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Check out this podcast I found on NPR’s June 9th episode of Tell Me More. Just in time for Father’s Day, a roundtable of “Daddy bloggers” discuss what’s new in the land of dad cyberspace. Keith Morton, who blogs at African American Dad; Jeff Steele, who blogs at D.C. Urban Moms and Dads, and Jason Sperber, who blogs at Rice Daddies discuss topics that have dads buzzing on the Web, including whether the image of President Barack Obama has put more pressure on them to perform in the husband and father department.
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The blogosphere is full of mom bloggers who are very active and organized. So it was nice to see the blogger dads organize and come up with a place where dads feel comfortable visiting. From what I could find out, this is a fairly new site and was started by bloggers Pete Janelle and Joe Schatz. If you are a parent, you can join the community and get to reading posts like “What I Really Want for Father’s Day”. I’ve included an excerpt of what dad-blogs.com is all about:

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The first dad blogger on the list for All About Dads Week, is the author of The Busy Dad Blog. Just after reading the title alone, I knew this would be a blog that I could really relate with. But after reading the posts I found out the Busy Dad was way busier than I am which made me wonder how he was able to put together such a well thought out blog. To get the real deal on the life of a busy dad, check out his site. I’ve included an excerpt from his About Me page below.

I swear the last thing I remember was throwing down a couple of pitchers with the boys, and pondering my biggest worry in life: how not to appear too hung over at the office tomorrow. Then I awoke, holding my breath in front of this Diaper Genie contraption cursing myself for not leaving enough tag end to tie it off. How did I get here?

Better yet, where do I go from here?

That pretty much sums up my initiation into the world of fatherhood. Somebody shoved a scepter into my hands with the letters D-A-D on it, pushed me onto the stage and said “dance, fool, dance.”

One awesome 7-year-old boy, a lovely wife, two dogs, and a picket fence later, I’m still shuffling my feet trying to find my rhythm as a kick ass dad. And as with any endeavor of this magnitude, it deserves to be documented. So I started this blog.

What is Photo Phinish?

This weekend I had the opportunity to watch my son ride his bike without my help. I was in awe as he rode down the street because this was only his second lesson. The first lesson was grueling and I paid the price with a sore back due to two hours of bending over to help him pedal. After that lesson I just knew it would be a while before he caught on. I’d be showing him how to turn and he would be looking at the rabbit running across the street. It took some patience from each of us and I knew it was going to be a long summer.

After the first lesson, about a week passed because I wanted to let him decide when he was ready to go back out. He jumped on the bike and with very little assistance from me started pedaling. I watched in amazement and gave myself a pat on the back for being such a great teacher. But when reality set in, I knew he was riding solo because he was ready to do it. All he needed was a little guidance in the right direction. Once he understood the concept of pedaling, he was on his way.

I guess that’s what parenting is all about. You give your kids what they need and pray that they are listening. They will fall, make mistakes and run into curbs, but if you’ve given them a solid foundation, success isn’t far away.  Next year, I’ll see how he does without the training wheels.

The first dad blogger on the list for All About Dads Week, is the author of the blog African American Dad. I came across Keith’s blog when I was searching for black bloggers to add to my reading list. He had a post on potty training his son Dev and was able to offer me some advice for my son. Here’s an excerpt from his about us page. Go check it out at fatherdad.com. I can guarantee, you’ll enjoy reading about his journey through fatherhood.

When my son was born his body temperature was a bit low. In order to get it to normal he was taken away and put under a special baby-warming heat lamp. While the treatment was being explained to me I thought of flame broiling burgers at Burger King. My kid was going to be delicious.

After being out of my sight for a few seconds I decided to go looking for him. I found my brand new little guy across the hall wearing a tiny diaper and a gauze cap. He seemed vulnerable in the small room as he was slowly being warmed up. I looked him over, counting fingers and toes, and took in the fact that we shared a face. And I noted that his navel was gross.

In an instant it was like the weight of the world landed upon my shoulders. I suddenly realized I was going to be responsible for helping him become a good man – a good black man. I knew my life would never be the same again.

Eventually I built up the nerve to touch him (after a little encouragement from the nurse that had come and gone) and I placed my pinky finger in his munchkin hand. In a voice that he seemed to recognize I whispered to him that I would be there for him no matter what obstacles he may face in this life. I told him how difficult becoming a black man would be, but that together we would make it. I’ll never forget those first moments I spent alone with my son as his dad. They inspired me to continue to do everything I do today!

I graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Urban Studies from Hunter College and I recently became Business Director of a start-up charter school committed to giving quality educations to inner city children, and an a viable alternative to parents that believed they didn’t have one. This is in addition to my work with Malecare, Inc as a program director/developer. My wife Shalawn, is a licensed Medical Social Worker and psychotherapist, and my four year old son Devin is, as of this writing, unemployed.

This week as Father’s Day approaches, I’ll be highlighting some of the dad-based blogs I’ve found in the blogosphere. I enjoy these sites and can relate to a lot of the topics discussed because my two boys have definitely taught me a lot about myself. Over the last couple of years the role of fatherhood has changed. No more are the “Leave It to Beaver” days, when dad was the sole financial provider in charge of disciplining the boys and keeping the yard together. Us new dads are a lot more involved and in my opinion I think the kids benefit greatly from the additional interaction they receive.

