Need a new parenting mantra? Try this: “Most things are possible when you assume problems can be solved.” That is one of the nuggets Judith Heumann provides in her recent memoir, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist. I discovered Heumann while watching Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution this past summer with my teen daughters. The film is nominated for Best Documentary Feature at this year’s Oscars. In the film’s Camp Jened footage from 1971, Heumann is a young wheelchair user and camp counselor who has polio. But her skills as an activist are already … [Read more...]
‘What Girls Need’ Author on Raising Daughters Who Hold Their Own
Top Gun fired up a generation of children to want to fly fighter jets, including Marisa Porges who made it far than most of those dreamers. The author of What Girls Need: How to Raise Bold, Courageous, and Resilient Women started her career as a naval flight officer and eventually became a leading counterterrorism and national security expert in the Obama White House. Porges, now the head of The Baldwin School, a 130-year-old all-girls school outside of Philadelphia, talks about the importance of fathers -- including her own -- encouraging their daughters to pursue their dreams and how … [Read more...]
Quitting Team Not an Option Because Participation is More Valuable
I’ve seen this before – a half-assed tryout, making the track team and, suddenly, floating the idea wanting to quit before the second practice. Yes, my seventh grader, Lynden, hopes that his subtle hints about leaving the school track team will garner my support to do so. He must not know I value the act of participating more than he does. “Dad, track is boring,” he mentioned in passing the morning after tryouts. I said nothing and picked him up from practice later that day. That evening, on the van ride home, Lynden escalated the quitting chatter, “With everything else going on, … [Read more...]
Set Example of Good Parenting for Little Eyes, Ears are Always Upon You
My 7-year-old son has been copying more of what I’m doing lately, major and minor things. He’s been wanting to learn how to cook. He's started display his action figures the same way I do with my collection. He's also started beating me at checkers. I think its because he spends a lot more time than usual with me at home because of the coronavirus pandemic along with him being at an age where he observes and analyzes a lot more of what I do. In that way, it's a good thing. He is gaining a keen insight into the exciting world of being a stay-at-home dad. The drama. The intrigue. The … [Read more...]
Delivery Room Dads Need to Know These Do’s, Don’ts
Dear Dads-To-Be, Being with your significant other when she delivers your baby is a slippery slope. It’s an incredible experience but, at the same time, being in the delivery room during the birth offers many opportunities for a dad-to-be to make a fool of himself. Don’t be that dad. Before the big day, you need to understand some unwritten rules, a protocol of sorts, for delivery room dads. While a few may be common sense, most I had to learn the hard way. As a three-time father, I’m here to help. Follow these Do's and Don’ts for Delivery Room Dads and you will be well on your way to … [Read more...]
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