A fun part of being a parent is experiencing the first things with your kids – first steps, first words, first time they can get up and get themselves a drink of water. A bad part about being a parent is experiencing the first things with your kids – first teeth, first trip to urgentContinue reading “Kids In an Airport: Worse Than Kids In an Airplane”
Author Archives: Pat Kose
My Daughter’s Favorite Princess is Herself
As much as I’ve tried to avoid it, my four year-old daughter has gravitated to princesses. I made it a point with both of my daughters to never call them “princess.” I didn’t want them to growing up with any kind of sense of entitlement, and I really didn’t want them to grow up toContinue reading “My Daughter’s Favorite Princess is Herself”
Can a Kid Hold a Grudge? Yes, They Can.
I (and I assume most other parents as well) choose to be selective in what I believe my kids will remember later on. When it comes to any kind of trauma – getting hurt, getting in trouble, getting dropped – I think, “oh they are little, they won’t even remember this later.” But when itContinue reading “Can a Kid Hold a Grudge? Yes, They Can.”
How Many Dead Kids Is Enough?
We’ve all heard the cliche “freedom isn’t free,” and that is true. Every freedom we enjoy in America comes at a price. Freedom of speech comes with the price of having to hear people say things that you disagree with, that are flat out wrong, or that are said on Fox News. Freedoms provided byContinue reading “How Many Dead Kids Is Enough?”
Dad’s Guilty Pleasure: Golf
Golf is an interesting hobby. It is technically a physical activity, but to spare yourself from something as physically demanding as walking, you drive yourself from shot to shot. Speaking of shots, unless it is being played at a legitimate competitive level, it is often nothing more than an excuse to drink in the middleContinue reading “Dad’s Guilty Pleasure: Golf”
What Motivates A Younger Sibling? The Spotlight.
Despite my belief that I really don’t care if my kids learn to ride a bike, we’ve succumbed to social pressures and gotten our daughters bikes. It really did get embarrassing watching a 4 year-old cram herself onto a tricycle built for a toddler. We got Lucy, our oldest daughter, a bike over a yearContinue reading “What Motivates A Younger Sibling? The Spotlight.”
Is Patience a Problem?
Patience is a virtue, but can it also be a hindrance to effective parenting? I’ve always tried to be as patient as I can with my kids, and for the most part I think I have been. Sure, sometimes when a kid throws a block at your face point blank you end up giving themContinue reading “Is Patience a Problem?”
A Great Compatibility Test: Vomiting Children
Kids will test many things about you. Your patience. Your ability to function without sleep. Your knowledge of dinosaurs. Your ability (or lack thereof) to braid hair. Your knowledge of basic math. These are things you have to expect going into parenthood. To a certain extent, you’ll also expect that kids will test your marriage.Continue reading “A Great Compatibility Test: Vomiting Children”
Teaching My Kids About Being White
We recently had a diversity and inclusion seminar at my office. At first, I thought the idea was kind of silly. Having a diversity seminar at my office would be like having a scuba seminar in the desert. Not that we discriminate in our hiring practices in any way, but we are in Grand Rapids,Continue reading “Teaching My Kids About Being White”
Kids in the Backseat: What the Hell Is Going On Back There?
What is it about the backseat of a car that seems to instigate bad behavior? Most parents would agree that they would prefer their kids to be on their best behavior in public and act out at home rather than the opposite. But what about the car? It is neither home nor out. They feelContinue reading “Kids in the Backseat: What the Hell Is Going On Back There?”