Thank you for faithfully reading, sharing, and telling your friends about my work over the past seven years. These Friday notes are quick-hitting topics that impact my parenthood but that stay just under the blog’s radar.
ICYMI, this week’s newest GBD piece focused on how a middle-aged dad like me might break a monotonous rut. I thought of the topic after hearing an interview from TikTok star, Patrick Hicks. Check out our latest piece here!
Three quick end-of-week thoughts
(1) Full Summer Mode where Florida has volunteering down!!!
As this week ends, it really feels like our household has entered “full summer mode” – the younger kids going to day camps, the older kids to work and volunteer. I love my kids’ energy during the hottest of Florida months – things slow down, activities subside, and my littles are apt to hangout face-to-face with friends.
Alongside of the chill time, while my state, Florida, is the butt of lots of jokes, we do one thing right: high school kids MUST volunteer a minimum of 100 hours (by the end of their senior year) in order to qualify for a state-sponsored tuition break. I am seeing local kids volunteering everywhere – from day camps to animal shelters to picking up beach garbage. There are young, energetic, fun volunteers EVERYWHERE around my kids – and I love it.
Is this just a Florida thing, or do you have the same? (If not, you should!)
(2) Breaks from organized sports – ok to chill or maybe they don’t want to play?
Even with most of kids’ activities on a two-month break, I am careful to watch to see if my children are keeping up with their teammate-friends, staying in shape, or practicing their sport of choice on their own. My household has been mixed so far: I have a wrestler that seems to be putting in the work and a bunch of soccer studs that are spending more time at the golf course then a soccer pitch. As long as they are doing something, I’m fine with the respite.
What about you – do your kids practice on their own during their downtime? What might that tell you about their desire to play next season?
(3) Cool content I’ve “discovered” this week
I had a solid week of podcast listening, starting with a discussion on Plain English with Derek Thompson about the state of youth sports in America. During this episode, experts like Tom Farrey from The Aspen Institute talk about the conundrum facing youth sports today – that more money than ever is spent for childhood participation while the number of kids participating is declining.
On the lighter side, I listened to a Stuff You Should Know episode about 90’s sensation, Milli Vanilli. Anyone my age must know the real story of this famous fake singing duo, right? This one is a great 50-minute workout option for those interested in this notorious tale.
Lastly, I am half way through the P!nk documentary on Amazon Prime. In classic old man fashion, I fell asleep after about 45 minutes – not because I wasn’t captivated, because if was 10:30 pm. I’m late to the party on this one (published in 2021), but I love how bad-ass Pink is. Her approach to parenting seems refreshing and real. You may see a (very late) review of this documentary pop up on the blog sometime soon.
Wrapping Up
As I wrap the week and look at how I’ve spent my time, I am constantly wondering if I’ve gotten better, more creative, more attentive to my family, and (somehow) mustered more energy than the week prior. Do you do the same? If so, I hope you’ve spent time engaged, at least in-part, with projects that push you forward toward something. If not, we’ll get ’em next week, I guess.
As always, please reach out with topic ideas, things you’re experiencing during your parenting journey, and even to say “hello”. We are in this together.
My Best,
Tobin
