If you are a parent, you should have no trouble looking for things to be thankful for this holiday season.  You need look no further than your children.  While parenthood is full of stress, challenges and worries, it is also rich with rewards.  Yet, with all the hustle and bustle of a home full of kids, it is easy to take for granted some of the true blessings of being a parent.  Thus, with Thanksgiving a few days away, as a reminder to myself, here are…

Ten Reasons To Be Thankful For Your Kids:

10) They Are Constant Companions – A home with kids is never quiet, never lonely.  Whether you need to run to the store, or give the dogs a bath, or just have someone to sit next to on the couch, with a child around, you always have someone to come along for the ride.

9) They Are Always An Audience – Your children are an ever present audience whenever you feel the urge to perform.  Whether it is telling a joke or story, dancing like a doofus, or singing off-key, your kids are almost always guaranteed to laugh (with or at you) and applaud.  All the word’s a stage, and there’s always a kid (preferably yours) in the audience.

8 ) They Are Entertainment – If you are a parent and you are ever bored, it is your fault.  Kids can provide a constant stream of entertainment. From the faces they make to the things they say and do, an observant parent is an entertained parent.

7) They Are A Magic Mirror – Children are a magical mirror.  The longer you look,  the older they get, the more of yourself you can see in them.  Look carefully and you will learn more about yourself than any other mirror can reveal.

6) They Are Great Students – A child is always a student at your side, eager to learn from you more than all others.  Share your knowledge and experience, great and small.  Be the Master, and let your child be the ever willing Grasshopper.

5) They Are Great Teachers – Role reversal is an integral part of parenting.  As much as we can teach our kids, there is so much more we can learn from them if we pay attention.

4) They Are Our Conscience – A child of any age is like that little angel conscience sitting on your shoulder whispering in your ear.  Even the knowing gaze of an infant will remind you to think about your choices, and more importantly, the consequences.  Older kids will simply blurt out the words you are already thinking, such as “Dad, if you eat another donut your pants won’t fit!”

3) They Are Our “Raison D’etre” – As a parent, there is no need to search for meaning in life or that elusive “reason for being.”  Your mission here is clear.  It is all about your kids.  Recognizing that can be a constant source of pride, joy and accomplishment.

2) They Are Our Legacy – It is not only vampires who seek immortality.  It is every person’s dream to leave their mark on the world, and every parent does, through their children.

1) They Are Love – There is no better, no stronger, no more amazing love than the love of a parent for their child.  Except perhaps, the love of a child for their parent.  Both are worth everything.

For all of the above, and so much more, this Thanksgiving I am thankful for my three kids, Zach, Ethan and Olivia.  I am also thankful for much more in my life, and many others important and close to me, but as this is Dad-o-matic, this post is dedicated to my kids.

How about you?  Have I left out any reasons you are thankful for your kids?  Please add to the list in the comments, and HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 21, Ethan, 19 and Olivia, 18).  He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast.  You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab.

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As an astronaut of consciousness I had to raise my son Miles as a lucid dreamer. I started with no particular agenda or expectations when he was about three and a half. That was three years ago.

Today Miles is a natural. He thinks about and experiences dreaming in a way I’ve never experienced before. For him, waking up in his dreams is just a matter of course. That’s simply how dreaming goes.

It was only recently that I realized that he can go lucid at will. Today he woke me up with new details on exactly how easily he can influence his dreams. The details are in the video….

Devon White is a professional neurohacker and the lead developer of the Human Operating System. He is passionate about helping parents protect their children’s innate curiosity, ensuring that they grow into happy, healthy, passion- and purpose-filled adults. He resides in Nyack, NY with his son, Miles.

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In a few weeks, my daughter Lucy will celebrate her first birthday. Last Thanksgiving, we had to skip the traditional two-hour drive home because my wife looked like she was hiding the Great Pumpkin under her shirt. At the risk of sounding like every other dad who’s ever lived, I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. (Even though the first few weeks did seem like an eternity.)

With another Thanksgiving just around the corner, and my first year of fatherhood coming to a close, I sure do have a lot to be thankful for, including sleep, football, and cheese. Here’s the full list:

1 ) Sleep.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been a big fan of sleep. It’s just that I’m much more grateful for it now. Every hour of sleep is pure gold and Sunday afternoon family naps are better than a juicy steak. Never more true than in the first year of parenthood is the old adage that says, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.”

2 ) The guy who invented disposable diapers.
You, my friend, are a saint. Now, my hat is off to all of the brave, patient souls who go the route of cloth diapers. I salute you, particularly because you appear to be some brand of superhuman. Although our choice to go disposable may not be as environmentally friendly, I take solace in the idea that I’m doing my part to jumpstart the economy.

3 ) Football.
Oh, football, you bastion of manliness serving as a needed escape from the jungle of fatherhood. For a few hours, you let me revel in grown men smacking the crap out of each other as I watch from the comfort of my couch in my fleece pants. Who knew that Jay Cutler’s 17 interceptions (so far!) could serve such a noble purpose?

4 ) Moms.
First, let me state the obvious. If guys had to go through the whole childbirth thing, there’d be a lot less people on Earth. Like maybe none. Plus, moms are so good at remembering those little things that we dads often forget, like the fact that it might be a good idea to put a coat on your baby when it’s cold outside.

