My eight year-old Rwandan child is singing along to “Manic Monday,” so I consider his indoctrination into ’80s American culture a success.
Tag: parenting
Ladies and gentlemen, yesterday marked the 4th anniversary of the first episode of the Empowered Parent Podcast. At the time it was the Tapestry podcast, and Kayla hadn’t yet joined Ryan and I, and so, so much has changed in four years. Thanks so much to all our listeners!
Super Bowl, schmuper bowl. Watching my favorite hockey player. Two goals and an assist. #HockeyDadLife
At my youngest’s basketball practice, which is at a nine-court Fieldhouse USA facility. You can imagine the constant noise of bouncing balls and coaches’ whistles.
The AirPods Pro are a godsend.
I help administer a private group on Facebook for foster and adoptive dads, and posted this today for encouragement, because I needed it myself:
So lately I’ve been struggling with the strong wills of my boys, and of my own. The constant tug-of-war. My wife and I were talking about it over lunch today, because she shares in the frustration (she’s strong-willed as well), and I reminded her, as much as myself, that they act this way because they feel securely attached to us.
“Well, it would be nice if they weren’t complete JERKS about it!” she sighed. She didn’t use the word “jerks,” but I’m trying to keep this family-friendly.
I mention this because I know I’m not alone in being a dad frustrated with the behaviors of his kids from hard places. Especially when they’ve been in our home for so long (birth for two of them, 9 months old for the third, and they’re 16, 11, and 8 now), and it just doesn’t feel like things are getting better.
Then God decides to plant a reminder on you in an unexpected way. In an email newsletter unrelated to parenting, there was this verse of encouragement from Hebrews, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” God always has our back, and we just need to go to Him with our frustrations, seek His peace.
And because I’m an ’80s metalhead, this verse and the feeling behind it will always be enshrined for me in the opening song from Rage of Angels’ self-titled, 1989, debut album:
There is a story and a reason behind this, but for now, let’s just say teenagers are funny and hockey players are weird, and this is a result of that combination.
DAL🚀PHX with the hockey player for another tournament. #HockeyDadLife
This kid got the tying goal this morning in what ended up a heartbreaking semifinal loss in the Tampa tournament. Begged for us to get on an earlier flight so he could play with his JV squad, and thanks to Southwest, that happened.
Then proceeded to score 4 goals plus an assist.
Good start to the tournament for the hockey player and his team, a 4-1 victory. Things get tougher tomorrow. #HockeyDadLife
Waiting on our nearly-two-hours-delayed flight to Tampa with this guy. Hockey tournament for the hockey player.
