fatherhood
It’s OK to lose it sometimes, just not too often
Denver author and educational consultant Craig A. Knippenberg is renowned for his work with children, adolescents and parents, Craig has a lifelong commitment to improving the lives of children and families by developing effective strategies to help “imperfect” parents build resilient kids so that they may better understand how children’s brains work and foster a deeper connection and independence without guilt or shame. Craig has released two parenting titles: Wired and Connected: Brain-Based Solutions to Ensure Your Child’s Social and Emotional Success and Shame-Free Parenting: Building Resiliency in Times of Hardship, Guns, and Social Media. Letting Go of Parental Shame If you do lose it, apologize and seek forgiveness. Apologizing means you ow...
The garden gopher showdown: if you can’t beat ’em, feed ’em
My dad has a massive vegetable garden and it is his life. Whenever I ask how things are going, he tells me about the garden. Periodically he will text me a picture of the things he’s harvested and ask when I’m coming to pick them up. And for a while, the biggest bit of garden gossip has been his nemesis, the gopher. This gopher was consistently ruining his day by pilfering the best of everything just before my dad could harvest it. Anytime I talked to him, all he had to tell me about was “that damned gopher.” He dreamt about killing the gopher, his truest enemy. He tried to train the dog to hunt the gopher, but the dog is a pacifist. He led some of the barn cats to the holes, but the barn cats have unionized and refused his offered rate. He then laid no-kill traps...
35 years later, these dads are still goofing around!
Friendships are one of the more overlooked aspects of becoming a dad. It’s probably fair to say that your mates are not top of your partner’s list of priorities when you first have a baby. To be honest, you’d be concerned if they were. But there’s no denying that fatherhood affects your friendships. How much time you have for them, what you do, and even who your friends are. Try to stay in touch not just with your old mates but with your old way of life. Fatherhood can be all-consuming. A lot of men are happy for their new family-focused lifestyle to replace time spent with old friends. It is a new chapter, after all. And that might mean naturally bringing earlier chapters to a close. Check-out these dads….35 years later! But you might find it’s worth the effort to keep in touc...
What ‘happily ever after’ really looks like
I stood in my bedroom doing my makeup when I heard my parents across the hall in the bathroom. My father was groaning in immense pain and luckily my mother was there to help him. I was a self-absorbed twenty-something at the time—bouncing back and forth between two men like a rubber ball. But this moment between my parents struck me. My father moaned. “It’s okay, Chris,” my mother said to him. “I’m here.” That was the start of my father’s painful side effects from his prostate cancer years prior—something that would only get worse with time. As I leaned toward the mirror, slipping mascara onto my lashes, I heard more grumbling from my father. I froze. I was stuck in their moment with no place to go. I heard a clank in the bathroom. A mess was made out of my father’s control. ...
Father’s Day in Denver: Fun traditions Dad will love
Father’s Day is June 16, 2024, and Denver is the ultimate place to celebrate dear ‘ol dad. Don’t miss these ideas to start some new traditions with him. Looking for adventurous ideas with Dad? Don’t miss The Ultimate Denver Summer Activity Guide (250+ Ideas) and the Colorado Bucket List: 100 Offbeat Destinations You Must Visit. Scroll down for even more ideas! The joy of cooking. Most Father’s Days start with kids wanting to bring dad breakfast in bed. Try to keep that tradition going, even as kids grow older. Then, when their age is right, try having them grill dad dinner. As the years pass, that meal will go from hot dogs and hamburgers to salmon and steaks. “I had a very memorable day when my middle-school son discovered Bobby Flay’s gri...
50 Father’s Day events, brunches and festivals in Denver
Dads come in many forms but most forms of Dad love to eat and spend time with their families. Visit Denver has rounded up some fun festivals and foodie finds for fabulous dads. If sports are more his jam, be sure to check out Colorado Rockies vs. Pittsburgh Pirates June 14-16 or Colorado Rapids vs. Austin FC June 15, 2024. Looking for adventurous ideas with Dad? Don’t miss The Ultimate Denver Summer Activity Guide (250+ Ideas) and the Colorado Bucket List: 100 Offbeat Destinations You Must Visit. Scroll down for even more ideas! Denver Father’s Day Events 2024 Hangin’ N Slangin’ Markets WHEN: June 8, 16, 30, 2024 WHERE: EDENS Hangin’ N Slangin’ vintage thrift markets will be in RiNo, in the Lot on Larimer, on the second Saturday...
