a lot when I was littler -- something one of my own sons does now -- and my dad would pinch my knee between his thumb and forefinger to stop. This particular Sunday, my dad had done this a few times, each with increasing pressure. It was an autumn day and the Cincinnati Reds -- the legendary Big Red Machine of the 1970s -- were in baseball’s playoffs once again, and I was distracted. I really didn’t want to be there. Finally, my dad had to … [Read more...]
Trick-or-Treating Tips for Parents Seeking Sweet, Tasty Success
Ready or not, here comes Halloween! By now, you've probably run across some of the hundreds of articles on the internet offering tips that guarantee a successful night of trick-or-treating for your kids. But what about trick-or-treating success for parents? We got your back! If your children are young, you’ll need to go trick-or-treating with them. Before leaving your house, set out an empty basket on your front porch. Make it look like it’s been tipped over. Add a sign that says, “Take one!” Kids (and more importantly their judging parents) will think you’ve already run out of candy and … [Read more...]
Why I Love Secretly Observing My Children Play Tennis
On a hot summer morning, I walk stealthily from my car to the covered pavilion in between two rows of tennis courts at the front of the park. I make sure to approach from a particular direction, keeping the small trees and bushes between me and the courts so I remain unnoticed. I sit on a weathered green bench attached to a picnic table. I disrupt a squirrel’s meal and, startled, it scampers away to safety. I’ve given up some things to be a stay-at-home parent — career, money, a large swath of my sanity — but moments like this make the sacrifice worth it. Quiet moments of secretive … [Read more...]
City Dads Helps Pampers’ Mission to End Diaper Changing Table Inequity
Changing your child’s diaper when out on the town is never fun, but Pampers and Koala Kare have made things a little bit easier for dads to handle. City Dads Group has signed on to help Pampers, the maker of the world's No. 1 selling diaper, in its recent commitment to install 5,000 changing tables in men’s restrooms throughout the United States and Canada by 2021. City Dads Group members and followers are being asked to nominate local businesses and public spaces in their communities that are in need of changing tables. With your help identifying these locations, Pampers will continue … [Read more...]
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