04 Apr

Dad and Buried Posted in Babies 3 comments

The Birthday Party Nightmare

I guess I’m a party pooper. My son turned five in September, and as usual, my wife threw him an elaborate and expensive birthday party, complete with a theme, of course. Now that we have another kid to celebrate, the birthday party nightmare is only going to get worse.

When Detective Munch turned one, it was a circus theme. For two, it was Yo Gabba Gabba! At three, it was all about trains, and at four, he and his friends got capes and dressed as superheroes. This time around, it was a pirate-themed affair, complete with invitations that looked like—and were actually burned at the edges to look like—old treasure maps, a corresponding treasure hunt, and plastic swords and eye-patches for all the scurvy little dogs to take home and subsequently use to terrorize their parents.

It was fun. My son had fun, his friends had fun, everyone had fun. Even the adults! (We provided beer and mimosas because WE’RE NOT MONSTERS.) That doesn’t mean I want to do it again.

23 Mar

Dad and Buried Posted in Babies No comments

We Are All Sisyphus

Parenting is such an incredible, all-consuming experience that it causes you to feel emotions differently than you’ve ever felt them before. Caring for your children causes many emotions to come on more strongly, and more quickly, than they used to.

Not only do you often find yourself feeling myriad emotions in quick succession, if not all at once – many of them new emotions you may not have experienced before – but you also find yourself experiencing the same ones, good and bad, every day, over and over again.

Especially if you have more than one child.

All Parents are Hypocrites

Parenting turns us all into hypocrites.

Throughout our lives, we all encounter situations in which it behooves us to disavow any and all association with certain… unsavory behaviors from our pasts. Like during a job interview, or upon meeting your girlfriend’s parents, or at church.

But those instances are short-lived, and you can go right back to being a rock star when they’re over. Unless you have kids.

Because parenting never ends.

08 Mar

Dad and Buried Posted in Fear 12 comments

Negative Impact

Despite the fact that I’m more likely to classify myself as a realist, most people would probably say otherwise.

They consider me a pessimist, especially people who don’t know me well, or don’t share my sense of humor, and a cynic. Which is fine. I turn 40 this year, I’ve long stopped worrying about other people’s misconceptions.

But I do worry about how my children see me. And about the potential negative impact my personality might have on them.

Prenatal Message: I Hate Babies

Have you ever been curious about what I was like before I had kids? Or what I thought about kids when I was single and carefree? Well today is your lucky day!

Like most of you, I had a bit of a different take on kids and parents and parenting before I became a parent – I was not yet a part of the collective – and perhaps nothing I wrote encapsulates that different take better than this piece.

Dad and Buried

Category: Future

The Birthday Party Nightmare

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We Are All Sisyphus

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All Parents are Hypocrites

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Negative Impact

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Prenatal Message: I Hate Babies

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