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Author Archives: Jeff Allanach
Can I make it through adolescence and middle school without blinking?
I want to be the first person to never blink again. Sounds crazy, right? Especially for someone who wears contacts and whose eyes dry out in the time it takes a cat to run to you when you open her … Continue reading
I love Disney World, but not …
I don’t doubt the magic of Disney World. It’s the only place on Earth that can attract tens of thousands of people every day who are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to walk in hellish heat and among crowds … Continue reading
HuffPost Live: Fatherless fathers can make good fathers
A producer with HuffPost Live emailed me last week to see if I’d participate in a live-streaming discussion on fatherlessness in America. The discussion would revolve around this HuffPost blog post based on a recurring theme on Jay-Z’s newest album: the fears … Continue reading
Ricky Ricotta’s wicked game of hide and seek
I take Celeste and Gavin to the library once a month or so, and allow them to borrow up to two videos each and as many books as they’d like. Of course, I make them responsible for what they borrow. … Continue reading
Some firsts aren’t worth bragging about
I wish I remembered Gavin’s first word. He learned to talk at some point in his six years on this planet, but I cannot remember the first word he uttered. Nor can I remember his first steps, his first tooth, … Continue reading
A summer lesson in what to expect
I don’t expect my cat to bark. When I look at Obi, I expect him to stare blankly back at me as if he were about to say, “Yeah, you think you’re the man of the house, but we all … Continue reading
Day at work with Mom inspires Celeste to fill the bowl
Karen and I always try to instill a sense of charity in our children. We take them to buy school supplies in the fall for families who can’t afford to buy them for their children. We throw extra presents in … Continue reading
Long-lost friendship tints fatherly talk about drugs and alcohol
If I’ve learned one thing in my nearly dozen years as a father, it’s that the best conversations I have with my children are spontaneous. This is especially true for touchy subjects, whether it’s personal safety or drugs and alcohol. I … Continue reading
Some tales of peer pressure have happy endings
Peer pressure suffers from a bad rap. Oh, I’m not talking about the kind in which kids push their friends to do something harmful they might not otherwise do. That kind of peer pressure deserves all the scorn it gets, … Continue reading
Losing a race, but learning an important lesson
One lesson I continually try to teach my children is the importance of losing gracefully. After all, little says more about our character than how we behave when we lose, and I want my children’s actions to show the world … Continue reading