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I May Be That Dad!

April 21, 2011 by

I don’t want to be that dad but I feel like I am in a way. You know that dad who freaks over everything his teenage daughter wears. I am even a little freaked about who she hangs with.

She is a super smart girl but I worry about boys. Boys are sneaky and have bad thoughts on their minds. I know not all boys but that it what I think when it comes to my smart, beautiful teenage daughter. From what I hear from her and Melinda she seems to run with a decent crowd but the dad in me can’t help but worry. I am just afraid she will get mixed up with the wrong person or situation by accident.

She came up last night asking could she wear a certain dress to school and I immediately said NO without even thinking. In my head I knew I shouldn’t have responded so fast but my first thought was what boys would think when they saw her. Just writing this post is giving me anxiety. I know she isn’t a baby anymore but she is my baby and I want to do everything I can to protect her.

Melinda tells me all of the time that I am over reacting and I know she is right but again I am just trying to protect Sabreena. I hope she knows that I am just trying to protect her because I don’t want her to pull away from me because she thinks I am a crazy dad.

Am I being crazy?








I Disclose




All Eyes On You

April 6, 2011 by

We were out to dinner last week and I was facing a table with a tween and her parents. I kept glancing at them because I was curious about the girl’s behavior. I look at Sabreena and see polite, kind, sweet, chatty, happy and relaxed. I was looking at this kid and I saw grumpy, arrogant and dismissive. Her mother was chatting with her and all the girl did was roll her eyes and shrug her shoulders.

Dessert time came for the other family and mom wanted to share her sundae with the girl. The spoon came up to the girls lips and she did something that shocked me; she roughly shoved her mother’s arm out of the way and gave her a check to the body. I tried to quickly glance away but the mom caught me. Before I turned away I noticed the mom just laughed it off but when she saw that I noticed what really happened she quickly started disciplining her daughter. I could hear Mom say how disrespectful she was being and she needed to cheer up and have a good time. Tears started rolling down mom’s face. The daughter’s attitude didn’t change. This was her normal self, her normal behavior. Me noticing the interaction had no change in how she treated her family and the situation.


Rob and I are strict and we expect certain behavior and respect but we also are fun and open and talk to our kids, all of them, about almost anything. The second Shaun rolls his eyes at me we’d be having a serious conversation about it right in the restaurant. I have no problem disciplining my children wherever we are. Sometimes I’m subtle and to the point talking quietly in their ear, sometimes I’ll engage some tough love and hope embarrassment in front of others works. This mother knew her daughter was in the wrong but for whatever reason wasn’t going to deal with it until she thought she was perceived as “not in control” of her child. Maybe she was so used to the disdain and withdrawal from her kid that she didn’t know how to react differently. Maybe she was putting on a show that there was nothing wrong with her relationship and laughing it off was how she kept things calm outside the home.

Do you parent differently outside the home when all eyes are on you?












I Disclose




Last Night Was A Great Night

December 7, 2010 by

Last night I ran to the store to pick up a new belt and cologne and Sabreena (my teen) wanted to tag along.

She needed a few new sweaters so I said yes and we went.  Usually I feel like I don’t have much to say to her and that is 100% my fault.  She is into Nerd Fighters and stuff like that so I guess I am out of the loop but last night was AWESOME!!!

I really enjoyed spending time with her and we had a lot of conversations.  Some important some not but that is what made it fun.  It was just me and my now teenage girl and it was really really nice.

I need to listen more instead of bitch at her over stupid shit because she does have stuff to say and no matter what I think it is important.  Last night opened my eyes to a whole new world and I am liking it a lot!!!  It sucks it has taken me so long to realize this!!!