I had many jobs before a got married and become a dad. One of the more interesting ones involved working at a pawn shop during college. Back then, at the age of 21, I had no idea how much the job of pawnbroker would prepare me for the job of parenting. To start with, the pawn shop taught me was how to spot a liar. A liar will tell you his item works perfectly while pieces of it are literally falling off as he speaks. A child will tell you he isn’t responsible for the green footprints on the floor even though he just so happens to have green paint all over his hands … and cheeks … and feet. … [Read more...]
Co-Parenting During Pandemic Possible with Proper Precautions
EDITOR’S NOTE: City Dads Group is working with longtime partner Dove Men+Care to create “how to” videos for the grooming products company’s “Dads Care” campaign. We will be featuring the videos and scripts our members appear in. This one features Flor Mercado of our Orlando Dads Group, with a little help from his daughter talking about co-parenting while social distancing during the pandemic. Co-parenting can be a struggle sometimes and, let's be honest, adding social distancing to it can bring up even greater challenges. For those unfamiliar with co-parenting, it is when a mom and a dad … [Read more...]
Military Service Made Me a Better, More Resourceful Parent
I was a major in the U.S. Air Force when children entered my household, and while I have memories of the 1990 TV show "Major Dad" featuring a Marine who tried to run his household like he ran his battalion, I was not that guy. After all, the six months preceding the birth of my now 14-year-old were spent deployed to Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, where my greatest concerns were getting caught going AWOL to attend a friend's wedding in Florida or ensuring I visited all the Smithsonian museums before it was time to go home. I've never required 0500 PT sessions, spit-shined shoes, or … [Read more...]
Wants and Needs: Teach Your Children the Difference with These Tips
EDITOR'S NOTE: City Dads Group is working with longtime partner Dove Men+Care to create “how to” videos for the grooming products company’s “Dads Care” campaign. We will be featuring the videos and scripts our members appear in. This one features contributor Mike Dorsey and his children, Maxwell and Morgan, talking about the differences between wants and needs.
To start this process, you should have your kids define "needs" and "wants" in their own words. When you allow your children to do this, it helps them understand the concept in their own terms. For … [Read more...]Light Still Can Be Found Even Amid Darkness of These Times
I’m gonna break character here and tell y'all something. Normally, I try to remain positive and affirmative and gentle, bordering on Pollyannaish, but some days I feel different, discordant … broken. The something I want to tell you seems obvious to me. These are dark fucking times. You may quote me. The news, honestly, breaks me often. The pain and suffering. The jingoism and economic imbalance. Pleas for money so our kids can fucking eat. Campaigns that say nothing of weight or promise and only attack with a ferocity that shears my soul. I go on Facebook -- the only social network I … [Read more...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 17
- Next Page »