5 ) Colors not named pink.
I grew up in a home with two brothers. The only females were my mom and our dog. There wasn’t a whole lot of pink going on. But now, in just one year’s time, I have already achieved a lifetime’s worth of exposure to the color pink. Apparently that is the only color you’re allowed to dress little girls in. I have a new found appreciation for the colors blue, orange, green, and yes, even brown.

6 ) Hand-me-downs.
Not being the first couple on either side of the family to have kids has its advantages. One of them is all the clothes we’ve gotten from siblings who are done having children. They appreciate the fact that they can now see a corner of their basement, and I am happy that we haven’t had to spend one penny on clothes. (Except for the little Cubs dress I bought Lucy over the summer. It was adorable, baseball related, and most importantly, not pink.) This wallet-saving benefit makes up for the millions of diapers we’ve purchased so far.

7 ) The internet.
Where else can you access such a river of information about the little things that pop up during baby’s first year but via our friend, the Interwebs. Even though some research leads you to believe that your baby might have some combination of scurvy and lupis, there’s enough information out there that allows you to eventually find what you want to hear: this is normal and everything is fine.

8 ) People who considered buying my daughter annoying electronic toys but didn’t.
Thank you. I love you. If you need a kidney, call me. You are right up there with Mother Teresa in the compassion department. Any baby toy that plays music is from the devil. I hate them. I find the fact that they don’t mention ear bleeding as a common side effect on the packaging a gross disdain for truth in advertising. Some of you may think I’m exaggerating about the whole devil thing, but those of you who’ve heard one of these toys go off when the battery is dying knows quite well the unmistakable sounds of demon babble.

9 ) The fact that she’s still in one piece.
I used to think of my home as a peaceful, safe haven. Who knew that my house was one big war zone with all kinds of booby traps designed to inflict harm upon my little one? Pinched fingers, bumped heads, and a bloody lip are just some of the battle scars Lucy has picked up while living in the death trap that is our home. The fact that she’s still alive is something to be grateful for, especially since I am quite certain I had nothing to do with it.

10 ) The cuteness of babies.
Not only do they suddenly make all of your photos look ten times better, but babies and their inherent cuteness is actually a well-designed survival mechanism created by God. Were it not for Lucy’s heart-melting toothy grin and scrunched-up nose when she smiles, I am quite certain I would have shipped her to Siberia with no return address by now. And that could potentially put a damper on my chances of being named Father of the Year.

11 ) The Madison Birth Center.
Our midwives and the people on staff at the Center helped make our first experience with pregnancy and childbirth one the most peace-filled, personal, educational, and exciting chapters of our life. Kim and I still look back to the evening Lucy was born as one of the most calm, magical, and spiritual experiences we’ve ever had. And they helped give us the confidence that we could competently make the transition from a family of two to a family of three (which is a bigger leap than it sounds.)

12 ) Cheese.
I’m not sure Lucy is what would be considered a picky eater. She eats a wide variety of foods, although we’re never quite sure what will suit her fancy on any particular day. She’ll gobble down peaches for breakfast and act like they’re pure cyanide for lunch. But one thing she will always eat is cheese. A small pile of shredded cheddar is gone quicker than Usain Bolt on Jolt. This may or may not have something to do with her being born in Wisconsin.

13 ) The Costco-sized bulk package of joy.
Until you actually have a kid, you don’t quite know what to expect. When it comes to Adultitis, the debate rages on: are kids the cause or the cure? But what makes the sleepless nights, the dirty diapers, and the always “on” state of alertness worthwhile is the insane amount of joy that has been added to my life. Lucy makes me smile, laugh, and very, very happy. Being a Dad is the coolest thing ever, and for the opportunity to become one is something that makes me truly thankful.

Jason Kotecki is a dad who also moonlights as an artist, author, and professional speaker. Jason and his wife Kim (a former kindergarten teacher) make it their mission in life to fight Adultitis and help people use strategies from childhood to create lives with less stress and more fun. Stop by www.KimandJason.com and follow them on Twitter @kimandjason

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I was a 70’s baby. When I was a kid we often played with our favorite Star Wars action figures. Each one stood about 5 inches, yes “stood”.

Maybe I’m getting old, but the Star Wars action figures today suck.

I remember the GI Joes from the generation before me seemed massive in comparison. The classic dolls usually stood around 8 inches (I’m doing this from memory). They towered over our toys!

My son just celebrated his fourth birthday. I introduced Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back to him shortly before he celebrated his big day. Both movies still rock. We’ll be watching Return of the Jedi very soon.

Naturally, having watched Star Wars the toys were on the top of his list. Our wonderful friends and family generously bought him some great gifts, including the new Star Wars action figures.

Here’s the deal, they stand are about 3 inches tall, they hardly stand. They are so tiny that small hands have a hard time balancing them on their own. The guns and accessories that come with them are practically invisible. I should also add that you can barely fit the accessories into the figurines hands.

When your kiddo first eagerly tears the action figures out of the packaging you’ll notice tiny plastic bands holding their weapons in place and their wardrobe on. Once they get removed it’s difficult to get them back together again.

