Before Thanksgiving, my family made an outing to Hope Park in Austin. It's the kind of thing that's difficult to describe; you have to see it in person to get the full effect. Basically, an empty lot was appropriated by the city and made into a graffiti park, where (it seems) there are no rules... Continue Reading →
The Things We Do For Our Kids (And Talking Cats)
It was back in early March (2014) when YouTuber Stampylongnose posted a video on his channel about a singing contest he was putting on. He was asking viewers for a four minute song about his lovely world in the video game Minecraft; the deadline was May 1st. My daughter–Piper–and I watched the video the day... Continue Reading →
That awful moment . . .
It happened today. The thing we've all been trying to avoid; the pain that we don't dare speak of. But sometimes fate rides on the wind, and it doesn't matter how fast you run. Then it happens—that awful moment when you realize you can't get away, that the fires of perdition will burn and you... Continue Reading →
New Study Reports Spanking Kids Can Lower IQ And Harm Development
A new study by Canadian researchers shows spanking children can do more harm than previously thought, including causing “long-term developmental damage and may even lower a child’s IQ.” Currently banned in 32 countries, physical punishment is still an accepted practice in large parts of the world. The researchers behind this study hope parents can take... Continue Reading →
Stay At Home Pa-RANT: Facing The Day
One of the most difficult aspects of being a stay-at-home parent has to be not having time to compose oneself before starting the day. You just don't have time. The day kind of creeps up on you when you're sleeping, then pounces mercilessly. I've talked about hitting the ground running, and it's no joke. It's... Continue Reading →
What Not To Do: Throw Your Kid Overboard
Earlier, I’ve written about the now famous Hot Sauce Mom and her unusual disciplinary measures. Apparently that wasn’t enough for the universe. Now we have an even worse example of questionable parenting to contend with. Now we have “Boat Guy.” Per authorities on Monday, Sloane Briles threw his son off the side of a sightseeing... Continue Reading →
The Daddy Creed
There is a creed as old as time. Before the Renaissance, earlier than man has taken to the seas, even predating the construction of the great pyramids—mankind has never been without this hallowed canon. Belief has it that tablets containing the venerable words were brought across the universe to us from the ancients. Their consummate... Continue Reading →