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Posts Tagged ‘parenting’
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Raising Cheaters
By Daddy Clay Thursday, November 1st, 2012
Recently I’ve heard lots of parents expressing concerns about the prevalence of cheating in our society. These moms and dads point to elite sports and even the most prestigious institutions of higher learning and worry that cheating has become the norm.
Well, duh. What a bunch of suckers.
Parents that live in the real world are so over honesty. We know that our kids are unlikely to get ahead if they are encumbered with notions of fair play, mindless rule following, and namby pamby truth telling.
For those of you still admiring worn out role models like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln or Greg LeMond, I have a couple of pointers for raising effective cheaters. Read the rest of this entry »
Sibling Rivalry: Solved!
By Daddy Clay Wednesday, August 8th, 2012
I have to give my kids credit for doing a reasonable job of coexisting in our household. We still have three kids, which is exactly the number we birthed, so I’d say they’re doing pretty well. They certainly do better than I did with my younger sister — which devolved into a War of the Roses-style running conflagration.
There are skirmishes in our house, for sure. We have some bickering, arguing, cage fighting, and hostage taking. We get the occasional tiffs and squabbles, maulings, maimings, rampages, and body slams. Every so often the sofa cushions get disordered or the whole house reduced to glowing, smoking ruins. But overall they do pretty well.
I’m so proud of how rarely my children perform jiujitsu on each other, I’m going to offer a few tips on reducing sibling rivalry. If you’d like your kids to only periodically pound each other into jelly, read on! Read the rest of this entry »
Guardians of Virtue
By Daddy Clay Monday, June 4th, 2012
The glowering dad and the awkward suitor, it’s the fatherhood cliché that has spawned a thousand commercials and movie scenes. Entire cinematic franchises have been build around the notion of the old man, shotgun at the ready, on guard to protect his daughter’s virtue. Have you Met the Fockers?
But the media is about as accurate a reflection of reality as a Picasso, while being a shitload less inspiring.
Which leaves me wondering what a dad’s role in the sexual safekeeping of a daughter should be. Read the rest of this entry »
When a Tie Feels Like a Win
By Daddy Clay Monday, May 21st, 2012
My son loves to drape his arm casually over my shoulder and loom there. Usually with a slight smile on his face. Demonstrating yet again that he is, in fact, taller than me. I might still have ten pounds on him, but I have to rely on subterfuge when it comes down to it. When I pat his cheek, I feel a scruff. Patches of rough stubble.
In a matter of weeks he’ll officially be a high school kid.
I know high school kids pretty well. I’ve taught them, lived among them my whole adult life. Which hasn’t necessarily made me a big fan, especially swaggering jock-y boys. Nor has it made me feel prepared to raise one of my own. But a year into it, I have to say that being the dad of a teen is pretty great. Read the rest of this entry »
