Parenting

Post image for Wake Up! Mother’s Day is Almost Here!

In case you didn’t know it already, Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Heads up to daughters and sons everywhere, it’s time to think about the person who hopefully nurtured you through the developing stages of your life and has provided you with ongoing support and unwavering love. However, I think it is important to not just think about moms, but also those female figures in your life who have given you guidance, a helpful hand, companionship and protection. These could be moms or mother-in-laws or mother figures or step mothers or foster mothers or simply mentors who are women.

Happy Mother's Day 2013 - From HighTechDad

Happy Mother’s Day 2013 – From HighTechDad

Mother’s Day may be a commercial day, great for cards and flowers, but it is important to take a little bit of time to honor these women, all gifts aside. The mother or mother figure pretty much across the human (and animal kingdom) is the protector. In my family, my wife is the “mama bear” – the one that will throw herself in the way of any type of physical or psychological danger to protect her offspring. The mother takes on various forms in our society, and I must admit, I don’t know each and every mom personality-type out there. Heck, there are probably dads or other caregivers who assume the “mom” role. Regardless, this is their day, and you should thank them for their efforts, love and encouragement.

I do have to mention the dads out there (but obviously we have a day as well). Without dads, there would be no moms. But those moms are really great reality checks for us dads. They keep us in line. Heck, my wife calls me her fourth kid…perhaps because I act like one so often? Who knows. What I’m trying to say here is that it is important for dads to recognize their family counterparts as well on Mother’s Day. (Hey dads, did you buy your wife a card yet?)

I’m not sure if Father’s Day gets the same type of treatment. But that is fine in my book. On Mother’s Day, mom gets to be queen for a day, instead of indentured servant, slave, project manager, cook, chauffeur, cleaner, organizer, tutor, doctor, psychiatrist, fashion consultant, mentor, entertainer, social coordinator…need I go on? Of course there are professional moms who add “day time bread winner” to the mix as well. Back in 2007, I figured out that if my wife, a “stay at home mom,” were to earn a salary based on the “jobs” that she does running the household, she would pull in over $240,000!

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Post image for Did You Miss Us? We’ve Been Licking Lemon Ant Butts! Cast of Dads Podcast #57

Yep, we’re baaaack! Have you ever tried to organize the lives of 5 busy dads who are dispersed across the country and time zones? The image of herding cats comes to mind. The desire to record our Cast of Dads podcast is there, the free time, however, is not. Yeah, excuses, excuses. We did manage to all get on a call about a week ago and chat through a variety of topics though, and were able to record Cast of Dads Podcast #57, “Lemon Flavored Ant Butts.”

Cast of Dads Podcast - Episode #57

I always feel that half an hour is simply not enough time to catch up and talk about the various parenting and life topics that are on our minds. In fact, Jeff and I would like to think that a little, profanity-filled, private video that we filmed together and shared with the other Cast of Dads members when he was visiting the town where I live was the impetus for us FINALLY getting back together to discuss our life activities. Perhaps if we have time, we will clean up the video and share it with y’all. However, until then, you just have to listen in on our latest podcast!

By listening, you might think that we are all a bunch of ADHD-plagued dads (well some of us are incredibly distracted, myself included). Just take a look at the topics we covered below, from light hearted parenting questions to the horror that occurred at the Boston Marathon to those “first times” at summer camp.

The Topics

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Post image for Remember the Evil. Embrace the Good. Talk with your Kids.

Take a bucket full of water. Pour some oil into it, not too much, but enough so that is forms a small blob floating on the surface. Now find a large rock and drop it into the water and oil. What happens? Obviously there is a splash. And if you look down in the bucket, you see lots of smaller blobs of oil. Now sit back and wait. Eventually, the blobs will all coalesce into one big blob again.

Water Splash

This week, society was once again marred by evil at the Boston Marathon. As of this writing, we do not know if it was the evil acts of one individual or many. A big rock was dropped into a bucket of oil and water. A single, violent, tragic event tore apart the calm. But watch, in the horror, stories of survival and heroics emerge. And society joins together to condemn these evil acts, prays for those effected and strengthens as a whole to become better.

Is the World Evil?

When I talked to my oldest daughter about the events in Boston, she was shocked. Hearing the bombs go off on the radio gave us both chills and prickly goose bumps. I really wasn’t sure what to say. One never really does. As a parent, our duty in life is to protect, nurture, educate and love. It is difficult yet incredibly rewarding. But when that rock is thrown and the water is splashed and the oil separated, how do you talk about this with your children.

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Post image for Social Media Policy for Families

Quite a few years ago, I came up with some Social Media Guidelines, primarily geared towards businesses. I realized I also seem to write a lot of tips and recommendations for parents on how they can help their kids with social media. That got me thinking. Perhaps, I should come up with a social media policy for families (kids and their parents).

Social Media Policy for Families

Social Media Policy for Families

Below are some ideas, rules and discussion points that you might want to implement with your children as they embark down the path of social media. Of course, you can and should pick the ones that are the most appropriate for you and craft some that are specific to your family values (e.g., “you will not do social media at all until you have your own job and even then, I will be watching”).

These “policies,” guidelines and promises are divided between parents and children. There is some overlap. And honestly, I feel sometimes the best way to approach this is with some humor!

Social Media Policy & Guidelines for Families

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5 Reasons Why Social Media Might Actually Be Good for your Child

March 25, 2013
Thumbnail image for 5 Reasons Why Social Media Might Actually Be Good for your Child

WARNING: The repeated use of Social Media can be dangerous to your child’s well-being. Should we have a Surgeon General’s warning label slapped onto each and every social media site out there? What about some sort of age rating system like we have for movies, music and video games? No, of course not. The Internet [...]

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Are You Ready For Some Football and the Next Episode of the Cast of Dads Podcast?

January 27, 2013
Thumbnail image for Are You Ready For Some Football and the Next Episode of the Cast of Dads Podcast?

I simply love this time of year, that of the football playoffs and the biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl! While I don’ t have that much time to really follow sports, I have spent the past 35 years in the San Francisco Bay Area and consequently am a San Francisco 49ers fan [...]

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Jumping Into January – What I’m Missing & What I’m Not and Why It’s Relevant

January 7, 2013
Thumbnail image for Jumping Into January – What I’m Missing & What I’m Not and Why It’s Relevant

Who would have believed what a busy month January 2013 would be. As is customary for me, I can barely see the end of my nose, the end of the day or the end of an article. How the heck can I look through a month and plan ahead? Honestly, I wish that I had [...]

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13 Security Resolutions for 2013 – Follow Them or Get Hacked!

December 28, 2012
Thumbnail image for 13 Security Resolutions for 2013 – Follow Them or Get Hacked!

With just a few hours left in 2012, it’s time to think about ways to make 2013 an even better year. I’m sure that all of you are planning on going to the gym about 20 times a day, or eliminating all fat from your diet, or working to become Time Magazine’s Person of the [...]

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