THE FATHER LIFE

One of the many things that we try to teach our children is how to make a good decision.  Sometimes the problem can be that we may not always make good decisions ourselves, or we may allow emotions to influence our choices.  I found this to be true in a recent [...]

“Jingle Bells, Daddy smells.
Daddy poops on rocks!”
My three-year-old comedian thinks this joke is hilarious. I usually roll my eyes and remind my son that his take on the Christmas classic isn’t funny. My critique doesn’t seem to matter. I’m treated to about a dozen zingers about pee-pee, poop, and toots every day.
Don’t get me wrong. [...]

As a dad, I have found that one of the greatest temptations is to provide FOR my family at the expense of time WITH them.
It is so easy to do. Especially if this was modeled to us by our own father.
As men, we have a tendency to connect our identity with such things as our [...]

The parents of every generation expect and hope that their children can and will do better than they did. Ours may be the first generation, in a very long while, where it is both unlikely and unrealistic to have this expectation. The world has just gotten much more complicated, much harder, [...]

As I stepped through the automatic doors with my pregnant wife, I realized I was woefully unprepared for our first trip to the baby store. After an hour under the fluorescent lights, I was feeling lightheaded from the dizzying array of baby gear.
When the panic set in, I began sweating and [...]

In every marriage, spouses face an inevitable choice between their children and their spouse. It is a classic dilemma that confronts every couple and one that is inescapable and difficult. It is especially true in second marriages, like mine.  I have to admit, it is an ongoing issue in our home [...]

Love is more than a wonderful gift to give your children; it’s also good insurance.  Showing your love tells them they are worthy of love and respect and shapes their expectations of how others treat them.
A child who feels loved is less likely to look for love in the wrong places…from [...]

The tricky part is the hallway. I carefully try to place my foot on our wood floor hallway in the tiny spots that don’t creak loud enough for our neighbors to call the police. I gently place my hand on the door knob and open the door, without letting go because if I do it will slam into the wall. I look into the room and bask in the sweetness of my 5-year old twins sleeping silently, peacefully, infusing my heart and soul with love, affection and utter goodness.

Sitting in Starbucks the other day, waiting for my car to be serviced, I sat next to a mom who shared a “dirty little parenting secret.” Her kids, and she and her husband, have “favorites.”  She gets along better with their younger child while her husband gets along better with the [...]

Jackson, my 10-year-old son, has taught me many things about the world around me. A shower –  no matter how long – is never long enough. It is never too late in the day, nor too close to bedtime, to enjoy a good snack.  And it is not against the laws of physics [...]