I expressed my concerns to a friend at work, hoping he would help me see the light, but he agreed. We concluded that the new action figures are made to be collectibles. Wonderful, so my son will be able to help raise money for college from all of his unopened toys years down the road.

I understand that things get smaller over time, but kids don’t. I am as disappointed with these new Star Wars toys as I was with The Phantom Menace. Are you reading this George?

Am I alone here?

Photo from Flickr by: MarkyBon

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As the latest mission for the Sony DigiDad Project, we were loaned a Sony VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC mini laptop and told to go record a class trip or some other family outing.  My kids are too old for “class trips” and I wanted to do something that actually included the VAIO P, because it has such an unusual form factor for a computer.  And the “P” is a full-blown computer.  It may be light in weight, but it is far from a lightweight when it comes to features and computing power.  To demonstrate, my kids and I created our own spoof of an “infomercial” for the VAIO P.  We call it a “P-Mercial.”  Let us know what you think.  More about the Sony products and making videos with your kids below the video.

As a work of art the VAIO P is a stunning and impressive bit of design and engineering.  It really is gorgeous to behold (and really easy to hold).  It is also a great idea to have something so light and small actually be a full power PC and not a light but limited netbook.  In addition, wireless broadband and an integrated GPS makes a tremendous amount of sense in such a truly portable PC.  Kudos to Sony for putting all this power and features together in such a stylish and attractive package.  That said, gorgeous and cool as the VAIO P is, I found the the high resolution screen much too difficult to read, and the “pointing stick” track ball a bit too awkward to manipulate.  As much as I would think it would be cool to have one of these to toss in my bag, I could not imagine actually using it for any length of time.  Perhaps someone with better eyesight and smaller hands would feel differently.

LIGHTS! CAMERA! ACTION!

My favorite part about participating in the Sony DigiDad Project has been the opportunity to involve my family in some fun activities that were inspired by the various equipment Sony loaned us.  In this case, Ethan, Olivia and I had a blast shooting our little “infomercial.”  It was a fun, creative and engaging way to spend a Saturday afternoon, and the end result is a video we’ll be able to share and laugh about for a long time to come.  We shot the video with the Sony HDR-XR500, which is probably my favorite item of all the Sony gear I have had the chance to play with as part of this project.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Sony HDR-XR500 is a beautiful piece of equipment.  It takes gorgeous, almost professional looking High Definition video, and it records it on a massive 120GB internal hard drive (up to 48 hours of video storage in HD mode).  I would definitely consider purchasing one of them, especially if my kids and I want to continue producing “infomercials!”

Have you ever collaborated with your kids on a video production?  With all the digital creation tools we now have available it is a fun and memorable way to spend the day.  What do you think?  Is digital content creation going to become the family pastime of our time?  Please share your thoughts (and links to your family video productions) in the comments.

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 21, Ethan, 19 and Olivia, 18).  He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast.  You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab.

This post is part of series called the “Sony DigiDads Project” by Sony Electronics where a group of dads, including C.C. Chapman, Jeffrey Sass, Max Kalehoff, Michael Sheehan, and Brad Powell, have been given the opportunity to test and review Sony gear.  If you want to know more about this project visit the Sony Electronics Community.

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It is November 15.  Two weeks ago I introduced you to my hairy situation, having decided to grow a moustache this month in support of Movember and the goal of raising awareness and funds for prostate and testicular cancer research.  While overall the Movember movement is doing an awesome job raising funds around he world, the support from the Dad-O-Matic community has been a hair less than what I was hoping for.  With two weeks left in the month I am happy to be able to step things up with a few incentives.  The details are in the short video below.

If you’d like to have a chance to get some Movember schwag, please visit www.dadomoustache.com and support the Dad-O-Moustache team!  Thanks in advance.

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 21, Ethan, 19 and Olivia, 18).  He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast.  You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab.

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Dad, King of Comedy…

Growing up in a highly opinionated, and comedic laden, Latin household you would think that new jokes would present themselves often and we would all, in a sense, “TEST” our new material out on each other in the house but then sometimes you get caught up with your “big hit.”

My dad…he’s the classic “greatest hits” joke teller–you know what I mean by greatest hits joke teller, the joke your pop tells you EVERY-TIME he sees you and laughs like it was just crafted? My pop seems to think it always works because we all laugh but the fact of the matter is…no, it’s not at all funny anymore. The joke has lost it’s luster but nobody wants to hurt a dad’s feelings by telling him, “Dude, you need new jokes.” So us sons and daughters let it slide and just chuckle with him…all the while deep inside we’re cringing and goosebumps are running up and down our body.

As a new dad myself, I vowed to NEVER catch myself in this dad cycle of stale jokedom. I have made a solemn oath to myself to NEVER recycle the stale and consistently exercise the noodle to come up with new and cutting edge zingers. The last thing I need, for my ego, is my daughter looking at me like she would rather watch grass grow or tell her friends (or me for that matter) how embarrassed I make her because my jokes NEVER change.

So, how do I plan to change this? I don’t really know yet but I would think that I should strip it down to the bare essentials. Here’s what I came up with to start:

1. I can’t over think it, I need to explore the joke-o-sphere.


2. Bomb, but bomb with grace or fail big all together and laugh at myself. A new idea may present itself just in that. Failure equals success right? Can’t have hits without misses.


