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 […]
Best Learning Toys For 2-Year-Olds
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 […]
Why a Successful Marriage Cannot Be 50-50
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 […]
How Do I Actually Know If I’m Successful As A Dad?
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 […]
What Happens Now? Preparing for Life as a Twin Parent
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 […]
5 Productivity Strategies to Get the Most Out of Every Day
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 Screen-Free Saturday Challenge
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 […]
Loving The Mud
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 Zero Complaints Challenge
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 […]
Conquer Every Day: The Miracle Morning for Dads
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.
NICU Survival: Practical Advice for Dads
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.