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Author Archives: Jeff Allanach
The time has come to rethink sleepovers
Post by Adventures in Fatherhood by Jeff Allanach. What kid doesn’t love a sleepover? Whether it’s a slumber party to celebrate a birthday, the whim of best buddies who already spent a full day together at the pool, or even a … Continue reading
‘Dads Behaving Dadly’ tells the stories of modern fatherhood
We men have some work to do in terms of learning to respect the choices other fathers make, particularly when it comes to paternity leave. This subject broke through the din of radio sports talk shows last week when the … Continue reading
Celeste returns to school after scoliosis surgery
Celeste returns to school today, nearly two months to the day of undergoing scoliosis surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital to free her spine of the curve in her spine. It’s been a long road, one we started on blindly when … Continue reading
Our snowy trip home from the hospital
I wrote earlier this month about how well Celeste has been recovering from scoliosis surgery, and how boring these recent weeks have been for her. As a father, I’m glad she’s been a little bored because that means she isn’t … Continue reading
Passing the milestones of recovering from scoliosis surgery
We all measure life by the milestones we pass, and few are sweeter than the ones we parents count for our children. Whether it’s the first word, tooth, step, day in kindergarten, or bike ride, all parents marvel at how … Continue reading
Finding comfort during scoliosis surgery
“Thank you” feels inadequate. How can the same two words I’d say when someone passes the ketchup express the same gratitude I feel about every kind word, every email, every offer of help, every Facebook like, every prayer, and every … Continue reading
Walking the long curvy path of scoliosis
Genetics can be so random. In some families it creates a genius who takes human knowledge to places the rest of us never imagined. In others it creates a disease that robs the world of a promising young life. Most families … Continue reading
Finding new lessons in ‘Where the Wild Things Are’
Karen and I started reading to Celeste and Gavin when they were young. Celeste was 3 months old when we began a daily ritual of reading to her at bedtime. We’d grab three or four books and read them to … Continue reading
An innocent question about a buzzer recalls school shootings
I don’t often think about the school shootings that plague American communities periodically. Like most fathers in Anytown, USA, I watch the news when the violence erupts, wonder how anyone could commit such horrors, and struggle with ways to explain … Continue reading
Seeing myself in rude people while selling Cub Scouts popcorn
I learn a great deal about myself as I father my two children, and most of the time I never see it coming. I certainly wasn’t looking to learn anything a couple of weeks ago when I stood with Gavin … Continue reading