Positively Dad

We talk A LOT about kids and screens. What about us? Is your "screen time" style, "do as I say, not as I do?" If we'd like to raise children to have a healthy relationship with screens, we must have one. We continue our conversation with Anya Kamenetz on her book The Art of Screen Time, this time talking about us. What things should parents consider to avoid addiction and to stay present with their families? It's a follow up to our episode on Kids & The Art of Screen Time.

Mike and Katie Richardson had it all planned out. They got married, got their lives started and were ready to start a family. That's when it didn't go as planned. Like millions of American families, they struggled with pregnancy and that's when they decided to take another route. That route changed their lives and the lives so so many kids. Mike shares his story and their journey to adoption.

It's one of the biggest debates in American homes... screen time. Are they on their devices too much? What are they watching? Are their brains going to mush? And on and and on and on. There are a lot of rumors, myths and fears about screens and kids. This week we attempt to get through the clutter and get to the truth. We talked with NPR's Anya Kamenetz about her book The Art of Screen Time. She lays out what parents need to know and what boundaries they should consider.

"There is no cure. It is fatal." That's what doctors told Joel and Andrea Clausen last November. Words no parent wants to hear. The doctor was talking about their youngest son Bryce. He was diagnosed with Krabbe disease - an extremely rare condition that affects the brain and nervous system. Doctors told them Bryce had just a few months left and that they should enjoy the time they have together. Joel, Andrea, Bryce and their oldest son, Levi, did the best they could. They cried and spent time together and then decided they would turn their tragedy into something good. Bryce's Battle became a mission - a mission that could impact families around their home state of Indiana. We talked with Joel about Bryce, their journey and how they got lawmakers to make sure fewer families will experience what they did.  

It happens to all of us, we have a great idea or set a big goal and then get stopped somewhere along the journey. Why does it happen and what can we do to actually get it done? This week we talk with Charlie Gilkey about his new book Start Finishing where he looks at how to survive the "messy middle" and how to beat the five challenges that stop us in our tracks.

David and Toni Zarghami are the parents of two young kids and they, like all of us, want their kids to grow up in to successful people. That's why they are intentional about helping their son and daughter think with a growth mindset - seeing opportunity in everything and focused on using words and language that moves them forward. We talked with David about how that impacts his relationship with his kids and his wife.

Did you know that babies as young as six-months old notice differences in skin color? We did a podcast on that study earlier in the year and that lead us to this week's conversation. Knowing that kids may show a preference to those who look like them, how do we introduce our kids to people who don't look like us, become aware of bias and learn to love others? We talked with Andrew Grant-Thomas, founder of EmbraceRace about dad's role in raising kids who are welcoming of others.

Dustin and Stacy Grove have three kids under the age of 11 and they lead busy lives. Both work very fluid schedules and still manage to get it done. Dustin says it's important to him that he spend quality time with each of his kids. We talked with him about how he does it and why he believes it's so important.

Sexual harassment is real and it's happening earlier in life than you think. A recent study says more that 40% of middle school students said they've been victims of sexual harassment. That along with the #MeToo movement prompted children's author Barbara Dee to write a novel called Maybe He Just Likes You. She takes a look at harassment and #metoo through the eyes of a seventh grader. It's an important conversation for all parents and one Barbara says we must have and an issue we must address.

Craig and Nicole Zuber and their two teenagers live a life by design. It's important to Craig and Nicole that their kids set goals and achieve their dreams and that's why the did the unthinkable. They packed up and left Boise for Hawaii while the kids were in middle and high school. That year in Honolulu made a huge impact on their family and taught them many lessons. Craig shares those in this week's Dad Talk episode.

Chances are if you're listening to this podcast, you'd like to be an amazing dad. Not all kids have that. Thousands of children grow up in abusive homes. When the state steps in to protect those kids, they often get help from a Guardian ad Litem. This week we talk with the Executive Director of the Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay about what they do and how you can be a hero to these kids and your own. Positively Dad is a sponsor of the annual Superhero 5k in Safety Harbor that's a fundraiser for the foundation. We're honored to help and happy to devote an episode to learning about GAL, finding out how we can get involved and learning what we can do to be even better parents.

Brian Partie and, his wife Candice, have four daughters all under the age of 10. Life is busy and they finding ways to make it work. Brian shares how he is able to keep focused on his family while also keeping his spiritual life, fitness, marriage and business life in good place. You may choose to listen to our episode called Living A Big Life - A Conversation with Jay Papasan, before listening to this Dad Talk with Brian. We talk a lot about some of the aha's from that episode and how Brian is using those as a dad.

Middle School is such an interesting time for kids. Often it means a new school, first time using a locker, first time having different teachers for each subject, new friends and social dynamics and more. It turns out a middle schoolers growth in EQ may be more important than IQ. This week we talk with Phyllis Fagell, author of Middle School Matters about how parents and help their middle schooler during this fascinating time in their life.

How do we make it all happen? The demands of life... work, family, kids, the house, money, and more. This week we take a look at how you can live an amazing life and reach your goals in the areas that matter. We talked with Jay Papasan, co-author of the best-selling book The ONE Thing. Jay, and his wife Wendy, have two kids and he gives great examples on how they make it work and how you can too.

Chad McKamie and his wife have been married nearly 15 years and have two kids. He says the most important part of being a great dad is being a great husband. He's very intentional on his role as a husband and a father. He shares how it helps him, what it does for his family and how you too can be intentional.