Disclosure: We are proud to partner with Dove Men+Care for its #ThereToCare campaign."Who was #ThereToCare for you?"That's the tagline to this year's annual Father’s Day campaign by Dove Men+Care grooming products, a frequent partner of ours at City Dads Group. The question aims to put the focus not just on fathers but on men who served as father figures to others."Dove Men+Care also wants to acknowledge the other men who have stepped in to care for the next generation. From grandfathers to uncles, to teachers and coaches, there are many men to thank for their roles in shaping us," … [Read more...]
Divorced Dad Worries about Legacy of Loving Left for Sons
I see what I want for my own children: always to have love in their lives ... whether that be in a monogamous, lifelong relationship or whether their evolutions take them on journeys with multiple partners — or other forms I can’t even imagine. _____________ I have been to a couple of weddings in the past few months. As one who has been married and divorced twice, I have felt myself wince each time when the couples pledged to be together for life.The wince registers on many levels. An abiding sense of failure on my part, particularly with my second marriage. I have two sons, now ages 10 … [Read more...]
Daughter Flirts with 1st Date, Dad with 1st Stroke
Scene: Our dining room, evening. My daughter and I are setting the table.Her: Hey, Dad. Want to hear a funny story?Me: Always. Let's hear it.Her: OK, so today at lunch, I'm sitting outside with Grace and Skye. And we're just, whatever, hanging out by the art studio and this guy comes up to us.Me: What guy?Her: Just some random guy.Me (pausing to process): Random guy. A random guy. Like a guy your age? Or a 50-year-old guy in a raincoat roaming around your campus? Do I need to call someone?Her (rolling eyes): Oh my God. I'm talking about a kid who goes to my school. … [Read more...]
When My Child Becomes Our Child
Editor’s Note: City Dads Group is proud to occasionally feature writing from members of The Handsome Father, a support community that helps connect, prepare and inspire gay fathers. In this piece, Patrick Roth writes about letting his new husband into his daughter's life.I was a single parent during my daughter’s preschool years. It was a period of transition for us. We moved from the West Coast to the Midwest, contracted to build our first house and learned to live with the new dynamic of single dad and his little girl. I can remember tucking her in, reading bedtime stories and … [Read more...]
Racing to New Family Traditions
Even on her most temperamental day, my daughter knows she has a father and stepfather who are with her, all the time, all the way. With her at the starting line, with her at the finish line. It’s true on race day every spring, and it’s true in her life.
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I fly back to my hometown of Boulder, Colo., every Memorial Day weekend to run in its annual 10k race. While I’m sure the "Bolder Boulder" began as an actual competitive event, it’s transformed into a mobile festival that winds through the city's most beautiful neighborhoods. My husband and I have … [Read more...]