Articles filed under McDill, Kent

• ‘Amazing Race’: Secretly educational TV Apr 18, 2012 12:00 AM
  I do not watch reality TV because I know the people on those shows know they are on camera all of the time. There is no "reality" when you know you are in front of a camera. (From what little I know of shows like "Jersey Shore," I'm really hoping that is an explanation for their behavior. Please tell me they are play-acting.)
  

   

• Pick up your shoes and other fatherly advice: Weary of winter wear Jan 25, 2012 12:00 AM
  Although winter was late in arriving this year, it has finally blown into town, with all of its inherent beauty and accompanying headaches. When I say “headaches,” I am not talking about shoveling, or the hazards of driving, or the frightening possibility of the kids getting a snow day away from school. What I am referring to is the daily constant fight to get my teenage kids to dress properly for the weather. The human body is most comfortable within a range of temperatures. Unscientifically speaking, I would guess the range is from 65 degrees to 75 degrees. A reasonable adult can tell within a few seconds of being outdoors whether they need a jacket or a coat. A reasonable parent can tell in that same amount of time how much coverage his or her children need for their outdoor activities. But once your children reach a certain age, your knowledge on this subject (or any other, for that matter) is immaterial. When it comes to preparing for outdoor conditions, you are often judged to be flat out wrong.
  

   

• Songs in the key of a parent's lifeNov 30, 2011 12:00 AM
  I went to pick up Kyle from soccer practice recently, and found him outside of the complex surrounded by his teammates. When I got to where they were standing, I realized the other boys were watching Kyle, who was singing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” at the top of his lungs, with accompanying choreography. It was really bad (singing and weird body movements both).
  

   

• But, Dad, when will it be my turn on the Xbox? Oct 5, 2011 12:00 AM
  This is a cautionary fable about sharing, and keeping the peace. There are no lessons to be learned, only warnings. We all learned about sharing in kindergarten. I actually don't know if that is true, but it is the line I have used since I was a kid. It's significantly smart-alecky enough to get the point across in most cases.
  

   

• Pick up your shoes and other fatherly advice: The tall and short of it Sep 7, 2011 12:00 AM
  How many conversations have you had in your family that start with, “I think Sarah has your (eyes, ears, forehead, whatever)”? We want our children to have some trait of ours as a way of passing on our legacy. We want it to be one of the positive ones, like intellectual curiosity, and not the negative ones, like fingernail-chewing.
  

   

• Pick up your shoes and other fatherly advice: How can I be so stupid — and like it? May 18, 2011 12:00 AM
  When I was in grade school, they made us all take an IQ test, and I scored at a genius level, way above the so-called genius mark. I tell this story as background to you and a reminder to me, because according to my family, I am really, really stupid.
  

   

• Pick up your shoes and other fatherly advice: Trippin' with my kids Apr 19, 2011 12:00 AM
  I love my family. But there is such a thing as familial overload, and 18 hours over two days in a motor vehicle, separated by a short overnight stay in a too-small hotel room, is simply too much.