New! Family-friendly Social Lounge & Coffee Shop Opens in Highlands
Are you looking for a new family-friendly hangout? Check out this new social lounge that is also mission-driven! The Den, a social lounge for families, is a space that aims to provide a supportive and dignified experience for anyone navigating the parenthood journey and searching for something different. Located at 2900 Zuni St, the space includes a coffee shop that’s open to the public, a lounge overlaid with play for children, a laptop bar, a rentable zen room and a classroom for support groups, curated specialist-led classes, and open crafting. The coffee shop will also spotlight independent brands on a rotating basis, starting with ANDI, a brand founded and led by a Denver-based mom. The team’s mission at The Den is to validate the diverse and meaningful experiences of all those ...
Happy Father’s Day to Denver Dads!
Happy Father’s Day to our Denver Dads! Don’t miss our Guide to Father’s Day in Denver with 50+ ways to celebrate Dad. This is the price you pay for having a great father. You get the wonder, the joy, the tender moments – and you get the tears at the end, too. -Harlan Coben I was raised in the greatest of homes… just a really great dad, and I miss him so much… he was a good man, a real simple man… Very faithful, always loved my mom, always provided for the kids, and just a lot of fun. -Max Lucado In our house, Mother’s Day is every day. Father’s Day, too. In our house, parents count. They do important work and that work matters. One day just doesn’t cut for us. -Margaret Heffernan Happy Father’s Day today (and every day)!
A Father’s Day Tribute to My Second Dad
My father quit on us when I was five. Mom remarried a few years later. She then passed away in a car accident when I was nine. Both biological parents were gone before I turned ten. I was stuck living with my Mom’s new husband whom I had only known for a short time. He wasn’t my “real” dad. Randle isn’t even my real last name. Steve Randle then showed me the meaning of real. He dedicated his life to raising us (I have a younger sister and brother). When Steve met my Mom, he was a successful attorney. As a single parent dealing with deep sorrow, he gave up so many of his own interests to be there for me. He has taught me more about life than anyone else – the most important being belief in myself, commitment to family, and faith in God. I have never made a major personal or professional dec...
A daddy-daughter date: 40 years later
I left Canada when I was 18 years old for college and the longer I’m gone, the farther away it feels. Four years ago, my mom finally passed away after a 30-year battle with MS. Add in a pandemic where I couldn’t cross the border to return home and my Dad’s multiple battles with cancer during that time–and I treasure time spent with family even more. In February for my birthday, I had one request: to fly home. I had a few days of wicked-cold temps and a few days of moderation that made for a great visit. We hiked, skied, skated, ate (so much), did a bunny intervention of Mom’s Easter collection (100+ cottontails), and snuggled up to the fire to watch curling every night in my childhood home. On a very cold day, Dad and I decorated Mom’s grave...
30 Best Dad Jokes You’ve Never Heard
C’mon, who doesn’t love a good Dad Joke? OK, most of us groan when we hear them but that is what makes them that much more delightful. Also, don’t miss our Guide to Father’s Day in Denver: 50+ Ways to Celebrate Dad. Looking for gifts for Dad? Check out these customizable graphic tees by Black Lantern, screen printed in Estes Park, or these cool Colorado trucker hats and apparel by YoColorado. Best Dad Jokes “Dad, did you get a haircut?” “No, I got them all cut!” “My wife is really mad at the fact that I have no sense of direction. So I packed up my stuff and right!” “How do you get a squirrel to like you? Act like a nut.” “Why don’t eggs tell jokes? They’d crack each other up.” “I don’t trust stairs. They’re always up to something.” “What ...
Start a new Father’s Day tradition with these ideas in Denver
With Father’s Day almost upon us, here are fantastic ideas to start new traditions with Dad in Denver. Looking for adventurous ideas with Dad? Don’t miss The Ultimate Denver Summer Activity Guide (250+ Ideas) and the Colorado Bucket List: 100 Offbeat Destinations You Must Visit. Scroll down for even more ideas! The joy of cooking. Most Father’s Days start with kids wanting to bring dad breakfast in bed. Try to keep that tradition going, even as kids grow older. Then, when their age is right, try having them grill dad dinner. As the years pass, that meal will go from hot dogs and hamburgers to salmon and steaks. “I had a very memorable day when my middle-school son discovered Bobby Flay’s grilling book,” Knippenberg says. Sands of time. Dads who w...