3. Limit myself when I get a reaction to the “Hit” joke and learn from it, build and file away mentally why it worked.

Let’s be honest, we’re all going to be jokesters with our families but it’s up to us to be the cool cutting edge joke dad so our kids will think to themselves, “How does this guy think of this stuff?” A dad’s mission is to keep the family on their toes and alert. Got any additional ideas dads?

This is today’s Trials of Being Dad!

PS: Dad, please don’t be mad, I DO love your jokes! Kisses & Hugs.

Michael J. Carrasquillo is a NYC musician, filmmaker, speaker, organizer of NYC Media Makers & new father. He blogs at Issue De ‘Quillo and produces a podcast called “The Trials of Being Mike” and an upcoming podcast called “moments”. You can follow him on Twitter @mjcarrasquillo.

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There is no doubt we live in a digital world. You wouldn’t be reading this blog if we didn’t. As a “Digital Dad” (hat tip to CC Chapman) I have written here before about the impact of text messaging and mobile phones on family life, especially if you have older kids, as I do, who live their lives on their iPhones and Blackberries.

He Said, She Said

Recently, I had my first experience with a “digital tattletale,” when one of my sons used a picture sent from his iPhone to “tell” on his sister. I had to laugh when I received an email message with the subject, “Look what Olivia did…” along with the picture above…

Hummus A Song, Will Ya?

Let me explain. As you may know if you have followed me here, FOOD is very important in my family. We often buy a particular Hummus that comes with a big wad of Tahini in the middle. Apparently, my son came home to find my daughter had scooped out and eaten all the Tahini, leaving just the plain hummus around the edges for the rest of us. My son was so appalled he felt compelled to send me the picture of the Hummus with the “missing” Tahini. I’m not sure what he expected me to do… I certainly was not going to punish my daughter for pulling a Houdini on the Tahini. If she wanted to make it disappear (into her mouth) so be it. After all. food is meant to be eaten.

Have your kids ever been “digital tattletales? What is the most unusual digital message you’ve received from one of your kids? So far, for me, this one takes the cake (or the Tahini as the case may be.)

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 21, Ethan, 19 and Olivia, 17).  He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast.  You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab.

UPDATE ON MOVEMBER:

If you read my post last week you know I am supporting MOVEMBER and am growing a moustache to raise awareness and funds  for Prostate and Testicular cancer research.  So far the progress of my moustache is far outweighing the progress of support for the cause at my donation page.  If you are so inclined, I encourage you to please lend your support at any level you are comfortable with.  If you’ve enjoyed my contributions here at Dad-o-matic, I’d enjoy it if you could help me support this important effort to improve men’s health. Thank you!

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Photo credit i eated a cookie (candy drawer) via Flickr

I find myself in the beginning of November with a slight problem.  I have a ton of candy and I am on a diet.  I asked around the office and I am not the only one.  Some of you might have tried to eat all of it and can’t bring yourself to do it.  Maybe your kids have separated out all the “good stuff.” Perhaps, not enough trick or treaters showed up.  Here are a couple ways to get rid of the candy.

You could cook or bake with it.  Check out this 5 Yummy Recipes. Take it work.  I took a bunch of candy (mainly chocolate) and brought it to meetings.  People love free candy.  I was discussing what to do with Halloween Candy when people started telling me about Operation Gratitude.

You can provide Halloween Candy for the Operation Gratitude Care Packages. The troops will love it–for themselves and also to give out to the children in the communities they patrol.  All types of candy are acceptable, including chocolate this time of year.

You can also find dentists within your community who may be participating in a Halloween Candy Buy-Back program, or to encourage your own dentist to participate.

Check with your child’s school, they might be collecting.  My kid’s school is.  If you are going to send the candy yourself, be sure and ship your candy  by December 5 to:

Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard
17330 Victory Boulevard
Van Nuys, CA 91406
Attn: Charlie Othold

Some tips about donating you candy according to Operation Gratitude:

• Feel free to use any size cartons–whatever you have on hand or can easily find.


• Please use the most economical method from your location.  You can check the websites of the various shippers (UPS, USPS, Fed-Ex, DHL) and get their respective prices based on weight and size of package.  Some of these outlets are allowed to offer discounts, as they are owned as franchises.


• You might also check with local moving or freight companies–they might be willing to add your donation to their load for very little money (or for free) if they are heading this way anyway.

Buck blogs almost daily at BuckDaddyBlog.com where he blogs about being a dad, sprinkled with some product reviews and giveaways, with humor and self deprecation.

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KidsEatFree offers an extremely useful service that tracks all of the places where kids eat free (hence the name). Parents just enter their zipcode and a list of all those establishments will be generated in seconds. The good news is that you can actually access this service via your mobile device thanks to their new free app for the iPhone & Android models.

Right now, you can access lists generated for several big cities. However, this does not mean you can’t use their service if your city isn’t listed. You can still enter your zip code and see which places offer free grub for kids in your vicinity. Obviously, this comes in handy when you’re traveling and don’t know the area as well as your own neighborhood.

