Each year, the Chicago Public Library Foundation sponsors a great program called One Book, One Chicago (OBOC). The question that the program asks is "What if all of Chicago read the same book at the same time?" It started in 2001, and over the years they have continued to add programming supporting discussions around each title. In 2013, they expanded the idea so that it's not just about a book, but about a theme emphasized in the book, and that the program offerings would expand throughout the system. This year the theme is "Imagine The Future" and the book is Do Androids … [Read more...]
Cirque Dreams Holidaze Leaves You Dazzled
[Thank you to Carol Fox and Associates for providing tickets to the show. The tickets were given to us, but the love of theater and acrobatic holiday performances is all our own.]
There are always some great standby holiday traditions to enjoy, like caroling, visiting Santa to get a picture and deliver a wish list, or taking in a holiday show. Now you may be a person who can't get enough of "The Nutcracker", "A Christmas Carol", or even "Mannheim Steamroller". All of those are great shows and deserving of their position … [Read more...]7 Lessons You Can Teach Your Kids as You Watch Football
I love football. Setting my fantasy football line up and cheering on my teams is one of my favorite fall traditions. As a father, I am sharing my love of the game with my kids. Watching football together is becoming a tradition with my boys. And even as it is a great pass-time and fun entertainment I am finding that there are some great life lessons that can be learned as we watch together. Here are seven of the really good ones that I have found:
1. Even if you are talented you need to work hard
Talent is not enough to succeed, you need to practice and … [Read more...]
Chicago Dads Group Is Selling Lemonade To Fight Pediatric Cancer
City Dads groups across the country don't like pediatric cancer, not one bit. This year, we are taking it to the streets in the form of lemonade stands. We are teaming up with the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) and raising money to help find a cure, one cup at a time. Here in the Windy City, the Chicago Dads Group is joining other City Dads chapters all across the United States this week to sell lemonade, take donations, and give pediatric cancer a swift kick in the butt! This Saturday from 10-noon we'll be out in Lake Zurich at Learning Express Toys. This year we … [Read more...]
Order Through Chaos: Teaching Teenagers How to Think
The other night I was playing a game of Chinese chess with my son. It's something we do every so often since the day he asked me what the game with the funny markings was. As I watched him struggle and plot out his moves, I was reminded of an experience I had in Hong Kong shortly after I had learned to play the game. I was sitting at a table in front of a copy-shop across the alley from the entrance to my apartment building in Hong Kong's Causeway Way Bay district. Across the table from me sat the owner of that shop. We were engaged in one of the many games of Chinese chess that we played … [Read more...]
Growing Up: Where will the feet that fill these shoes go?
I found myself looking at this pair of shoes left in front of the sink in our bathroom last week and I had an awful moment of enlightenment. One of those moments when a dad is forced to realize his kids are growing up. They fit snuggly on the feet of my 12-year-old son. As I stood there looking at them I could almost see him standing there looking into the mirror. I could almost see him doing any number of the routine mundane tasks he does standing in that spot, that spot now marked by his very empty shoes. Before I knew it I was imagining him doing other tasks in front of that mirror. … [Read more...]
DaddyCon Debuts in Chicago & Chicago Dads Group Will Be There
One thing we know about Dads is that when you get a group of them together great things happen! That has been one of our guiding principles here at the Chicago Dads Group. From fun playdates in the park, weekly pick-up basketball games, to epic Dad's Night Out activities our group has become a great resource for Chicagoland dads to bond over Fatherhood. That's why we are super excited when the good people over at MommyCon asked us to participate in their DaddyCon programming; a separate track of educational panels, activities, and workshops focused on fathers. What is DaddyCon? DaddyCon is … [Read more...]
Resolution: Find a Community that Supports Fatherhood
This time of year people are focused on making and keeping their New Year's resolutions. Some like quitting bad habits or making good habits are pretty straightforward. If you want to quit smoking, exercise more, read more, or eat healthily; there are very clear ways to start and places to get help. For others, like finding a community or group that will help you in your goal to be a better father, getting started on the right foot can be tricky.
That's what the City Dads Group is all about. At its core, the group wants to form diverse communities for … [Read more...]
Giving Tuesday 2017: Putting Food where Hungry Mouths are with Plum Organics
Now that we are firmly into 2018 we can't help but want to take a quick look back on one of our favorite meetups of the past year. Along with 11 other City Dads Group chapters, we participated in Giving Tuesday by helping local charities that help feed hungry children in our communities with the help of our partner, Plum Organics. Here is a little video the City Dads Group made to showcase how it went: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgSIPMfpnBA Plum Organics, the nation’s leading organic baby food brand, donated more than 41,000 pouches of their tasty meals to help children in … [Read more...]
We hope “Yule” Celebrate Happy Holidays with Us
The holiday season is a great time for a good celebration. There is so much to celebrate during the month of December. I am fond of using the term “Happy Holidays” during this season because I never know which holiday someone is celebrating, or if they are like me and celebrating everything they can.
We have a diverse group of families making up the Chicago Dads Group. This year families in our group will celebrate Yule, Hanukkah, and Christmas in all their different ways. Last year as my family was celebrating the solstice, my youngest son leaned over … [Read more...]
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