Now It's Time To Say Goodbye

It's all about this kid!

"Times they are a changing" - Bob Dylan

I wasn't sure when this moment would come. I knew that blogging probably wouldn't be a "forever" thing in my life. I sort of anticipated that my time as a non-working at-home dad would be limited. Sometimes, life presents you with an opportunity that you cannot not take advantage of, and I am at that crossroads. I have been an at-home dad/dad blogger for two years, and I am sad to say that this will be my last post as "The Real Matt Daddy."

"Idiot Dad" Largely Absent From 2013 #SuperBowl Advertising

As a former advertising professional, I usually follow the trends of Super Bowl commercials. It seems that every year there's company that comes up short, falls flat, or makes a gigantic mistake. Now that I'm an at-home dad, I thought that I would look at the commercials from a different perspective. This year, I had my pen and paper ready. I planned to dissect the most watched (and most expensive) television messages of the year, looking for any hint of a company that used the "idiot dad" stereotype in their advertising. I planned to report the results to you here, and spend a good deal of time ripping each company apart for their blatant disregard for fathers. But I am happy to say that I have very little to report. After thorough examination, I have assembled the very best and worst(?) dad-related commercials from last night's big game.

#Ravens Linebacker @RayLewis On Retirement: "It's Okay To Be Daddy"

As a Baltimore Ravens fan, I was anxious to watch the video of the entire press conference where Ray Lewis announced his retirement. But I didn't expect to hear him talk so much about fatherhood, and how his role as a dad helped shape his decision to retire at this point in his career.

Click on the link below, and skip to the 3:40 mark to hear him begin to talk about being able to watch two of his sons play football on the same team while he was injured. From there, he continues to talk about his thought process through this decision, and he brings up fatherhood several more times, saying that his kids have had to sacrifice having him around for seventeen years and that he doesn't want them to grow up without a father like he did.

Dad Blogs: Best Posts of 2012

For those of you anxiously awaiting my return from "vacation mode," it won't be too much longer. I'm still working on remodeling our future home, and once we get moved in, I'll be back on a regular basis. I have so many stories to share with you - like why everyone is peeing on the floor, jokes to tell during a vasectomy, and much, much more.

In the meantime, I have some other great dad-related content that I think you would love. I'm part of a dad bloggers Facebook group that is 70 members strong (...and growing!). We decided that it would be fun to each share what we felt was our best post of the year. Some are funny; some are sweet; some will make you think; and others will make you cry. Here they are, in no particular order. (More may be added as they are posted this week, so be sure to check back!)

Kids Tell (And Act Out) The Story of #Christmas

Saw this in church this week. It's fantastic. Merry Christmas, everyone!

#RealFatherhoodStories: Mike from @SecretDadBlog

How My Daughter Taught Me To Give

By: Mike of Secret Dad Society

‘Tis the season’ for giving, and for being completely humbled by your own children.We were going through the mountain of toys and stuffed animals that have amassed in the playroom, and we decided to clean out some of the clutter. The collection of stuffed animals, specifically, was squarely in my sights.

I said to my daughter, “We should give a few of these to another boy or girl to play with,” and just after the words flitted happily off my tongue, I realized what I had done. Four-year olds, as you know, take EVERYTHING literally.

I saw her eyes begin to grow wider and imagined the gears turning in her head, so I commenced with my back-peddling crusade. I tried to explain what it means to donate things to the Salvation Army, but it was already too late. She was dead set on going right out and finding a boy or girl to give her stuffed turtle and teddy bear to.

DADS: Tell A Major Brand How You Purchase/Consume Yogurt

Dads,

Here is your chance to talk to a major company about what's important to YOU as a father and a consumer!

Help Us Kick #Cancer in the Prostate! #Movember

One in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. That makes me want to kick cancer in the prostate. I've never been kicked in the prostate, but I'm almost certain that it would hurt like heck. I have been kicked in the scrotum, and that does hurt like heck.

More often than not, if you get into a fight, there is an expectation that both parties will fight fairly. This is strangely true in even the most extreme circumstances - like bar fights. Anyone who kicks his opponent in the scrotum during a fight would be seriously looked down upon. Cancer would be someone who would kick his opponent in the scrotum.

How To Grow A Mustache for #MOVEMBER

It's that time of year again. Today is November 1st. It is the official kickoff date of Movember. During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of mustaches on thousands of men’s faces, in the US and around the world. With their Mo's, these men raise vital awareness and funds for men's health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives.

How To Take Some Much Needed Time Off

So, how do you take some much needed time off?
You just do. That's it. There is no magical formula. Just do it.

I don't think that there are too many of you reading this who wouldn't consider your lives to be busy. Sometimes, we end up doing too much, and we need to take a break. I have been writing on this blog for almost two years without a break, and yesterday, life handed me the much-needed rest that I need. The video card went up on our home computer. A simple fix, right? It probably is; however, I will not be making it any time soon. You see, I was already contemplating taking a break from all online activity for a few months. This fried video card just gave me the confirmation that I needed to make the decision.

