Summer break is over, so I guess it’s time for me to get back to work along with all the other children. I didn’t really plan on a summer writing break; if so, I would’ve announced one instead of leaving all four of my loyal readers in limbo (I’m back, Mom!…
Author: So-So Dad
I missed the chance to write a Father’s Day post on Father’s Day, mostly because I was busy fathering my own three kids and also hanging out with my own father. Fatherhood is indeed terrific, but unless you’re Catholic or Evander Holyfield, there does come a limit to the number…
I’m a million miles from being an overprotective parent; I’m far closer to those who call themselves “free-range” parents and happily let their kids roam around once they’ve learned how to look both ways before crossing the street and to check in regularly on their phones. But I do say “no”…
Dear Lorenzo, I remember when I was learning to ride my bike without training wheels, and it did not go well. I didn’t have your freakish natural athleticism, none of that strength and balance that you have, let alone the fearlessness. So when my dad was pushing the 5-year-old version…
I gotta say, these summer days have been a lot quieter than I expected so far. Mia’s still in Boston, battling hours-delayed flights each way trying to get back. Ezra and Lorenzo both have neighborhood friends less than a block away from our house and have been gallivanting around with…
Dear Mia, You are flying over Detroit on a plane to Boston right now, and I am not worried about you. This is not bravado or bragging; I just know you well enough to know that there’s nothing to worry about. Even though it’s your first time traveling far away…
The final days of May seem like bonus time to kids: you’re already fancy-free on summer vacation, but it’s not even June yet. Fresh from school dismissal, every night still seems like Saturday night. So when 8:30 p.m. rolls around, it’s no longer time to start whipping the troops into…
A key part of our nightly routine around here is to take walks together at night — me, the kids and Fernando, all of us. Fernando’s a big boy who loves his walks, so his need for exercise is reason enough to hit the pavement after the sun goes down.…
My house has always been something of a hotbed for sleepovers. It’s an old, large house, with plenty of places to hide. Technically that means places for the kids to hide, but in practice, it also provides a lot of cover for me to hide out from the children. Seriously, this…