Here’s a look at the slick calendar view of establishments in the Atlanta area:

Another nice thing is that the service allows all parents to contribute to their ever-growing database by submitting new places that let kids eat for free.

You can follow them on Twitter: http://twitter.com/kidseatfor
You can also join their Facebook page

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Today is November 1, and I just had a close shave.  No, I didn’t avoid an accident.  I actually had a close shave… with a razor and some shaving cream, and at least for my upper lip, that will be my last close shave this month.  November is “Movember,” with the “Mo” standing for “Moustache.” As a writer for Dad-O-Matic I have been interested in supporting a charity that is focused on Men’s health issues. I am pleased to say, “hair it is!” Movember can “help change the face of men’s health” by raising money for prostate and testicular cancer. This is one cause worth giving lip service to, especially if it means covering your lip with hair!

What is Movember? It’s the laziest charity in the world! No walking, no running, you don’t even shave!

Movember, the month formerly known as November, is a global charity event where men lose their facial hair inhibitions and commit to grow and groom a “Mo” (Aussie slang for moustache) for the entire month while building teams to support their Mo-growth efforts.  Much like the commitment to run or walk for charity, or uniting around a pink ribbon, now men have a hairy ribbon of their own to mobilize around and change the face (literally) of men’s health.

The funds we raise during our Moustache journey go to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LIVESTRONG).

What many people don’t know is that 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime and that testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 18-35.

While I am fortunate to say I have not had anyone experience prostate cancer in my family, my dad is a colon cancer survivor (as he likes to say, he is now a semi-colon).  All cancer is bad, and I encourage you to help me support this effort of fund-raising by hair-raising.

I made a short video to introduce my Movember team, which I hope you will join.  You can contribute by donating, and you can also do “mo” by growing your own Mo!  If you send me pictures of you and your Mo (in it’s varying stages of growth) I will include your pictures in my video updates here on Dad-O-Matic.

To join my Movember team called “Dad-O-Moustache” go to www.dad-o-moustache.com or www.dadomoustache.com to register and make a donation.

Please help and get growing as part of my Movember team.  If you too decide to “grow a Mo” please email me update pictures of you and your growth along the way, and I will include YOU in my update posts during the month of Movember!

Learn more about Movember by watching the mofficial Intro Video at http://us.movember.com

Together we can change the face of men’s health!

Prostate and Testicular Cancer Facts:

• Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in men and it will strike one in six men in their lifetime


• The death rate has fallen 40% compared to what was once projected; however the number of new cases is expected to grow with the aging of “baby boomers,” with the potential to reach 300,000 per year by 2015


• More than 192,000 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009.  More than 27,000 will die from the disease


• Testicular cancer is the most common cancer afflicting men aged 18-35. The message is clear: more research is needed


• Within the next decade, cancer is likely to replace heart disease as the leading cause of death in the US. It is already the biggest killer of those under the age of 85

Jeff Sass is the proud dad of ZEO (Zach, 21, Ethan, 19 and Olivia, 17).  He is also a seasoned entertainment and technology exec and active social media enthusiast.  You can see more of Jeff’s writing at Sassholes! and Social Networking Rehab.

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I was going to post a story here to share with your kids, but I posted the only kid’s story II have had published that is scary last year…in case you missed that you can find Cat Candles Here:  CAT CANDLES

If you are in the mood to have someone tell you a story… I just posted a podcast of a story on my own website.  That story involves fatherhood – and some deep issues.  It goes too far, as many horror stories do, but without any real graphic content…and I think it’s pretty powerful.  I also think dads, in particular, will appreciate it…

That story is ETCHED DEEP – let me know what you think.

And finally…for here, another short story … a scary story about a boy whose mother made the wrong choice in a husband – more lessons for fathers here, I think – and again, not very graphic, but I’d say older kids only…maybe fourteen or so?  Like I said in the title…this is for the dads.  Happy Halloween.

To Dream of Dragons

by David Niall Wilson (First published in 365 Scary Stories)

The moonlight cut through the blinds in Nick’s room, striping the walls eerily. He had the covers pulled up as far as they would come and wrapped tightly around his feet.  Above him on the wall, three clowns kept watch over the room.  Two were smiling, but the third – the frowning clown, was the one Nick never forgot.  It watched him.  His skin felt clammy and he needed to pee, but he stayed put.
There was a soft scratching noise, and the lid of his toy box raised ever-so-slightly. Nick gripped the blankets so tightly that his fingers hurt. He watched in terrified silence.
He hated the dragon. Stan “The Man” had given it to him, “Big Stan,” his Mom’s boyfriend, back when he’d been Nicky Nicastro — right after his dad had died.  Nick hated it when anyone but his dad called him Nicky, so of course Stan latched onto it, and his mother lent her support.

Then it got worse.  Stan sauntered into the house one evening, planted  himself as if he belonged, and sat grinning down at Nicky with one hand held behind his back.
“Know what I got for you, Nicky boy?” Stan asked.
Knowing it was expected, Nick had answered, “No, sir,” with a shake of his head.
Stan swung his arm around quickly, proudly displaying a stuffed green dragon with the golden letters SVU emblazoned across its chest. San Valencez University.
“Hadn’t been for my bum knee, Nicky’ boy,” Stan rattled on, “I’d be playin’ in the pro’s now. I used to be a hell of a lineman for the Dragons. I thought you might want to have this, you know? Since I’m stayin’ here now.”
Nicky’s mother had been making shushing, negating signs with her hands, but it was too late. The secret was out, the thing Nicky had dreaded most.  “Stan the Man” wasn’t leaving.  Ever.  Stan turned his grin on Nick’s mother and winked.

