Driving in traffic, especially Los Angeles traffic, sucks. But driving in L.A. traffic with kids is the worst. And I had to do a lot of it over the past few weeks. I used to think you really only have these options: Listen to their music (usually Katy Perry on repeat). Sing. Play “I spy.” Ignore them. But then we found the amazing world of kids’ podcasts. Not only do great kids’ podcasts keep your children quiet, focused and entertained during the long car trips we endure her in L.A. but we almost always learn something new about the world. Our favorite kids’ … [Read more...]
Go! To the Movies
Coming this summer... Oh wait it's here! Looking for a great family friendly movie to see this weekend? This is a movie everyone in the family will be laughing! My boys have all kinds of shows they watch most of which I do not watch with them. Except for Teen Titans Go - a follow-up to the popular "Teen Titans" series takes a more comedic look at the superheroes, showing what life is like for the teens when their capes come off. Funny things happen to Robin, Starfire, Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg between saving the world and being regular teens, living together without adult … [Read more...]
Happy Father’s Day!
Happy Father’s Day Sunday 8:30am: I am making a bagel while putting away clean dishes, waiting for my coffee to be done brewing and singing along with Pearl Jam. My boys are watching Larvas on Netflix in the living room and my wife is back asleep in bed (she was probably up at 5am with Mason). Miles turns 8 this Saturday. This is my 8th Fathers Day?!?! This is fatherhood at it’s best I am not bragging, but more enjoying this parenting bliss that can go as fast as it comes. The first full week of summer had a bit of a rough beginning but ended amazing. I feel like I am standing … [Read more...]
Talking is Teaching: Talk, Read, Sing and Our Day at the Dodger Game
“F — O — X…what does that spell?” asked my daughter as she looked out the window at signs along the freeway on the way to the Dodgers game.
My daughter’s interest in reading came from parents. My wife and I have been talking, reading, and singing to our three kids practically since the day we learned we were pregnant. We found a Dr. Seuss book to read while “in utero” and it became a nightly ritual. When our youngest was born, he turned towards … [Read more...]
Check out the photos from our awesome LA Dads Group ‘Art Crawl’ sponsored by WaterWipes
Disclosure: We proudly partnered with WaterWipes for this event and post. Have you ever wanted to do a big art project with your kids at home, but dreaded cleaning up the table, walls, kids, brushes, and pets afterward? It can be stressful just thinking about it! Thanks to WaterWipes, an Ireland-based company founded by a concerned parent seeking a better baby wipe, we had the perfect opportunity get super dirty at the Zimmer Children's Museum “Art Crawl” without needing to worry about the cleanup! The Zimmer Children's Museum is an interactive museum that allows children and parents … [Read more...]
Missing the Moment: Dad Lessons in Camera Operation (Video)
Has your kid done something extraordinary (like, all the time!) and you whip out your phone or camera, only to miss it by a few seconds? Well, it happens to us all the time! This time, however, we actually caught one of our L.A. Dads Group co-organizers Juan Pablo on camera trying to film his son's first attempt at surfing. We won't give away the hilarious story...but the moral of the story might just be that we should all just "be in the moment" with our kids a little bit more often, rather than watching our kids through our phone or our camera. Whatever you do, first enjoy our short film … [Read more...]
L.A. Dads featured in TODAY Parents video for Father’s Day
A couple of our local dads were featured in a video on dads by TODAY Parents for Father's Day. Thanks to Doyin Richards for putting all the pieces today. We strive to raise our children to the best of our abilities, no matter what others may say. And we had such a great time playing in the park and working on the video. We hope you enjoy and share it! https://www.facebook.com/todayparents/videos/10154763966377984/ … [Read more...]
Fodada – Fun for kids and adults that helps others in need
L.A Dad Group Member Felix Barajas recently attended a Fodada event in Southern California, so we thought it would be a great idea to share his experience and a recent City Dads Group blog post about Fodada's mission and "fun-raising" initiative. … [Read more...]
Why does safety matter?
We were invited by Britax to join them at Safe Kids Day, a family-friendly event to benefit the life-saving programs of Safe Kids Worldwide. Why is Safe Kids Worldwide so important? FACT: PREVENTABLE INJURIES ARE THE #1 KILLER OF U.S. KIDS Saving lives is a decision we can all make every day. Safe Kids Worldwide is a global organization dedicated to protecting kids from unintentional injuries, the number one cause of death to children in the United States. Throughout the world, almost 1 million children die of injuries each year. That is all we needed to hear, we are thankful to … [Read more...]
Getting the Kids Out of the City (or getting the “city” out of “City Dads”)
We all feel the stress of life as a modern-day parent. School. Work. Traffic. Bills. Politics. Scheduling kids’ activities. Shuttling kids to those activities. More traffic. Sometimes it feels like we are on a wheel that never stops. To decompress, our family a few times a year tries to visit relatives who live on a 15-acre farm in Sonoma County -- about an hour north of San Francisco and just west of Napa Valley. It is a beautiful vineyard with views of the valley below. Every morning roosters and geese wake you as they go out in search of food and water. The daylight has a soft glow … [Read more...]