20 Dec

Dad and Buried Posted in Money No comments

The Disease of More

He wants more toys, even though he doesn’t play with half the ones he has. He wants more dessert, even when he can barely ask for it because his mouth is already full of dessert. He wants more time before bed, which he usually gets by tortuously extending the bedtime routine. All this demand for more makes me want less — less whining, less stress, less kids!

Of course, children aren’t the only ones who want more. Adults have the same obsession, especially parents.

Whatever Works

Yes, that’s me, sitting on the toilet with my toddler on my lap.

Allow me to explain: it’s a little parenting technique I like to call “whatever works!”

Say Uncle!

Saying “I told you so!” is not nice.

It’s not gracious, it’s not kind, and it’s certainly not something people like to hear. But that doesn’t mean it’s not satisfying!

In related news: my brother is having a baby.

How Do You Teach Gratitude?

Like many parents, I always kind of hoped that my kids would absorb decent human values through osmosis.

That just by being around average, decent people who enact and embody basic human decency on a daily basis – like me and Mom and Buried! – they’d eventually become imbued with those intangible qualities we expect good people t have.

But if my 7-year-old’s lack of gratitude is any indication, it hasn’t been working.

20 Nov

Dad and Buried Posted in SERIOUS! 3 comments

“Not All Men” Is Meaningless and Counterproductive

One night in college, a friend summoned me to her room.

I’d been interested in her for some time – I wanted to be “more than friends” – but up to that point, things had remained chaste. It was late, we’d both been out separately, doing whatever it is we’d been doing, and when I got to her room, she was clearly drunk.

Twenty years later, I still remember how I felt that night.

This is why “NotAllMen” doesn’t matter…

Dad and Buried

Tag: parenting

The Disease of More

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Whatever Works

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Say Uncle!

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How Do You Teach Gratitude?

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“Not All Men” Is Meaningless and Counterproductive

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