Dad Life

A friend shared this with us. It has to at least make you smile...

The Girls & Boys Projects recognizes all of the fathers out there! :)

Is It Really That Simple?

It appears the video has been made private. If it opens up again, we'll repost!

Yeah, probably... Too pure to not share.

So You Know... (Boy Talk Updates)

Tiger Woods
On June 16, 2009, we posted "I'm Tiger Woods" - a piece dedicated to inspiring men to be better fathers. It was with some trepidation that we revisited the piece in the shadows of the recent revelations surrounding Tiger's extramarital indiscretions:

"And, now there is a new reason to want to be like the smiling, 33 year-old mega-star who never seems to make a wrong move: his role as 'Dad.'"

Phew. We're in the clear. Luckily for us, we focused more on Tiger's father's role as a dad than on Tiger's... That being said, The New York Times article referenced in our post really put Tiger on a pedestal. Shame on you, NYTimes... ;)


Lincoln University
"I Was Weight-Listed" is our November 24, 2009 post about the controversial, anti-obesity policy of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. You might recall that the school requires anyone with a body mass index over 30 to demonstrate that they are trying to better their health through a required course, or by lowering their BMI.

December 2009, this from James L. DeBoy, chairman of the school's department of health, physical education and recreation: "After much discussion, we are no longer requiring students to pass the fitness test in order to graduate." The school will still attempt to work with students on being healthier, and will include additional factors to consider along with BMI.

At least the program brought much-needed attention to the severity of the obesity problem in the United States of America...

I'm Tiger Woods

Who can forget those adorable little faces from Nike's "I Am Tiger Woods" ad campaign? Golf was almost immediately being watched by a wider and more diverse audience, and being played by people once denied access to the same courses on which the game takes place. Kids everywhere wondered what it would be like to be Tiger Woods, the golfer.

And, now there is a new reason to want to be like the smiling, 33 year-old mega-star who never seems to make a wrong move: his role as "Dad."

The images of Tiger and his father Earl embracing on the golf course are as well known as the red-shirt-ed, fist-pumping Tiger adding another trophy to his collection. The love and respect from father to son was tangible and admirable. As the NYTimes piece above notes, "If Woods grew up knowing nothing else, it was that his father and his mother, Kultida, were wholly committed to him."

And, that's an important lesson to take away from this story. Kids will always want to be Tiger Woods. They will want to achieve his success on the golf course and be worth what he is worth. But, with Father's Day just in our rear-view mirrors, fathers (and fathers-to-be) should garner additional inspiration from the phrase "wholly committed to him." We can't all fly our kids around the world to watch Daddy play golf like Tiger Woods. We can't all take the time away from work to foster our child's passion for golf like Earl Woods. But, what we can do is work hard everyday to be sure our kids know we are wholly committed to them . . . And, you don't need a private jet to do that.

Daddy's Home! (Not By Choice)

Have you noticed a rise in stroller-pushing Dads in your neighborhood? And, not just on the weekends? It turns out the economy has relegated many fathers to new professions: Stay-At-Home Dads.

It will be interesting to watch how this trend plays out. Not only are gender roles being challenged - or balanced - in terms of parenting, but there are also the sometimes unspoken dynamics which surround whose is the primary income in the house. In "Dreams From My Father," Barack Obama discusses this dynamic between his grandmother and grandfather and the challenges it created in their household. That was the 60's. We've made great strides since then. More women are in the workforce, earn more money than they used to, and compete for higher positions. But, will both parents be ok with a wife's being the breadwinner? With a husband without a job? With a father being a stay-at-home dad?

We'll have to wait and see. Let's just hope those fathers out there are able to see that the unfortunate position of being out of work does not compare to the fortunate position of raising your child everyday... No matter how exhausting.

Oh, Those Boys Are Much Too Much!

If you haven't seen this, take a few seconds to watch.  The message is: "Take Time To Be A Dad Today" . . . but it's the cheerleading that makes it a must-see! Warning: it might get stuck in your head . . .

The ad is a promotion for the website fatherhood.gov.  Dig around the site a bit, and you'll find some interesting articles, statistics, a fatherhood "Tip Of The Day," and even a countdown to Father's Day.  Personal favorite? "20 Long Distance Activities for Dads at a Distance." Gotta love a good Scavenger Hunt!