We live in a world where everyone voluntarily carries a powerful tracking device with us everywhere we go. Most of us wouldn’t dream of giving it up. We love the fact that “getting lost” has become a thing of the past. We enjoy being able to tag our location in travel photos with a single tap. We’ve gotten used to the luxury of taking an Uber any time of the day or night. There’s no doubt location tracking has incredible benefits. But in the realm of parenting it can also create tension, resentment, depression, and some downright nasty arguments. Teenagers can feel controlled, spied on and … [Read more...]
Rules for Children May be Too Absolute for All Situations
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...]
Install, Use Child Car Seats the Right Way for Safety’s Sake
Installing child car seats suck but there's no denying how important properly using these devices is to saving lives and minimizing injuries during an accident. Using a booster seat or regular seat belt when your child gets older is just as vital. These are the messages we at City Dads Group want to reinforce with all our moms and dads as we start National Child Passenger Safety Week 2018. Vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children in the United States. An average of two children under age 13 were killed per day in 2016 while riding in a vehicle, according to national … [Read more...]
Termites Turn My Home, Our Life into the Family Circus
Contrary to popular belief, the circus, flea or otherwise, does not roll into town upon a belt of railroad cars. Rather, it shows up at your house on a flatbed truck sometime between 9 a.m. and noon on a Tuesday. The big top can be seen for blocks, just around every bend, proudly announcing its arrival despite the glaring lack of midway. I am the clown in this scenario. So it was that I found myself spending the entire Monday prior going through every shelf, drawer and pantry of our home, double-bagging any edible item — sealed twice with a zip tie — and discarding the expired. In the … [Read more...]