Thoughts, feelings and occasional advice on being a real dad in the real world.
Unexpected.
Causing uncontrollable sobbing on my part.
The feeling of living in multiple worlds that sometimes clash or collide and cause these severe emotions because these worlds are so DIFFERENT.
Nothing like we desired or expected. And yet it IS.
So how do we best deal? Move forward and see if there’s a way to improve things? Or accept it (at least for now) because it might never change.
Dads and dads to be, join us at one of the following Daddy Brain Workshops:
Dads Day @ Meriter Hospital
February 7, 2015, from 9-11am
2650 Novation Parkway
Madison, WI 53713
Register for the workshop
The Daddy Brain Workshop @ Matrix Collaborative
March 4, 2015 from 6-7:30pm
6302 Odana Rd.
Madison, WI 53719
Register for the workshop
The Daddy Brain Workshop @ Stoughton Hospital
March 26, 2015 from 6-7:30pm
Stoughton Hospital Bryant Health Education Center
Register for the workshop
Dads Day @ Meriter Hospital
May 16, 2015, from 10am-12pm
2650 Novation Parkway
Madison, WI 53713
Register for the workshop
WORKSHOP TOPICS INCLUDE:
The workshop is a safe place for dads, and dads-to-be to share, learn and be heard. Hope to see you there!
And remember, you are not alone …
Tune into NBC TV Channel 15 (WMTV) tonight at 6pm for a special segment on dads featuring Daddy Brain! We’ll be talking about some of the challenges dads face when learning to engage with their children (pre & post birth). We’ll also touch upon the Daddy Brain Workshop @ Meriter Hospital (Dads’ Day).
Here’s the link to the Daddy Brain segment, in case you missed it.
And remember, you are not alone …
Monday, November 4 @ 7pm CT
Have you ever thought about how to talk with your kids about war and conflict?
It’s a delicate topic that many parents aren’t comfortable breeching. Our first guest, Niki Walker, has written a book called Why Do We Fight, which focuses on helping our kids understand, and think critically, about conflict and war in the world. She’ll be sharing some of her insights on healthy ways to discuss this sensitive subject.
Our second guest, Dr. Mark Brady, Ph.D. will talk with us about conflict and discord within our own homes. We’ll be focusing on conflict between siblings, spouses, parents and their kids — as well as how negative forms of discipline can play a role in children’s perception of conflict resolution.
I hope you’ll tune in on Monday, November 4 at 7pm CT for the Daddy Brain Radio show on the WORT access hour.
Local Listeners Tune in to 89.9 FM
Listen from anywhere in the world by going to WORT Radio’s Home Page and clicking on the “Listen Live” button in the upper right hand corner.
Want to Join the Conversation? I’ll be taking calls throughout the hour at: (608) 256-2001.
And remember, you are not alone …
You might be wondering, what’s the significance of a girl’s T-shirt in a post about the loss of a child? Or in our case, the loss of two children.
For me and my wife it represents our two girls — Skye and Sheila.
And every time I walk into my local Target I’m reminded of them.
Typically, I enter the store through the same doors, the one that leads past the women’s section into the girls’ department. I always look at what’s on display to see what I think my girls would like.
Some may think this is inflicting pain unnecessarily onto myself. But it’s not. It’s a way for me to honor my girls, and even though it hurts it’s important for me to REMEMBER them and acknowledge their existence.
Before we had our two boys, Max and Joss, we had two ectopic pregnancies — the second of which almost killed my wife. These were our girls.
Whether you’re a mom or a dad, if you’ve experienced an ectopic pregnancy, it’s OK to talk about it. It’s OK to hurt. There are more of us in mourning that you realize.
In reality, it’s not something we’ll ever heal from — the pain is something we cope with.
And remember, you are not alone …
WHERE
Meriter Hospital
2650 Novation Parkway
Madison, WI 53713
WHEN
10–11:30 a.m.
TOPICS INCLUDE
– Dad’s emotional life
– Transition into fatherhood
– Co-parenting
– Positive and negative forms of discipline
– Maintaining a healthy relationship with your partner
– Intimacy issues
– Coping with exhaustion
– Bonding with baby
– Second-class parent syndrome
– Goals for dad, kids and the family
– Maintaining a balance, as best as possible
– Supporting mom and and asking for support
For more info, or to register, please visit Meriter Hospital’s website.
And remember, you are not alone …
Exhaustion.It’s something that haunts my existence constantly these days. And if you’re a fellow parent, chances are you feel the same.
The question is, how are we coping with our exhaustion? Are we treating our kids and our spouse in a way we’re happy with? Or are we constantly crabby, finding it hard not to be set off by the smallest thing.
When it takes just about every ounce of focus for us to accomplish just what needs to be done today, how do we find the time and energy to work on improving our family’s future?
I’ve become accustomed to feeling exhaustion. It’s the new normal. Problem is, I don’t see any relief in sight.
But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up.
What I’ve found is that if I continue to work on what I call my foundational balance – which consists of exercise, sleep, eating well, some form of meditation, and having an occasional date with my wife – I’m still exhausted, but my temperament is far more positive.
I’m the first tot admit that when I don’t work on my foundational balance, I’m no fun to be around.
What about you?
And remember, you are not alone …
Daddy Brain is honored to be one of the guest writers over at Life of Dad.
My latest article, Are Your an Unemployed Dad?, is live if you’d like to check it out.
While you’re there, be sure to sign up for Life of Dad. It’s an excellent resource.
And remember, you are not alone …
There are times where I find myself harping on what I’ve lost in life instead of what I have, or what I’ve gained.
The loss of a job, a loved one, or one’s own health can make it difficult for us to move forward with our lives. It can often feel that we’ve lost the ability to smile.
On the one hand, I don’t want to ignore how I’m feeling. But I also don’t want to dwell on the past. I have a future to create, and my family is depending on me to succeed.
In order to counter my feelings of loss, I’ve started being very conscious of how I perceive my curent situation. I’ve been looking for the positive, instead of lingering on what’s lacking.
Every morning I smile, grateful that my wife is next to me, and that my two boys are healthy. I’ve started realizing how lucky we all are, and that although I have experienced loss in my life, every day we all wake up is a good day.
Each of us are creating our tomorrows. And what we focus our attention on has a way of manifesting as our reality.
If we’re focusing on loss, than we’re perpetuating more of the same. And in doing so, we’re losing time to make a difference in our future by dwelling on the past.
I for one am tired of this. How about you?
And remember, you are not alone …
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
7-8pm CST
The Goodman Community Center
Merrill Lynch Room C
149 Waubesa St.
Madison, WI 53704
This Month’s Topic …
The Discipline Dilemma: How to teach our children without traumatizing them.
Positive and negative forms of discipline are discussed, along with some of the adverse affects that negative discipline causes – including physical brain damage and the impairment of brain development. In addition to providing positive alternatives, we’ll also cover how the parent’s brain is wired, and how each of us can develop new habits that will help our kids grow into happy, healthy adults.
Click here for more information on Daddy Brain Workshops.
Reservations suggested. Walk-ins welcome. FREE.
Contact: Joey Donovan Guido
E-mail: daddybrain@live.com
Phone: 608-216-6760
And remember, you are not alone …
Daddy Brain 