The Fatherhood Files | CafeMom.com

Flat Tires, Oil Checks & Giving Kids the Confidence To Handle Life

Shayne Rodriguez Thompson — Thu, 07 May 2026 22:34:31 +0000

Resilience seems to be a popular word in parenting circles these days, as in teaching your kids to be resilient. It’s a hard world out there after all, and they need to be ready. I’d say independence goes hand-in-hand with resilience here. Kids ought to be able to think for themselves, make decisions, and run […]

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I’m the Crazy Dad With the Old House & Never-Ending Projects & My Kids Won’t Let Me Forget It

Shayne Rodriguez Thompson — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 21:23:10 +0000

When our family moved from St. Louis to New Hampshire, many things happened: new neighborhood, new friends, new schools for the kids, and a new house. Well, new to us anyway. Built in 1880, however, our house is in fact an exceedingly old house. It’s par for the course here in New England, though. A home […]

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The Pitfalls of Parenting: When Motion Sickness Strikes

Shayne Rodriguez Thompson — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:37:24 +0000

There are scenarios that, as a parent, can leave you utterly dumbfounded. In that state of paralysis where you wonder what exactly is to be done. Instances I can recall with sharp clarity include finding out why swim diapers exist — turns out those little pouches are great at absorbing an infant-sized amount of liquid, […]

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The Thing About Raising Food Snobs … From a Dad’s Perspective

Shayne Rodriguez Thompson — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 23:07:49 +0000

Food has changed a lot in 40 years. I remember as a kid seeing ads for things like Sunny D that referred to other products as “purple stuff” and suggested Sunny D was somehow better. Cereals loaded with sugar were sold as a key part of a balanced breakfast with many vitamins and minerals! And […]

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I’m in Full-On ‘Dad Mode’ Now & I Really Am Turning Into My Parents

Shayne Rodriguez Thompson — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:46:18 +0000

Progressive’s insurance ads about turning into your parents are so on point, at least for me. Try as we all might to avoid emulating all the foibles of our moms and dads, it can be a borderline impossible task. My dad, for example, likes things done a certain way … just so. Like that time […]

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Schedule Creep Can Take Over When You Have Busy Kids — But Parents Can Just Say ‘No’

Shayne Rodriguez Thompson — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 21:55:35 +0000

During the summer of 2024, my wife and I packed the kids’ schedules with camps, trips to visit out-of-state family, and sports clinics. To the point that, as the summer wound down, we found ourselves feeling in need of another break before school started. It managed to take some of the fun out of summer […]

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My Wife Is an Only Child & I Have Siblings — How We See Our 3 Kids’ Behavior Is Totally Different

Shayne Rodriguez Thompson — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 20:28:58 +0000

I’m the middle child with a sister who’s three years older and a brother who’s about the same number of years younger. Growing up, we were constantly screwing around. With my brother, that was typically of the physical variety — pushing, shoving, wrestling, arguing, and generally in close contact. My mom referred to us as […]

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A Singular Moment Helped Me Rein in My Inner Angry Dad & Learn To Be Patient With My Kids

Shayne Rodriguez Thompson — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:46:36 +0000

I had a great childhood and was raised in a positive environment, but like anything, it wasn’t perfect. There was a fair amount of shouting, plenty of verbal fighting between my parents, and some seriously angry outbursts. Nothing physical happened between two people, but sometimes solo physical damage occurred, as in your hand will likely […]

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It’s 9 p.m. & My Tank Is Empty: What Happens When I Hit My Nightly Wall as a Dad of 3

Shayne Rodriguez Thompson — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:14:44 +0000

Many years ago, we had a French student-teacher, Melanie, stay with us as part of an exchange program that had her working at the elementary school our kids attended at the time. One day, after I picked up Melanie and the three kids from school, the drive home was an exceptionally mind-boggling affair. All parents […]

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Structure & Space: How Kids — & Parents — Thrive on Both Routine & Freedom

Shayne Rodriguez Thompson — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 23:52:34 +0000

It’s no mystery to parents that babies and toddlers thrive on structured days, but this basic understanding is backed up by plenty of child-rearing experts. According to Seattle Children’s Hospital, routines and rituals keep kids feeling safe and secure. The same institution notes that this remains true from day one through to the day they […]

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