Editor's note: Pope Francis has proclaimed 2021 as "The Year of St. Joseph." Pope Francis describes Joseph - the father of Jesus and spouse of his mother, Mary, in the Christian tradition - as “a beloved father, a tender and loving father, an obedient father, an accepting father; a father who is creatively courageous, a working father, a father in the shadows.” Contributor Bill Peebles wrote this tribute. A young man holds an infant in an oak rocking chair. The baby fusses and cries, uncomfortable in its new surroundings, inundated with sights and sounds so new and unfamiliar. The father … [Read more...]
Black Dad University Offers Online Resources to Teach, Coach, Encourage
A new North Carolina-based organization aims to help Black men better their fatherhood and life skills to create stronger men, children and communities, now and in the future. Black Dad University, launched last week, is an online program with a focus on improving family relationships, leadership skills and the image of Black fatherhood. Founder Alfred Smith, a professional counselor and a former pastor, says the program is part training and part coaching. It will offer courses, webinars, articles, one-on-one sessions and -- importantly -- community for other Black dads in these trying … [Read more...]
‘Crip Camp’ Stars’ Parenting Wisdom Enable All to Overcome Obstacles
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...]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 23
- Next Page »