The other day, my parents came over to watch the kids while I went to a meeting for school. I had just finished making a smoothie for Hudson and put the berry-coated blender jar in the sink and filled it halfway with water to make cleaning it easier later. My dad’s first move, as he […]
Today across the state, thousands of student-athletes are gathering on fields and in gyms as their fall seasons kick off. For most kids, the start of school is still three weeks away and the athletic field provides a different opportunity than what will be awaiting them on the day after Labor Day. An opportunity for […]
Every year around this time, my wife and I begin mourning the loss of a season. It’s raining? Summer is over. The school supplies are out at Target? Summer is over. The Vikings are playing their first preseason game? Summer is over. Along with the weather change, when I go back to school life picks […]
Husbands, we’ve got a reputation for being bad listeners. Whether it’s deserved or not is not important, but rather if we as individuals are going to fit the stereotype. I recently went to a conference on leadership that listens and I came away with three things to focus on when it comes to communication in […]
With Christmas right around the corner, one of the things I’m most excited for is watching my son open gifts. Last year, he understood a little about what was going on and learned all about ripping wrapping paper. But, this year he helped decorate the tree, hang the stockings, and is constantly reminding his 9-month-old […]
When Kayla and I got engaged, one of the most important things for both of us was that we go through pre-marital counseling with a pastor at our church. Wanting to build a relationship with faith as the foundation, we both valued the time we spent and work we did through that counseling. Our amazing […]
Every dad is different, every situation is unique, and every child is an individual with a different personality. So, how do we measure our success as a dad? Parenting is not one-size-fits-all; what works for one child may be a completely ineffective approach for another, even within the same family. This makes it difficult to […]
SHUT UP. Those were the words out of my beautiful wife’s mouth after the ultrasound technician informed us that there was a second baby. We were both stunned. Seconds after telling us “there is your healthy baby,” she said: “…and there is your second healthy baby!” With Kayla being a twin and both of us […]
As dads, husbands, and professionals, there are many things vying for our attention – some that deserve it and some that are just pulling us away from what is most important. Although I don’t always follow this advice and I am writing this just as much for myself, these five strategies to get the most […]
The technology we have at our fingertips has the potential to connect us to people around the world, complete tasks more efficiently than previous generations could even fathom, and has also changed the way we work. As someone who has never known a world without email, internet, and computers, I cannot picture what most jobs […]
Last night, my wife and I were sitting across from each other in our living room slouched in our chairs, taking a deep breath and taking in that moment when all the kids were asleep. We had just finished the nightly ritual of putting them to bed when one of our twins, Georgia, let out […]
The average person complains 15-30 times a day. That’s insane! I’ve never tracked the number of times I have complained in a day, but my guess is that I would probably fit into that range. It might seem like a crazy stat because we may be complaining without even realizing we’re doing it. This week’s […]
Being a dad with a full-time job, I have always struggled to make my morning routine a smooth, predictable process. It doesn’t help that I’m naturally a night owl! After reading “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod, I’ve completely changed my morning routine and feel more ready than ever to attack each day.
Spending nine weeks in the NICU was never part of our plans and was an experience we were not prepared for. Here are some practical tips for dads with a child or children in the NICU.