Father’s Day ideas from radio’s Ernie D

Usually, I don’t like to copy/paste reasons for doing anything from a manufacturer. However, these reasons just...

It’s almost always a good idea to shop used, especially for kid stuff, since they grow out of it so quickly. However,...

This is one of those really well-written pieces that manage to communicate the adrenalin rush of the moment we all fear. The scream from the spouse that something horrible has happened. Your few seconds to react, and react correctly to save the person you love more than anything in the world. This dad, luckily, did everything right and made a quick rescue from the icy April waters of New York City’s East River. Quite a tale, and a vacation memory they all could have lived without. A California dad dived into the frigid East River and rescued his 2-year-old daughter Saturday after she plunged 20 feet from a historic boat docked at the South Street Seaport. Witnesses heard...

Horror at Camp JellyJam is about a boy and a girl who find themselves trapped in a camp. Things start to get a little scary when campers start disappearing without notice. And why is there a room the counselors won’t let the campers in? Even though there were some really scary parts I loved this book. If you are between eight and 11 years old, you will most likely love this book too. Horror at Camp JellyJam is from the Goosebumps series from Scholastic. The covers of these books make them look scarier than they actually are. While the stories are intriguing and very readable, parents not should not be worried that small kids will be exposed to the violence suggested on...

April 1, 2010 (San Francisco) I’m not a big Google fan, but these guys are doing some incredible stuff these days. Now, it’s Google Translate for Animals. Full details are available on the Google Translate for Animals page, which has a full write up on the science and technology involved. Dr. Doolittle would be overjoyed that the day when we “talk to the animals” is finally here. Share on Facebook

(even vs. a hot breakfast) Breakfast is a key meal of the day, both for kids and adults. Literally, the meal that breaks the long nightly fast, it’s not a good idea to skip this meal to go hungry until lunch. This is particularly true for kids who need a good breakfast so they have the energy to work through what is usually the longer part of the school day. In fact, a variety of studies show that kids do better at school if they eat breakfast. One study showed that kids who ate a healthy breakfast had higher learning ability than other students who did not eat breakfast. Another Harvard study in 1998 among students in Baltimore and Philadelphia showed that students who...

As a family with both a little kid (5) and an older one (10), we’re always looking for Wii games that we can play together. These tend to be physical games that require no reading. Here’s a title that we tried recently and all enjoyed because it kept us moving with music, if you call pop covers sung by chipmunks “music.”   Alvin, the Squeakquel, for Wii delivers what it promises, a fun music game for kids that older players can enjoy, at least for a while. Alvin is a classic music rhythm game. Players just use their WiiMotes to match the required rhythm for Alvin and Chipmunks covers of hit songs like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Funky...

What to say about this modern reality-show style book that hasn’t been said before. The bookshelves are filled with this type of thing: the guy who lives and dresses like Jesus for a year, the couple who give up the phone, television, and computer, and of course, Julie writing about her adventures with a year full of Julia Child recipes. This is the year (or years?) of the concept book, and we’re all curious to imagine what insights can be pulled from a year of slavish devotion to a book gimmick. The Power of Half is different, of course, because it appeals to our better natures and takes on a cause. It is not a marketing exercise, nor I think, did it start as a...

You gotta laugh at the Psycho Girlfriend episode (4 min) as she gets pregnant and her attitudes toward sex immediately change. Laugh-out-loud funny until you start crying.Note: some not unexpected salty language given the subject matter. Share on Facebook

My little boy, age “almost 6″ heard the sound of Spring rain on our windows this morning and announced, “It sounds like Hell.” Well, maybe it did to a boy who would have to walk four blocks from where we park the car to get to his urban school. We are ending the days of his malapropisms, though, and when they come I want to pick him up and hug all of his little boy-ness, since very shortly, I won’t be able to pick him up at all. Share on Facebook

Our friend, RJ Jamarillo is offering coaching for single dads on subjects ranging from custody to what to make for dinner tonight. He wants to share what he’s learned as a single dad with three kids. Finally, after countless hours of meetings, interviews and test cases; I am proud to announce the world’s first coaching service offered to the Single Parent Community using live “face to face” video conferencing. SingleDad Coaching service is not just about post divorce coaching; it’s about life. All topics are open to discussion; from cooking lessons to co-parenting advice…. What makes it so unique is that each person can customize their coaching sessions, specific to their needs in...

Image via Wikipedia Everyone tells you to raise a reader. Read to them when they are babies, read them stories every night, model reading behavior.  A great, or even good dad, will devote hours in slavish devotion to this idea.  Well, here’s one dad who will tell you what the evil publishing scientists and lobbyists won’t:  reading isn’t fundamental; it’s fundamentally mental. Teach your child to read and you’re in for fifteen years of hardship and maybe even more.  Here’s why: Image via Wikipedia 1. Reading with your kid eats up precious time.  “Lost” is on at 8PM where I live. Enough said. 2. Nightly reading isn’t...