When I drove up to the house, my children practically laid down in front of the car, blocking the entrance to the driveway. (I think they decided they have had enough, and didn’t want me around anymore.) Then I discovered they had covered the driveway with artwork using their “blackboard chalk on steroids,” chalk sometimes […]

As the father of a toddler, I am an expert on dirty diapers. I know exactly what to do with them: throw them out!
But along comes a New York waste company and a town in California who want me to do something else with my dirty diapers. Like cover my roof with them. Or walk […]

For every season, check, check, check,
There is a chart, check, check, check,
And a chart can replace some of your nagging.
A chart for chores,
A chart for grades.
A chart for homework,
A chart for hygiene.
A chart for tracking tv.
A chart for everything….
I used to spend all of my seasons nagging. The song at our home used to sound […]

Sex has a lot to answer for - babies usually - which then with time and much financial investment grow up to be beautiful mutations of their parents. Yet as the family absorbs more money as it grows, the need for financial planning and protection becomes more important. So, where do you start and how […]

I am a dad. I have been now for over 8 years. And I suppose I don’t know just everything there is to know about being a dad, good bad or otherwise.
I have learned a couple of things though.
My wife, Susan and I had been married for about 6 years before my daughter, my oldest […]

Imagine having no television for an entire season. Such was the case for a friend, whose mother hauled the appliance right out of the house at the start of every summer. Surprisingly, Ola and her siblings didn’t miss it, as they managed to keep themselves busy in other ways. And, today, Ola is glad her […]

My daughters and I went to the beach several weeks ago. They were having a blast playing in the freezing cold water as I tiptoed around the waves, trying to keep my feet from becoming frost bitten. Next to us in the water was a mother with her daughter who was no more than 18 […]

The initial state of happiness about an own child is often overcome with annoyance after even a short period of time. Children quickly grow an own personality, and it’s the most vital task of the parents to help develop it and give it a shape. Otherwise, the little angel can turn into a little devil […]

When I was a small child, my parents discouraged me from entering their bedroom, unless it was absolutely necessary. I sensed necessary meant that, at a minimum, a nuclear strike had to be imminent. I was almost sure their attitude stemmed from fear that I might catch them watching cartoons. Of course, as I got […]

Although it might seem pretty corny to a lot of folks today, the old Andy Griffith Show really did have a lot of common sense family values that we could learn from today.
Take for instance the episode “Bailey’s Bad Boy” that guest starred Bill Bixby as a spoiled rich teenager who wanted his rich dad […]