“Why don’ t you go out for a bit and leave us “guys” here to talk?” he said.

“Stan…” his mother’s voice trailed off, and she tried again.  “Stan, I don’t know…”

Stan’s grin faded, and the glare that replaced it sent Nick’s mom backing toward the door.

Tears had threatened to flow at that moment, branding him a wuss, so Nick took the dragon to his room and buried his face in it, wishing himself far, far away.  While his eyes were covered, and all that existed was sound, the fight began, and his nightmare was complete.

He remembered screaming voices, his mother, Stan, his mother again.  There were tears, more screaming, and then, very loud and final, the slamming of the door. He remembered the sound of footsteps beneath his window, running toward the road, the sound of a car’s horn blaring, the sound of a scream… the silence.

After that, he remembered Stan’s words, emotionless and void of truth.
“It was an accident, boy. Don’t forget that.”
Nick hadn’t forgotten, and yet, despite keeping the secret, the dragon didn’t trust him. It crawled out of the box every night as he watched, trying to coax him into a cry, or a scream. If he gave in, Stan would appear in the doorway, his hair wild and his eyes mean.
The dragon’s claws scrabbled over the edge of the box; its long, serpentine nose followed.  With a sickening thump, it slid over the edge and dropped to the floor. Heart slamming, Nick pulled his knees to his chest and fought the scream that begged for release. The wet, slithering sound of the creature’s progress across his floor drove him beneath the covers, where he bit down as hard as he could on his lip to distract himself. If Stan appeared. the dragon disappeared. That was how it worked.
He held his breath, and, after a few moments, he noticed that the sounds were growing softer.  Screwing up his courage, he risked another peek. Maybe it was going back in the box. Maybe it was running out of whatever supernatural power fueled it and it was just a stuffed animal again, resting in a heap on the floor.

No such luck.  Nick was just in time to see a scaled tail disappear around the corner of the door to his room and into the hall beyond. As quietly as he could, he slid from his bed and followed. He was scared, but he’d never managed to keep silent so long, and he had to know what the thing was going to do.
He reached his door and peered around the corner, but it was nowhere to be seen. He heard Stan’s heavy, steady breathing, and took a deep breath of his own, then slipped into the hall and across to the big man’s door.
He saw the tail of the dragon draped across the footboard of the bed, and with his heart in his throat, he crawled a few feet closer. It was poised above Stan like a snake,  claws extended and eyes glowing.
‘Stan,” it hissed. “Stan, I’m here… I’m back.”
The voice was strange, but familiar, and Nick cowered back against the wall. He wanted to run and call the police, to dive beneath the covers of his bed and stay there until the world came back to normal, but it was too late. The dragon spoke with a warped, sibilant version of his mother’s voice, and as Nick watched in fascination, it fell silent and struck. Nick ran, then, but the image was stuck in his mind, strobing alternately with a different image, a pair of scissors, his mother’s scissors, protruding from the pasty white flesh of Stan’s neck.., his own fingers closed on the scissors.
When he reached his bed, the toy box was closed. He fell asleep almost immediately — dreaming of dragons.

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Since tomorrow is Halloween, and it’s a Saturday, a lot of you will be carving your pumpkins.  Please, don’t carve a boring one.  We’re Dad-o-matic dads.  We don’t carve boring pumpkins.  You may think it is difficult to carve a cool pumpkin, but it’s not.  Like most things, all you need are the right set of tools, and the instructions.

Today, it’s really easy to find both.  You can usually pick up a pumpkin carving kit like this one at your grocery store.  I like the Pumpkin Masters one (No FTC, I wasn’t compensated to say that), but any booklet of templates with these basic tools will do.

There are tips about how to pick the pumpkin, store it, and great tips about carving one with the provided templates.  Read the tips and try it.  They rate the templates on difficulty, and I suggest starting with an easy one.  Any of them will be better than the triangle eyed one you may have had in mind.

If you have small children, you can find templates of their favorite characters on-line for free.  Just type pumpkin+template+[insert character name here] into Google.  That’s how I found this Dora template.  Nick Jr’s website has Dora, Backyardigans, and others, free for the printing.

I really want you to try this, so here is how to do it.

First, print out the template and gut your pumpkin.  You may have to adjust the size of the template depending on the size of your pumpkin. If you have an all-in-one printer, you can do this easily by making a copy and reducing the size.

Then you tape the template onto the pumpkin.  I find if I get the paper wet, it makes it easier to tape, but be careful when you do this.

Then you transfer the pattern to the pumpkin.  Take the little tool that looks like a fan, and poke little holes along the lines.  The middle spike is longer than the others, and this makes it easier to do the tight spots.

When your done with this, remove the template and you are ready to carve.

To make the pattern easier to see, I suggest you sprinkle some flour onto your pumpkin.  Spread it around and wipe it off.  The flour fills all the tiny holes and leaves you with a pattern that you can see.

