I Screw Up A Lot
What have I learned in six years of fatherhood? That a good portion of parenting appears to consist of screwing up, doing your best to make sure your kids don’t see you screwing up, and praying that you do better the next time you think you’re about to screw up. I still find it mystifying that video games come with instruction guides but children don’t. … Continue reading I Screw Up A Lot
To Those Who Are Kind
My boy had a rough time this morning. Allergy season always takes a heavy toll on him, but we’re usually able to get him back on his feet through judicious application of Zyrtec and Benadryl. That apparently isn’t going to be enough this year, with the pollen counts reaching in the quadrillions. This meant a trip to the pediatrician and a request for the only … Continue reading To Those Who Are Kind
Let Them Lose
Partly because of my job, and partly because of all the “millennial” frustration I see on-line everyday, I’ve come to a conclusion regarding my own kids: I have to love them enough to let them fail. Let me clarify. We all want the best for our kids. We want them to grow up happy, healthy, and most of all successful. We put a lot of … Continue reading Let Them Lose
Destroying Childhoods or Ruining What My Kids Make Me Watch
I think something inside me has finally broken. My beloved wife likes to joke (at least I think she’s joking) that I spoil everything. This usually comes up in response to my habit of watching TV or movies with what I would refer to as an analytical eye. She just calls it pooping on everything. I can’t help myself. I watch something and I immediately … Continue reading Destroying Childhoods or Ruining What My Kids Make Me Watch
The Only Difference
What’s the difference between parenting a child with special needs vs. one without? I struggled with that question when my boy was first diagnosed autistic. Him being our first born, I was still just trying to figure out parenting period. What do you do when your child has a condition you can hardly understand or identify with? It took me a long time, too damn … Continue reading The Only Difference
Why God Made the Children Cute
Let’s get real for a moment. What would you do if someone did this to you? What about this? This? HOW ABOUT THIS?? I’ll tell you what you’d do – you’d call the cops, call an exorcist, or mete out violent retribution with your own two thirsty-for-blood fists. Unless, of course, those responsible happened to look like this: I have suffered each of these … Continue reading Why God Made the Children Cute
Autism Isn’t the Enemy
“Do I hate autism?” I found myself awake one night wrestling with that question. It had been a harder evening than most, one wherein my son had dealt with way too much sensory overload during a trip to the mall. This resulted in a meltdown that was far more explosive than what his mother and I were used to. All in full view of an alternatively pitying … Continue reading Autism Isn’t the Enemy
To Medicate Or Not To Medicate
I know this seems a bit out-of-place, but I’ve noticed lately on some of the online dad groups I frequent that a lot of parents are struggling with the issue of medication for mood disorders like depression or anxiety. Whether it be for themselves or even their kids. Lord knows I have. After all, when you’re hurting, all you want is relief. Even more so when … Continue reading To Medicate Or Not To Medicate
The Worst Bully
One of the things that scares me the most about parenting is what might happen if or when my boys find themselves in a situation where they’re being bullied. I know with the boys being 4 and 6 it’s a little early for me to start worrying about something that may never happen, but it honestly wears on my mind. Especially now that they’re both … Continue reading The Worst Bully
Fatherhood in the Trenches 