Dad Things (And Other Interesting Things) - Issue #2

I made it to issue #2!

I wanted to tell a quick story about the shit we do for our kids.

Clydee has a stuffed dog named "Bob" that we got at IKEA. We forgot him on the way to school today and he really wanted him so he could cuddle with him during nap time. And of course, I promised I would get it for him. The thing is, we live almost 35 miles away from their school. If you know CJ, he’s, let’s just say, demanding. When he REALLY wants something, he’ll whine, scream, and insist he get his way. I didn’t want to drive all the way back home and then drive all the way back to his school for a damn stuffed animal. So I did the next best thing: bought the same exact thing. IKEA is only 15 minutes away from their school so I went there, bought another stuffed dog, and dropped it off before their nap time.

And that leads me to another email newsletter I subscribe to, Daily Dad. There are countless times where I feel like I’m just an Uber driver for my kids. But as with most perceived “bad” things in life, you just need to flip it around and look at it in a different light. I’m just going to copy and paste, it’s that good.

What am I, many a dad has asked their kid, your chauffeur? What do you think I am, an Uber driver? It’s understandable—it can be a pain to drive your kids around. To daycare. To school. To a friend’s house. To a doctor’s appointment. To soccer practice. Sometimes it can feel like this is all parenting is—driving a little person around… for free. 

But a smart dad doesn’t see this as an obligation. Instead, they see it as a gift. For a bunch of reasons. First off, this is exactly the kind of “garbage time” that Jerry Seinfeld talked about. Every minute doesn’t have to be special—you don’t have to seek out “quality time.” Twenty minutes in the car can be something you share and remember forever. 

Secondly, how often do you get this kind of captive audience? You guys are stuck together! This is wonderful. This is what you wanted, right? An opportunity to connect? To bond? To have fun? So use it! 

Third, as many dads with older kids will tell you, something changes when kids are in the car with you. Suddenly, you’re not the parent. You’re just a companion, a fellow human being equalized by traffic. Kids will share and say things in the car they wouldn’t anywhere else. Or better, if their friends are with them in the car too, you fade into the background and suddenly you can watch how your kid is with other people. It’s like you’re a detective watching through one-way glass. You’ll learn things about your own son and daughter that you’d never know otherwise. You’ll get a glimpse into who they are in a way they could never articulate to you directly. 

The point is: Driving your kids around is a privilege. It’s an opportunity. Only an idiot would complain about it. A great dad would volunteer. Because they know what they get out of the experience. Because they know what they can do with those minutes—or hours—in the car.

You can subscribe to Daily Dad here.

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Gadgets

Since that intro was a long one, I figure I’d keep it short and mention one gadget I find indispensable. Most people have battery packs but this doubles as a battery pack AND a charger. It has 2 USB ports so you can charge two devices at the same time. And when you travel, you can use it to charge without having to be next to an outlet. I found that it can charge your phone twice before having to be charged itself.

Anker PowerCore Fusion 5000 - https://amzn.to/34FDiUc

I hope everyone had a fulfilling and meaningful Thanksgiving. I'll see you all next week.