Broadly speaking, it's good we teach kids a few basics of safety. Not every parent is equipped to responsibly handle potentially dangerous situations. So we create very general guidelines that apply to most. That's cool. And kids should be learning about things like unwanted touches from others. Though there was a discussion at the preschool drop-off about getting everybody onboard with using the same body part names as used in the school lessons. But we all handle these things a little differently. However, when the school sent home the "Never-Never Rules" that they'll be studying soon … [Read more...]
Life in America: Active Shooters, Escape Plans and Lockdowns
“I could make the jump.” He was sitting across from me at a small bistro table sandwiched between walkway and railing. We were sharing a pretzel, one of us more than the other, and speaking of the things that people do while shopping for shorts on a Saturday. “I could jump to the escalator,” he reiterated against my disagreement. He mentioned his parkour training. He referenced his youth. “There are better options,” I said. We were in the same mall we always go to for back-to-school needs, having a new version of the same conversation we’ve had for years. The recent addition of … [Read more...]
Dads with Daughters Dating Told to Put Down Their Guns
Former NFL kicker Jay Feely recently caused a social media firestorm by posting a "joke" photo of him holding a pistol while standing between his daughter and her prom date. Is this where we still are in 2018: dads with daughters threatening their child's friends, especially given the ongoing debate over gun control in the wake of mass shootings at our schools? On this latest edition of the Modern Dads Podcast, three dads of daughters read essays they have written bashing the well-worn trope of the overprotective father. Jason Greene, a NYC Dads Group member and longtime blog … [Read more...]
The Vanishing Illusion of Safety in Wake of Yet Another School Shooting
She clings to the green monkey bar on our backyard play set with her little fingers. The nail on her right index finger is an angry purple-blue. The scar from a lost battle with the small iron trap door in the ground by our mailbox that conceals our water meter, which is as endlessly fascinating to a 1-year-old as it is hazardous to appendages. I stand below the bars, my hands resting on her hips. She presses the souls of her pink and black sneakers against my chest, smiles her heart-melting smile, and giggles as she pushes herself up. Her waist at bar level, leaning forward to peak over … [Read more...]
Raising Daughters Without Threatening Their Dates
I grew up in a house full of boys. We had black eyes and broken windows, a garage overflowing with every sports-related implement and a fridge needing constant stocking constantly as our bodies grew and our appetites remained ravenous. When I became a father for the first time I was somewhat relieved my first child was a boy. It was what I was used to and comfortable with and I knew my knowledge of what it takes to become a man would come in handy. When my first daughter arrived, I was more scared. Raising daughters was an unknown for me. I laugh now at the old me who thought it would be … [Read more...]