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May 26 2011
Life Without a Stroller
My daughter Ronia and I are proudly car-free in Philadelphia, which takes some doing. One of Ronia’s first phrases was “Here comes the TRAAAAIIIIIINNNN” and she sometimes asks to ride it even when we have borrowed a car for the … Continue reading →
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May 19 2011
Bicycle Built For Two
During the year I was preparing to become a father, I was bike commuting 10 miles each way down Chicago’s lakefront. I would see the various permutations of cycling parents going past. I was particularly envious of the people with … Continue reading →
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Apr 28 2011
Peeing on the Floor and Scary Movies–Bad Dad?
Ronia’s first parent conference was ideal from a parenting point of view: her teachers told us she should keep doing what she is doing! She was, of course, perfect. But perfection is hard to sustain, and Ronia did not merely … Continue reading →
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Mar 7 2011
Coffee Dates…With My Daughter
Ronia’s third living room is a coffee shop. The owners have a 4-year-old in Ronia’s playgroup, which contributes to a comfy, kid-friendly feel. However, she is often the only kid there during the week, and thus does not have to … Continue reading →
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Feb 24 2011
Take-A-Dad-To-School Day
Every day I walk Ronia to school, I pass her neighborhood public school. The crossing guard and I know each other’s names, and I have become adept at weaving through the laughing crowds of students walking in. I get a … Continue reading →
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Feb 14 2011
Baby’s First Racist Comment
The Princess invasion continues. My daughter, Ronia, is obsessed with princesses. She recently brought home a book from the library called the Disney Princess Essential Guide. It is written like an ethnographic tome, explaining the particular traits of each princess: … Continue reading →
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Feb 1 2011
Parents Come To Town
When it snows in Philadelphia, as it seems to be doing weekly, in our Brave New Climate, my dad’s first question is “Have you shoveled yet?” And my first answer, almost always is “No.” Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m … Continue reading →
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Jan 31 2011
Free To Not Watch Free To Be You And Me
Ronia can now walk, pushing her stoller, all the way from the coffee shop to home–a distance of more than a mile. Happily, this affords her plenty of time to ask me the most burning question she faces, over and … Continue reading →
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Jan 24 2011
My Very Own Ladette
I was on with Ronia for New Year’s Eve, which fell on Shabbat this year. We had a lovely dinner with friends and Ronia’s mother, but after Ronia was in bed I felt my loneliness of separation in a way … Continue reading →
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Jan 20 2011
My Daughter Likes To Look At Photos Of Herself Peeing…Whatever Works
“No More Diapers any more, I’m as happy as can be // I get to wear big kid pants// I’M SO PROUD OF ME!” So ends A Potty For Me, a fine example of children’s self-help literature. I was in … Continue reading →