I enjoy the time I spend with my family and my boys are excited to see me when I walk through the door. I know at some point, that may end, but I’m going to take it all in while I can. Times have definitely changed and our kids need a male role-model more than ever. I pray that I can be that person for my kids. I want them to always know how much I love them and to know they can come to me despite the reaction they may receive.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last couple of years, it’s that this fatherhood thing is no joke. Kids will definitely put you through a test. But I can’t really hate too much because I’m sure my parents have some stories of their own. Be sure to come back each day for a new post. If you have a story or memory you’d like to share feel free to leave it in the comments area.

Wikipedia on Father’s Day

In part one of my Staying Organized series, I mentioned some of the ways I planned on going e-organized for the new year. It’s been fun and I’ve actually learned a lot about what it’ll take for me to better manage my time. Since the first post some things have changed, so I thought I’d update you on how it’s going.

To get a better plan with Sprint, I ended up renewing my contract and got the Blackberry (BB) Curve 8330. I was reluctant because I was so used to my Windows Mobile phone, but I quickly learned what the BB could do. Under my Google account created a calendar for myself, my wife, the kids, and church. Each have their own assigned colors and I can show/hide which I want to see at any given time. I also created a Google account for my wife, so she would have access to my calendars and the events I entered. I set up the browser on her phone to pull up the mobile Google calendar site when she opened it. That way she’d know what I had planned for the day (I always forget to tell her about stuff I need to do). I still use Google Sync to sync the Google Calendar with the BB calendar on my phone. Trust me, it works great.

I just recently listened to the audio book “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. With the tips in this book, I was able to find a way to fine tune my e-organization plan and add some efficiency to what I was doing. I changed how I used the The Remember the Milk (RTM) app I mentioned in the first post. I used the BB application they created to sync all of my tasks every hour from the website to the phone. Any task, big or small, goes in RTM and I assign date if it’s something that needs to be done soon. This works nice because it allows me to clear my head of all the “stuff” I need to do. It also gives me an organized repository where I can visually see the tasks that need to be done for the day. To make sure the list stayed current, I had to set a goal that all tasks for the day must be completed or rescheduled before I go to bed.

I’ve also started using an application called Evernote that allows me to access/capture ideas, notes and information from my PC or phone. But I’m going to save how I use this for another day because I’m trying to decide whether I’ll post it here or at Liberate Magazine.

Well, that’s all I have for now. I’d be interested in hearing your comments or questions. This may sound like a lot to keep up with, but for me it’s been working. My planner was never with me when I needed it, but I always have my phone. There is a slight learning curve in getting the system together, but the geek in me loves it.

I do have plans on going into each online app I use in more detail, but why do that now when I can have you come back for part 3?

I decided to write this post in response to a blog post I read at Liberate Magazine. The question was “How do you balance work with everything else going on in your life?”. You can leave your comments at liberatemagazine.com.

Finding work-life balance is something that my wife and I’ve been trying to do for a while. There are many times when I wonder if it’s even possible. When you are an entrepreneur with a full-time job, finding that balance becomes a lot more difficult. As soon as we get home, the kids need to eat, get ready for bed and we need to get ready for the next day. To be successful at even finding something close to balance takes a team effort to get it done.

I’ve found that the night time is my best friend because that’s the time when I begin working that “second job”. This can be hard if you’re not a night person and means there are times when sacrifices have to be made. This is why finding something you love to do is very important. When you’re doing something you love, it really doesn’t seem like work at all. You’ll still experience the stresses that go with running a business, but the motivation to success will definitely keep you pushing forward.

Instead of a balance, I tend to see managing work/life as a seesaw. At any point and time either side will get more attention than the other. The support group around me is important and I try to bring keep them informed on what I’m doing and I try to be aware of how I manage my time. I’m always looking for better ways to get things done and I try to keep my life as close to what I feel is balanced as possible. When the scale is tipping too far in one direction, you’ll know. That’s a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way.

Having a successful marriage is hard work! When dealing with the stresses of every day life, it’s easy to lose focus and get caught up in the rat race. Like a fine tuned sports car, our marriages over time need a tune-up. Here’s a great way to share and learn from others what it takes to keep a marriage strong.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN HEALTHY MARRIAGE INITIATIVE OF HOUSTON (AAHMI) INVITES YOU TO CELEBRATE BLACK MARRIAGE DAY with A FREE DAY OF MARRIAGE EDUCATION

Sunday, March 22, 2009
9:00 – 5:30 PM
5878 Bellfort Avenue
Houston, TX 77033

If you are interested, please call:
713-867-7764
Ask for Yanira Montes

View the attachment as well as the website (www.houstonmarriage.org) for other dates and locations.

While attending college, there were a number of times when I needed some financial help and there were people around to look out for me. In my final years I worked two part-time jobs and did what I had to do to pay the bills. FASFA was my best friend and the government was a lot more gracious with the money they were giving out in student loans.

Times have changed and money is tight for everyone (including the government). But an online dating service is stepping up to the plate to lend a hand to those trying to receive their college degree. BlackAlumniLoveConnection.com has a program called Lift and Climb where they give a portion of every monthly subscription to a scholarship fund for African American college students. They plan to distribute $30,000 in scholarships in the next year, with that number growing as their membership grows. In my opinion this is a great way for BlackAlumniLoveConnection.com to get customers for their business and help others in need.

So if you’re single and you’re wanting to get your online mingle on, check them out. You may be able to find love and help a black college student in need at the same time. For more information regarding the Lift and Climb program visit their website at BlackAlumniLoveConnection.com or contact Noelle LeVeaux Dugan at 214.616.1784.

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