Dealing With Another Dad Double Standard

I was talking to someone the other day who I hadn't seen in awhile. He asked if I was "still doing the Mr. Mom thing." I understand that I can't expect him (or his older generation for that matter) to understand how difficult it was for me not to shout "DON'T CALL ME MR. MOM!" But just as I pat myself on the back for withholding my disdain for that particular statement, he said something else, "So, you're really using that college degree, huh?"

The Benefits of Eggs for Breakfast

I came across a handy infographic about eggs, and I thought it would be fun to share. I know that there are some misconceptions about eggs, and I thought this picture addressed a few of those with some good information.  Personally, I love eggs. But I have to be honest, I do have high cholesterol, thanks to my mother's side of the family, so I have to watch what I eat. Eggs are one protein source that I am not willing to part with, and there are many important reasons why.  

@GoogleChrome Champions #Fatherhood in Their Recent Ad Campaign #Dadvertising

I've never met a mom who didn't love a commercial with an involved father in it. I have to believe that has to be part of the motivation behind Google's new set of ads for their Chrome web browser. But regardless of their motivations, I have to say "THANK YOU!" to a brand that dares to include involved fathers in their advertising (or, as I call it, #Dadvertising). Check out their latest effort.

10 Parenting Resources Highlighted by @DrReneParenting #ahdconvention

One of the featured speakers at this weekend's 17th Annual National At-Home Dad Convention was Dr. Rene Hackney. She currently owns and teaches at Parenting Playgroups, Inc. in Alexandria, VA. She lectures to thousands of parents, teachers, and social workers each year on a wide range of parenting related topics. She holds a PhD. in developmental psychology and a M.A. in school psychology, both from George Mason University.

Her session at the convention was titled Managing Power Struggles and Helping Your Kids to Listen Better. I think most of the dads who attended would agree that it was a powerful, and informative session that offered practical application that would immediately make a difference in our homes. While I can't recap the entire session, I can give you ten of the resources that she mentioned so that you can do specific reading to target any issues that you are having with your individual child.

A Woman's Work is #^%&*ING PEANUTS - @BloggerIdol Week 2 Entry

As an at-home dad, I get questions about gender roles and stereotypes all the time. People often don’t know what to make of me as a father who directly cares for his child, so I usually end up telling them. They ask things like, “Are you babysitting today?” To which I reply, “Nope, I'm parenting.” Sometimes they still don’t “get it.” For those occasions, I had this shirt made up.

While I think that gender stereotypes are occasionally funny but mostly useless, I do believe we can learn a lot from the opposite sex. So, in an effort to truly understand the way that my wife approaches parenting, I decided to conduct an experiment. I tried to imagine living out my routine for a day, but with her mind.

The Weekend The Men Went... to the At-Home Dad Convention #ahdconvention

On a weekend in October... 

...a national non-profit organization will conduct a social experiment like none other.  

Men from around the nation will leave their homes and flock to Washington, D.C... 

and leave... their wives... 

alone... with the kids.  

Can they survive? 

Of course they can. This isn't a Lifetime reality television show.
(Plus, this is the seventeenth time it has happened.) 

It's time for the convention!  

Funny Survey Responses and Some Good #DADvice

The first time that you land on my site, a little box pops up in the bottom right hand corner. It will ask you one of two questions. The first is "How did you find this site?" I am very interested in what channels lead to my site so that I can invest more time in promoting myself there (or realize that I am not promoting my site strongly enough in other areas... Pinterest). The second, and more interesting question, is "What topics would you like me to write about?" Over the past year, this question has yielded some very funny responses (and some pretty serious ones as well).  Here they are in the order they were received.

@TrayChaney's New Vid #MIKEBULLY Is Released

Tray Chaney, aka "Poot" from HBO's The Wire (the best TV show ever created), has just released his new video "Mike Bully" in conjunction with the Maryland State Education Association's promotion of October as National Bullying Prevention Month. Tray is a good friend of the blog, and has tackled tough subjects before.  This time, he's telling the story of Mike, a kid that gets bullied in school but doesn't know how to handle it.  I think you will see that in the end, he makes the right decision.  Follow the conversation with @TrayChaney on Twitter using the hash tag #MikeBully.

Enjoy the video!

@DreftDetergent Has A Great Commercial For Parents #dadvertising

This is fantastic.  The only thing I could ask for would be to show moms and dads working together.  But otherwise, this is a great commercial for parents.  Hit them up on Twitter (@DreftDetergent) or on their Facebook page and let them know you love this ad. Ironically, Dreft is a Procter&Gamble brand, and just a few months ago, we were giving P&G a hard time for their Olympic ads that were very glaringly dad-less.  I'm glad to see that some parts of the P&G brand understand that dads purchase their products too!

@BloggerIdol Week 1 Entry - A Really Awkward Gift

Prompt: Your audience needs to get to know you, and be able to connect with you. So, your first assignment is to introduce yourself to them by telling them about a family tradition you have. It can be with extended family or whatever, but it should really give them an idea about who you are.