“Is Father’s Day outdated?” That's what Mary Schmich, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune, asked in 2018. For me, the answer is a resounding “no.” As long as there are men, fathers will be relevant and worth celebrating. And, I don’t just mean “father” as though it were interchangeable with the word “parent.” A parent, in my view, can be of any gender or none at all. If you are willing and capable of taking on the responsibility of parenthood, you can be a parent. A parent’s responsibility is to educate, entertain, guide, protect, provide for and love their child. My success as a parent … [Read more...]
Fathers Celebrated for Mountains of Worthwhile Life Advice
“Don’t be daft!” That’s one of the most memorable fatherly mantras from my childhood. It came courtesy of Jerry, the father of Tim, one of my best childhood buddies. I was lucky enough to grow up with about a dozen close friends, and Tim’s house was often our headquarters, thanks in part to his beloved father. At first, I didn’t know what “daft” meant. But since Jerry would usually bellow the words half-jokingly after some of our shenanigans, I learned it meant “foolish” or “silly.” Jerry died years ago, but his mantra returned recently as I packed for a trip to Folly Beach, S.C. That … [Read more...]
Watch: Raising Future Leaders with Ziauddin Yousafzai of Malala Fund
The role dads can play in raising future leaders and social cause advocates will be the focus of a talk Wednesday, featuring the father of human rights activist Malala Yousafzai. “Let Them Fly: Raising Empowered Leaders, Advocates, and Citizens” will be hosted by City Dads Group co-founder Matt Schneider in New York City at 7 p.m., June 12. A live stream will be available on YouTube starting at 7:30PM. Ziauddin Yousafzai, co-founder and board member of Malala Fund, will be one of the featured speakers. His efforts to resist Taliban efforts to limit freedoms in Pakistan inspired his … [Read more...]
Paternity Leave Campaign Aims to Create Advocates Online
With Father's Day nearing, Dove Men+Care wants to cultivate advocates for paid paternity leave through a newly created forum on social media. The grooming products company, a longtime outreach partner with City Dads Group, has launched Advocates for Paternity Leave, a closed Facebook group. In this digital space, DM+C hopes expectant dads, families and other individual and business allies will find inspiration to help change federal laws regarding paid family leave, engage with other like-minded activists, and learn how to advocate for the cause, according to company spokespeople. As … [Read more...]
Teen Metamorphosis and the Parenting Cocoon
There were butterflies everywhere, so many that I was hesitant to open my mouth for fear one might accept the invitation. Besides, taking this walk was my turn to listen. The only sounds were a panting dog and the distant waves of traffic. My oldest son, on the cusp of 16, was a step ahead, leash in hand and disappointment everywhere. The walk had been my idea — even though he and the dog have a daily date to do so — this one wasn’t to schedule and being voluntold for the excursion conflicted with his plans to plan nothing. The dog, however, was thrilled. The hope for a conversation … [Read more...]
‘How to Raise a Boy’ Takes Reassessment of Teaching, Relationships
Michael Reichert says that just as we no longer believe a girl's destiny is set by her biology, we need to think the same about boys. The old "boys will be boys" notion of masculinity is not inherent in their DNA. That and our understanding of how boys learn are among the many things Reichert, the founding director of the Center for the Study of Boys' and Girls' Lives at the University of Pennsylvania, says people need to change if we are to raise a new generation of men who can form strong relationships without falling into the macho stereotypes and sexist behaviors of the … [Read more...]
Add Life to Your Work-Life Balance with These Tips
The stress and commotion of the workplace can attach to you like a leech. By the time you get home from another long work day, any desire you had to do anything with your family can suddenly become the lowest of priorities. You kick your feet up and reach for the remote, but ... You know dang well that your kid and family need you. They want you to play, help with things around the house, and plan for the future. But you are just so exhausted. So how does one find the "life" in work-life balance? I've been on a constant search for that during the past few years. I look to determine … [Read more...]
Fathers Eve 2019 Shaping Up to Be Biggest Paternal Party Yet
Be it backyard cookouts, touch football games or just beers at a local bar, several City Dads Group chapters plan to gather June 15 for a pre-Father’s Day celebration of the dad life. The events are organized under the banner of Fathers Eve, an international movement sparked by one of our Minnesota members. It's purpose is to give men a chance to get together and toast the greatest title any man can hold: dad. Twin Cities Dads Group co-organizer John Francis created the event in 2012. He invited several dad friends to his house to drink beers, shoot some pool and swap stories about … [Read more...]
‘The Life of Dad’ Book Shares Celebrity Fathers’ Wisdom on Parenting
Celebrity dads -- they're just like us humans! Jon Finkel and Art Eddy know because they've spent years interviewing fathers from the worlds of sports and entertainment for their writing and podcasting projects. The two veterans of the Life of Dad online community have collected some of the wisdom they have heard from famous fathers in book form, and we discuss it on the latest episode of The Modern Dads Podcast. The Life of Dad: Reflections on Fatherhood from Today's Leaders, Icons, and Legendary Dads is billed as "an all-encompassing, entertaining distillation of the full dad … [Read more...]
‘Could I Be Doing More?’ Question Vexes Busy Modern Parents
Sometimes, as parents, we look at our day-to-day activities and wonder: Could I be doing more? The simple answer is "Yes!" We can always do more. But the real question to ask is this: SHOULD I be doing more? I have been a stay-at-home parent to twins for almost four years -- saving us money that would be going toward a nanny or daycare, maybe a cleaning service or takeout food not to mention gas and tolls for commuting to work. But those kinds of doubts about the need to do more come easily to me because I don’t have a "paying job.” This is even after many mornings of doing multiple … [Read more...]
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