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...]
Parents Love LA! Blog Series Part 2 (Favorite Place to Eat)
This is the second post in a four-part series on why parents love living in LA. Check out last week's post and come back next week for the next in the series on the ultimate go-to spot for play dates. Where is your favorite kid-friendly place to eat (on any budget)? I’ve always felt that kid-friendly was a matter of opinion (unless the establishment has a rule against kids, then screw ‘em). We enjoy a variety of places, but we’re suckers for stuff like Golden Road Brewery where the food is good, there is root beer on tap and the kids can play ping-pong or watch some soccer. We’re also … [Read more...]
Why Los Angeles, besides the weather?
I have been living in Los Angeles for 12+ years now. I left Seattle not only to avoid the overcast, dreary days but to chase an opportunity. There are a few things I miss about Seattle, but I especially don’t miss the weather. LA has provided me with more than I could have imagined. I met my amazing wife and we had two incredible boys. My wife and I cannot think of a better place that we would want to live and raise our boys. Why Los Angeles, besides the weather? In Los Angeles, we can find anything we want and we can find things we didn’t even know we wanted. We can see concerts large and … [Read more...]
A letter to my son: sometimes the best gift is watching you grow up
I will never forget the day you decided to change the way you address me. Yes you're getting older. I'm dad. Not daddy. Daddy J was short lived. All of those references to me I love. You're maturing. I remembered in that moment when you said, "I'm going to call you Dad now. Okay." It wasn't a question of permission. It was a statement. You were putting your 'Dad' on notice of how you would address him. You just know yourself. That's great! I also remembered every milestone in your life since you entered my life. You cried the whole first evening/night and awoke hungry. You ate half a dozen … [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...]
A Parental Bedtime Story by L.A. Dad Whit Honea
We've all been there - a sleepless night that seems like a dream. L.A. Dad and blogger Whit Honea writes about one of those evenings in Southern California for the City Dads Group blog. Sometimes you just need to let kids be kids (and adults being adults)! I hope you enjoy reading Whit's post as much as I did: https://citydadsgroup.com/blog/forts-sleepless-evening-bedtime/ … [Read more...]
City Dads Talk with Marc Webb about his new movie Gifted
The highlight of my Dad 2.0 Summit 2017 experience was when I had the privilege of moderating an exclusive talk with Marc Webb for the City Dads Group. If you are not familiar with Marc, I am sure you know his work. He is a producer and director, known for 500 Days of Summer (2009), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). We got to chat with him about his new movie coming out, Gifted. Gifted Gifted caught my attention because it tugged on that "fatherhood string." I mean, what would happen to my boys if something were to happen to my wife and me? I can't … [Read more...]