Dad Abilities

Field notes

Short writing from the workshop. Process, fatherhood, what’s on the bench right now.

  • Why this site changed

    For a long time, this site was about a course I built — twelve rules for being a dad. The course is gone now, and what is left is something I think I always wanted this to be: a workshop. What I mean by that is that this is a place where things get made.

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  • My Top 5 List of Parenting Books

    For some people parenting comes naturally. New Parents Below are 5 of my most influential parenting books I’ve read throughout the years. 7 years ago, I decided to make reading one of my main goals each week. To accomplish this, I forced myself to start each day with reading (audio books included). Gradually, as I

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  • Positivity Quotes for Dads

    Everything matters, and yet don’t sweat it! [Jeremy, 2020] Willpower doesn’t last, but rituals (not just habits) can last a lifetime! [Jeremy, 2020] Some claim you are a superhero but I don’t know if it’s true, what really matters to me is what you say and do. [Jeremy, 2020] Online behavior translates to offline behavior.

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  • When Your Son is So Funny, Yet Doesn’t Know It

    Occasionally my boy says things that I don’t think he realizes how really funny they are. The wording occasionally comes out so perfectly like the little Yogi Berra. Maybe he gets his little comments from other sources, but however they make their way to his little head, they often make my day! The Funnies My

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  • Surviving while Staying at Home

    We are months into the most incredibly different moments in our generation. Although history would tell us that pandemics such as this have happened before, it is unbelievable how quickly we have had such a drastic change from our typical way of living. During this time, I can’t help but feel grateful for a few

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  • A Changing World: Take Advantage of it

    Amidst the greatest change this modern world has memory of, the Covid-19 pandemic is causing massive changes to the our day-to-day lives.  News headlines poor out every day flooding our minds with reasons to be placed in a stressful state.  I have no doubt that this is one of the most important life-altering events our

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  • Phone Addiction: Thoughtless Consumption

    Phone addiction can creep up into a family, even a well-meaning family very quickly. I have observed two instances that not only saddened me but also disturbed me with how an unsuspecting family could get trapped by the ease that phones allow. In one instance a 12 year old girl is noticed to be scrolling

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  • Youth Sports: Coaching vs Controlling

    It was the first tournament game of indoor volleyball for the under 10 year old age group. I could hear voices of other parents behind me in the stands, “I’m so nervous. I feel like I’m playing.” I observed the coaches on the sideline. One coach was silent. Observing, but not barking many instructions. The

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  • The Preferred Alternative: How to Live Life so Devices Seem Like a Waste of Time?

    In thinking more about how I answer the question “How Much Time is Okay for Kids to be on Their Device?”, I realize I have approached this topic by allowing myself to stick with trying to answer the wrong question.  Instead of asking the question, by thinking about how to limit the time our kids

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  • How Much Time Is Okay For Kids to Be On Their Device?

    The real question is, will there be any child looking back on their youth and wishing, “man, I wish I spent more time checking my social media!” There has been research done that suggests children under 8 should spend no more than 1 hour each day using a device for recreation, while youth 8 –

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