Parenting

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 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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Post 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 is all about freedom of speech and expression and is a wealth of knowledge. But we all continue to get the message that social media is dangerous for children. Even I have written a couple of articles to that effect.

Surgeon General's Warning: Social Media can be dangerous to child.

Surgeon General’s Warning: Social Media can be dangerous to child.

But as I reflect on it and watch how my children use social media, I wouldn’t be a balanced parent if I didn’t look at both sides of the argument. Sure, social media can be dangerous to children, but there are lots of caveats to that statement. In fact, the statement needs to be really qualified. “Unmonitored” social media makes that statement much more true than without the descriptor. But I won’t be dissecting that statement. Instead I will offer one that is potentially controversial: Social media might actually be good for your child.

I’d like to preface my reasoning however. I am not saying to just turn your child loose on social media. I am, however, saying that not all aspects are dangerous to them. In fact, I believe that some social media, in moderation, can have a positive influence on a child’s life.

5 Reasons Why Social Media can be Good for a Child

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Post 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 (and SF Giants as well when it’s baseball season). Also, before they moved the football season out a week or two, the Super Bowl used to fall on or around my birthday. In fact, I remember back in 1985, Super Box XIX was held in the Stanford University stadium (I grew up on the Stanford campus) and I had a birthday party to watch the SF 49ers beat up the Miami Dolphins. Every time the 49ers would score, my friends and I would rush outside to hear the stadium crowds just a mile or so away.

Cast_of_Dads_episode_56

Because many dads like sports (and we actually have a pretty good representation of dads in the Cast of Dads since there are plenty of dads who do NOT follow sports – we give Jeff Sass grief every time we talk about sporting events), we did kick off episode 56 (“Our Picks for the Big Game“) talking about the Super Bowl (and how I know the 49ers are going to win).

But, as is typical on the Cast of Dads, we went well beyond just sports, we covered movies, summits, secret projects, illness, New Year’s and a whole lot more (see The Topics below).

The Topics

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As a Blogger or Brand, Why is Continuity Important?

November 29, 2012
Thumbnail image for As a Blogger or Brand, Why is Continuity Important?

Having just completed my 7th year of blogging, I have learned quite a lot. What started for me as simply a way to both help people and provide insights on a variety of topics, now has become part of my life and my persona. As my website has matured, I have uncovered nuances and patterns [...]

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And We’re Back! Thanksgiving Episode #54 of the Cast of Dads Podcast

November 21, 2012
Thumbnail image for And We’re Back! Thanksgiving Episode #54 of the Cast of Dads Podcast

It seems like life got the better of us Cast of Dads. We have been on a bit of a hiatus as we get our crazy lives in order…well, who’s to say that our lives will ever be less hectic or in order for that matter. But we wanted to get together to record an [...]

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Huffington Post Launches “Screen Sense” – A Site for Parenting & Tech

October 25, 2012
Thumbnail image for Huffington Post Launches “Screen Sense” – A Site for Parenting & Tech

Yesterday, the Huffington Post launched a new property called “Screen Sense” which is a new resource designed to help parents understand and learn how to work with technology in their lives as well as their children’s. As part of the launch event, I was invited to participate in discussing this exact topic on Huffington Post [...]

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How to Be a Kid Again – An Adult’s Primer with Some Help from Klutz!

September 25, 2012
Thumbnail image for How to Be a Kid Again – An Adult’s Primer with Some Help from Klutz!

I will bet you that I can read your mind…even via a blog post. Quick, think of a country (English name only) that starts with the letter “D.” Now take the last letter of that country and think of an animal that starts with that letter. Ok, now take the last letter of that animal, [...]

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