Making Your Own Movies

As a father, I make it a priorit to actively involve times that require me to bond with my family. I make it a priority to make myself available and to come up with things to do that require interaction, conversation and working together. Families don’t get close by chance or by happening to have children who all want to be close. They get close because someone actively encouraged that closeness. With that said, here’s an idea that will be a blast for our family. Try making a movie together. Don’t worry, you shouldn’t aim for Gone with the Wind … Continue reading →

Family Time Picnic

Dads, whose job is it in your house to promote family time? Many men are content to leave it to mom to do all the social arranging and family fun planning, but I say that we dads need to take active part in planning and promoting family time. One fantastic way to promote family time is to plan a family picnic. What could be more pleasant than an afternoon outdoors with the ones that you love? If you put just a little planning into your outing, it can make all the difference between a memorable family activity, and a family … Continue reading →

Family Time at the Zoo

What could be more fun for a family with young children than a trip to the zoo? My family is lucky that we live only a few miles from the Bronx Zoo. It makes it very convenient to visit the zoo for a couple of hours or an afternoon. In fact, my wife and I decided to become members of the zoo so that we wouldn’t feel obligated to make an all day excursion out of a trip to the zoo. One thing that I would suggest is that you only consider going to the zoo when your children are … Continue reading →

Playing With Your Food

Growing up, my parents encouraged a very civilized atmosphere at the dinner table. We always sat still, we never horsed around, and we never told jokes. It was very proper. It was very civilized and refined. (Not to be confused with fancy.) It wasn’t exactly the fondest part of my childhood, and there wasn’t anything wrong with it. It was in fact a rather forgettable part of my childhood. Sitting at meals with my future family was something I never put a moments thought into as I grew up. After I got married, meal time was much the same. Meals … Continue reading →

A Penny a Minute

My family had driven out of state to my folks’ place for the 4th of July, and something my father said in his living room took me back to the days of years gone by. . . (Picture a wavy transition to a flashback sequence here). In my parents’ family, (as well as the one that my wife and I made) the father ALWAYS drove the car. In fact, as a four year old, I clearly remember feeling sorry for dad because he had to stay awake by himself on long drives, late into the night, while everyone else in … Continue reading →