Cut away the pieces from the center, out.  Remove large parts in sections.  Use a sawing motion and don’t try to do too much in one pass.  Small cuts is what you are looking for.  When you are done, you get something that you can barely tell is your pattern, like this.

When you put a candle in there though, everything becomes clear.  You will get something like this.

A few tips that will make your experience easier.

1. Cut the pattern from the center, out.


2. Don’t try to cut out and remove big pieces at once.  Cut them out in sections.


3. It is easier to push the cut away pieces into the pumpkin than remove them outward.


4. HAVE FUN

Leave yourself about an hour, especially if you have never done it before.  Believe me, you can do this.  The impress factor far outweighs the effort on this one.  Whether you use a pattern from the book or download one from the Internet, definitely get the carving tools.

So no more boring pumpkins!  Your kids will be so happy you did this, and you will be too.

Ian is the father of two young daughters  (6, and 22 months old).  He  has a podcast and blogs about starting a business while raising young children at Startup Daddy.

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This is my daughter’s third Halloween.  Every year, she is a tiger.  She is a tiger because we live in Memphis, TN and the mascot for the University of Memphis is a tiger.  You might ask yourself what that has to do with my daughter’s Halloween.  We recycle, reuse, and re-purpose the costume for multiple uses.  This won’t work for every costume out there but we purposely made her a tiger for these reasons.

She wears the costume for every party and trick or treat event we go to.
We live near both sets of grandparents.  We go to both their neighborhoods.  She also wears it to school and around or neighborhood. Times costume used = 4

It doubles as a coat.
Halloween is usually cold.  The tiger costume works well as a coat or a full body jump suit.  Add in the hood and it is perfect protection.  We attend college football games into December.  The tiger costume works for game day.  It doe not matter if we go to the game or if we simply go watch the game somewhere.  For added effect, we throw a cheer leading outfit on top of it and instant tiger cheerleader. Time costume used = 4 or 5

Pajamas
As it gets colder and colder, the tiger costume makes great PJs.  My daughter loves wearing the costume to bed so this works out well.  In years past it has been a one piece but this year it is a separate jacket and pants.   Time costume used = 5 or 6

Total times the costume is used = at least 13 times.

This will probably be the last time that I get to decide what she is.  I think princess costumes are on deck for next year.

Buck blogs almost daily at BuckDaddyBlog.com where he blogs about being a dad, sprinkled with some product reviews and giveaways, with a whole lot humor and self deprecation.

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One of the best perks of being a parent is raiding your kids’ Halloween candy when they are asleep. Of course, my daughter is only eleven months old, so I am still in the unenviable position of actually having to buy candy.

What a drag.

The only thing worse than having to buy your own candy is getting the lame candy that some people enjoy handing out on Halloween. Here’s my top five worst Halloween treats of all time:

3 Musketeers. A Snickers bar without the good stuff. Even Milky Way manages to throw in some caramel. My wife and I have heated disagreements about this one, but I wish 3 Musketeers would keep its nougat to itself. (I’m pretty sure “nougat” is French for “cheap filler.”)

Almond Joy and Mounds. Almond Joy would be a whole lot more joyful without the coconut, thank you very much. Don’t even get me started on Mounds.

Circus Peanuts. Jerry Seinfeld once referred to them as door stops. I think he was being too kind. They’re too small to serve a purpose that useful.

Popcorn Balls. Not a candy, per se. Not even sure if it’s a food, to be honest. Not good, that’s for sure.

Black Licorice. Everybody knows that a bowl with nothing but black jelly beans means that somebody ate all the jelly beans. Black licorice anything is bad news. It was developed by witches and labeled “candy” as a way to poison little children through trickery. It’s true. Look it up.

Now, this is a pretty diverse crowd, and I’m aware that one person’s cause for dry heaving is another’s taste of heaven. So tell me, where have I gone wrong? Where do you stand? What’s YOUR least favorite Halloween candy?

Jason Kotecki is a dad who also moonlights as an artist, author, and professional speaker. Jason and his wife Kim (a former kindergarten teacher) make it their mission in life to fight Adultitis and help people use strategies from childhood to create lives with less stress and more fun. Stop by www.KimandJason.com and follow them on Twitter @kimandjason

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In Dad’s Life Lessons On The Wall, I shared an easy and loving way to teach your child important life lessons. Perhaps one of my lessons is one of yours?

The photo of Zachary with Rule #3 on his bedroom wall.

So you blew it today.

That wasn’t a smart thing to say. Your friend is mad at you. You fought with your sister. You got caught in a lie and got punished. Today was not a good day.

Rule #3 is simple. Ask, “Am I proud of who I was today?”

If the answer is ‘yes,’ congratulations! What did you like about your behavior today? Is it something you can repeat tomorrow?

If the answer is ‘no,’ why? Can you do something differently tomorrow? Can you apologize or do something to make someone else feel better?

The point of Rule #3

Nothing’s permanent. You have another chance tomorrow. Don’t beat yourself up about a bad choice you may have made.

If there’s something you didn’t like about today, do better tomorrow.

