This week, we’ll start with Prince, because so many things did.
Prince passed away yesterday at the age of 57. He was a singular artist, unmatched in talent and showmanship, providing a soundtrack to our lives that has been playing for decades. His relationship with his father, jazz musician John L. Rogers, was complex but ultimately cordial and collaborative. He suffered tragedies as a parent that helped dissolve his first marriage. And he was a positive force in reshaping the perceptions of masculinity and inspiring discussions surrounding the modern man. Prince was an amazing person who did amazing things, and we are diminished by his death.
Today is Earth Day, and chances are your children are doing something at school to celebrate it. We hope you’ll discuss it at home, too. Our kids are the generation that may have to save this marble, and every little bit helps.
IN THE NEWS
Have you ever wondered why your teenager acts like . . . a teenager? NPR explains “Why Teens Are Impulsive, Addiction-prone and Should Protect Their Brains.”
Carter Gaddis attended the White House Council on Women and Girls event, where he interviewed one of the event speakers, Charlie Capen of How To Be A Dad (see Charlie’s personal takeaway in the Porchlight Posts below). He also wrote a piece titled “Gender Stereotypes Limit Boys as Well as Girls.”
The Nation’s Bryce Covert writes that “Women Won’t Have Equality Until Dads Stay Home.” The accompanying graphic (designed by Tracy Loeffelholz Dunn) breaks it down:
Starting May 1, Twitter will offer up to 20 weeks of gender-neutral, fully paid parental leave. We would love to see that start trending.
When Canada unveils changes to parental leave rules, will there be provisions dedicated exclusively to new dads? According to The Star, it could happen.
Dear Vogue, the “dad hat” is not a thing. Please stop it.
Chances are you’ve seen these wonderful illustrations on fatherhood from Ukrainian artist Snezhana Soosh making their way around social media, but if you haven’t, you should.
PORCHLIGHT POSTS
- Charlie Capen reflects upon speaking at the White House and shares his “5 Reasons my Single Mom Helped Me Become a Better Father.”
- At DadNCharge, Chris Bernholdt powerfully confronts the mask of depression with “Hiding in Plain Sight.”
- Dr. Daddy Kay’s blog is called Making Sense of the Unknown Leap Into Fatherhood. His latest post “The Story of a Hidden Soul—Faking It Until You make It” is about strength and parenting.
- CJ Marshall from Dead Wrong, Daddy! does the baby math in “And Then There Were Four . . .“
- Bad Ass Dad, aka Frank Prather, ranks and reflects in “10 Things I Learned In My First Year as a Dad.”
As you know, the Dad 2.0 Summit community is a strong and vocal proponent of the power and importance of mentorship. Needless to say, this new spot featuring President Barack Obama and NBA superstar Stephen Curry makes us very happy:
If you have any fatherhood news or stories that you would like to share you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook using the #FatherhoodOnFri hashtag!