Are You A Father Or A Daddy?
November 19, 2008
I have come to realize that there is a huge difference between a father and a daddy. I had a father, I’m trying to be a daddy. So just for fun, here are a few differences between a father and a daddy:
A father changes a diaper by yelling, “Hon, the baby needs to be changed!”
A daddy can change a diaper while talking on the phone, and go right back to eating a sandwich.
Five Cheap and Easy Ideas for You To Make Halloween Special and Have Some Fun With Your Kids
October 30, 2008
Tomorrow is Halloween, and at our house that is a pretty big deal. My oldest daughter (who would be proud to tell you she is five and three quarters) is totally into it. That makes it a lot more fun for my wife and me. She decided what she wanted to be months ago, and has been wearing her witch costume around the house for weeks now. They say that the money Americans spend on Halloween is second only to Christmas. Are you kidding me?! Let me say that again for the entrepreneurs- In America, Halloween is the second largest retail holiday- It is second only to Christmas.
This isn’t going to be about making money on Halloween, but the business coach in me couldn’t resist passing that little hint along to anyone who is looking for ideas. This is going to be about the opposite. This is going to be about things you can do to make tomorrow special, without spending a lot of money.
10 Things You Can Do To Get To Know Your Young Kids Today- And Get Them To Know You
October 14, 2008
If you’re worried that you don’t spend enough time with your children, you’re not alone. If your worried that starting a new business will take up the little free time you have, and you won’t have any time left over to be a good dad, you’re not alone. Let’s face it. It isn’t easy being a successful business owner, or a successful anything, and a good dad. If you’re like most dads I know, you leave for the office early in the morning and by the time you come home, the kids are either already asleep or almost there. Even if they’re wake, you’re so tired you just want to go to a quiet room and chill. I know this, because once upon a time, this was me. That is why I can promise you that it doesn’t have to be that way. This about me confronting the reality that my baby girl didn’t know me, and what I did to fix it.
When my oldest daughter was about a year and a half old, I was going through a difficult time with my business. I had grown my business to the point where I needed help to get all of the work done, and I hired an assistant. I spent a lot of time and money training this person, and just as I was entering into my busiest time of the year, they up and left me. No notice, just didn’t show up. There was no time to get anyone else up to speed, so it was early to the office and late nights for couple months. I’m talking in the office by 7 am, and there until after 10 pm. I was hating life, and to make things worse, I suddenly realized that my daughter couldn’t possibly know who I was.
A Valentine’s Day Tip
February 13, 2008
This is a Valentine’s Day tip for all of you Startup Daddies and Startup Mommies out there. The best way to show your spouse you really care about them is to do the little things that take a more thought than money. At least that is how it is in our house. Go buy a Valentine’s Day card, and mail it to your spouse today. If you mail something to someone in the same city, it will get there the next day (that is, everywhere I have lived). So make an excuse to go to the grocery store. They all sell cards and stamps now, and most have a mailbox right out front. You know you need diapers, or eggs, or vodka, whatever. Fill out the card, and mail it to your significant other. Get another card, of course, to give them in the morning. Make sure they open the mail tomorrow, and when they see your thoughtful gesture, instant brownie points.
None of us need a Greeting Card Holiday to remind us that we love the people in our lives. It sure makes a great excuse though. Do something a little special tomorrow. Go out to lunch, buy a bottle of wine to share after the kids are asleep, anything. The reason we work hard is to make life as good as we can for our family, right? So stop, and appreciate what you have. Even if you have no romantic interest in your life, I am sure you have someone you can tell you love them. So tell them.
My Super Bowl Sunday: How My DVR Makes Me A Better Father
February 4, 2008
This has more to do with the Daddy than the Startup, but this is how I spent Super Bowl Sunday. About 4 am, our oldest daughter comes into the room. “I don’t feel so good.” Great day to come down with a cold! She didn’t wake me up, because this is about the time the baby is placing her breakfast order. While the missus took care of the baby’s breakfast, I put the oldest back to bed. So started the manliest day of the year.
There was a time when Super Bowl Sunday meant friends, food, beer, and some football to top it off. How times have changed. Instead of the 12 hour Fox Super Bowl Pre-game show, we get Disney Channel and Noggin at our house. Handy Manny is more interesting than Terry Bradshaw anyway.
Lucky for me, I got my daughter into watching football. We sit there for a bit on a Sunday afternoons, and she hangs out with dad and does her touchdown dance when either team scores. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t watch a whole game (or even a half) but we have a good time for as long as her attention span allows. She really likes the Fox football player robot, too. Thank goodness for DVR. [Read more]
