Tag Archives: son

Neatness Counts

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Neatness CountsI’m a neat freak, and I’m raising an 11-year-old slob. Where did I go wrong?

I cringe at the heap that lies on the rug in my son’s room. It includes baseball cards, Lego pieces, balled up underwear, popsicle sticks, and the first 20 pages from a book that was read into oblivion. Add the half-eaten yogurt that’s turned sideways on the desk, and I feel uncomfortable.

More than uncomfortable.

At least the bed is made. Not well, but made. I insist on that. I have to draw the line against sloppiness somewhere.

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The Reason I’ll Be Proud at His Graduation

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BR is Ready to Graduate

BR is ready to graduate elementary school

My son will be graduating elementary school later this week. For many parents, this type of event is s a sure fire way of bringing on nostalgia. Maybe some baby pictures will be whipped out and a series of ‘remember when’ conversations will ensue. I get it. I’m there too.

Many parents will also wax on about how proud they are about their child on this momentous day. But is it really such an accomplishment? Does it warrant a parent feeling pride that their child has finished the 5th grade (or 6th grade – depending on the school). After all, education is compulsory till at least 16 in every state.

Well in my son’s case, the answer is simply, yes.

And it’s all because of third grade.

To read the rest of this post, visit HuffingtonPost/the-reason-ill-be-proud

Meet My Son, SJ

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Son playing on his KindleI was sitting at the kitchen table last week writing a blog post. SJ, my seven-year old son, was at the table as well. He said to me, “I want to write a blog post.”

I laughed, “That’s cool but not now.”

“When,” he asked.

I didn’t have an answer, “I don’t know buddy.”

He asked repeatedly throughout the day, “I’m ready. Are you ready?”

“No, I’m not ready. Please stop asking me.”

While SJ has created, okay co-created, many Captain Underpants stories, I wasn’t so sure my son was up to a blog post.

So, I did the next best thing. I interviewed SJ. He really is a funny character as you may have noticed here or here or here

Anyway, here is my recent interview with my younger son. It’s slightly edited and includes responses to some prompts not noted.

1. What is your favorite thing to do when you are home?
I like to play on my Kindle. Well, there are certain games. There’s Angry Bird Start War and other Angry Bird games and Ice Age Village and Minecraft. Continue reading →

A Son Grows, A Dad Wonders

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Dad and child.

Jack and his daughter.

They change right? Our children that is. They grow up and when they do, we want them to do better than us. Isn’t that the rule?

Well, my fellow Dad Blogger, Jack, who blogs at the TheJackB surely feels this way about his son who seems to be growing rapidly right in front of his eyes. Jack, a writer and author of 39 unpublished books and three screenplays, fashions himself as a would-be superhero fighting for truth, justice, and the American Way. Over at the TheJackB, the husband father and friend covers a wide range of topics including business, technology, parenting, politics, education, sports and religion.

Trust me: the TheJackB is an engaging blog which I read regularly. So, after you read this, head on over there.

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“Dad, they shouldn’t give us so much homework to do during summer. It’s not fair and it’s not right.”

I nod my head and tell him part of me agrees with him, but it doesn’t matter because this isn’t a debate. His homework is his responsibility. It’s part of the joy of going into 8th grade and getting ready for high school.

High school.

It doesn’t seem possible that my son is almost old enough to be in high school. It is hard to fathom how fast time has gone, but it’s growing easier to imagine a time when he will not be a little boy any more.

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