What are your life lessons?
I’ve come up with a dozen or so, some I discovered in the last two years. What are some lessons you’d impart on your kids? Perhaps something you’d be willing to share here?

…

Good luck from a fellow Dad,
:: Joe Hage ::

P.S. 7,000 kids in America die from sudden cardiac arrest each year. I donated an AED defibrillator to protect my kids at school. Consider doing the same for yours. Email me for details at joe@joehageonline.com. Thanks.

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A while back, my kids and I attended my town’s annual Halloween parade and costume contest. I was the Cat in the Hat, my son was Sam I Am, and my twin girls were Thing 1 and Thing 2. Our costumes were painstakingly handmade, down to the Styrofoam green eggs and ham. Sure enough, we won a $50 savings bond that by my retirement could be worth as much as $53.75.

But standing proudly onstage next to an 8-year-old boy squirting blood from his eyeballs and a 12-year-old bloody zombie bride, I thought, “Whatever happened to pirates and hobos?”

My personal favorite Halloween outfit was a 1976 Superman costume — basically a shapeless plastic body apron and short vinyl cape. It had none of the super-sculpted muscles or soft cloth you see in every Superman costume now, even the ones for toddlers and pets. My costume also inexplicably came with a red Lone Ranger-style plastic mask. I wore it gamely, because what was a 1970s Halloween costume without some sharp piece of plastic cutting painfully into your skin?

Just as puzzling: Many costumes for little children are based on movies the Motion Picture Association says “may be inappropriate for children under 13″ — Wiggles-free flicks such as The Dark Knight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars III, Star Trek, Transformers, and two of the last three Harry Potter movies.

If a costume of The Dark Knight’s homicidal maniac The Joker is too tame for your child, never fear! There’s a kids costume for Michael Myers, the sadistic serial killer of the R-rated Halloween movies.

Putting an R rating on those movies is like putting a Surgeon General’s warning on heroin.

There’s also a Leatherface costume for kids based on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Oh come on, you might say, isn’t Leatherface more or less Bob the Builder with an attitude?

Other inappropriate costumes include:

“Pinhead” from Hellraiser
“Jason” from Friday the 13th
“Freddy Krueger” from A Nightmare on Elm Street
“The Joker” from The Dark Knight

I have nothing against horror — in fact, I love it. In 1980, my mother, a devout fan of the genre, made one of the most dubious parenting decisions since Joan Crawford shared with her little girl a certain distaste for dry-cleaning hangers. She brought her two young children to see The Shining. My brother and I begged to see it, then screamed and hid our faces like kids trapped in a hell-bent roller coaster. Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy this was not.

Scarred by that experience, I could have grown into the kind of kid other children hide their pets from, but I simply inherited my mother’s taste for good scares. I knew I was hooked when, as a movie usher in 1984, I was so mesmerized by the new Wes Craven film A Nightmare on Elm Street that I volunteered for ticket-ripping duty just to be close to the poster.

When my son came home one day expressing enthusiasm for a series of spooky kid stories called Goosebumps, I was thrilled. “I really enjoy horror fiction,” he said in his “I’m smart, see?” voice. But this doesn’t mean I’m buying him the SAW V mangled victim costume anytime soon. He’s better off carving pumpkins with dull knives, gathering gobs of candy, and pulling Halloween inspiration more from R.L. and J.K. than from my coveted nightmares.

That said, I am clearing room in my 2016 event calendar for some appropriate father-son fright night bonding if he’s game. The Grudge 8? The Peoria Witch Project? The Hills Have Ears, Too? Bring it on.

###

The author of the acclaimed collection “The 40-Year-Old Version: Humoirs of a Divorced Dad”, Schwartzberg is an award-winning essayist and screenwriter. His work can also be read in the new anthology “The Good Men Project“

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I’ve been traveling a lot. It’s not easy on my family, but they all know that the goal is good enough to support. Today, I had 20 minutes with my boy before jumping in the car to go to yet another event. Here’s what I did with the time:

If you can’t see the video click here.

Some day soon (less than 2 years), I’ll have my life back to where I can spend a lot more direct time with my kids. Right now, we’re still making time for each other, and staying connected and loving. You can do anything, if you work hard enough at it, and if the entire family aligns around the goals.

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Times have certainly changed.  My wife and I struggle with how to give our kids the same kind of Halloween we experienced as kids.  The Halloween of our childhood has sadly passed us by.  Instead,  the mall offers trick or treating, we cart the kids around to relatives houses, and we keep some candy in the house.

A church down the street from us has introduced a new way of trick or treating- they bring it to the church parking lot. Trick or trunk!

Yup, you heard me right.  You bring your bags of candy, your kids, trick or treat bags and pop open your trunk.  Halloween in a parking lot.  The kids walk from car to car collecting candy from fellow parishioners.  If you ask me it’s a great way to give the Halloween experience to your children, spend some quality time with friends, and stay safe.

What do you think of trick or trunk?  Do you do something similar on Halloween?

Photo credit: uploaded to Flickr by PumpkinWayne

Benjamin Strong is the Director of Marketing for the United States Coast Guard Amver search and rescue program.  He is the father of three boys, the oldest with Down syndrome.  You can follow his professional exploits on the Amver blog or on Twitter.  His personal thoughts are here.

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