black parenthood
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I Have a Son Now, Which Means I Can Finally Start Respecting Men as People
Last week, my wife gave birth to a beautiful, healthy, bouncing baby boy. He is all the things that you hope new babies are. A blessing. Loud. Adorable. Soft. Precious. Gassy. Alert. Moderately bemused. Perpetually hangry. Vaguely human. Somewhat reminiscent of Fred Sanford. He is also life-changing. He’s our second child, but our first boy—my…
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It Is What It Is: Why 2018 Is the Year I Let Go of ‘What If’
As the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve, I wasn’t kissing a lover—or even a convenient stranger—or ringing in the new year with friends. Instead, I was a jungle gym, short-order cook, food taster, hairdresser, hairdresser’s client, custodian, bathroom attendant, valet, captive audience, tireless entertainer, human recliner, on-demand cuddler, dictionary (and encyclopedia), reluctant disciplinarian and…
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‘Babies Are Life Hacks for Introverts’ and More I’ve Learned in the 2 Years I’ve Been a Dad
The second “Holy shit!” moment my daughter induced came when we first brought her home from the hospital. It’s really surreal and impossible how tiny babies are when they’re first born—it just doesn’t make any sense for something so small to have all the parts that make a human a human—and I remember thinking as…
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Louisiana Mom Makes Her Son Do Free Yard Work Following 3-Day Suspension From School
Ain’t nobody got time to waste. At least Demetris Payne was not having it with her son when he was suspended from school for three days. Normally, one would think a suspension would be a three-day vacation, but not on Payne’s watch. In an inspirationally petty way (with just a whole lot of loving discipline),…
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5 Things I Learned While Spending a Weekend by Myself With My Infant Daughter for the 1st Time
Last weekend I celebrated my first Father’s Day. It was a day of fun, food, rest, joy and, since the Cavs won (!), contentment. It was a great day. The weekend before, my wife was out of town on business, which meant I spent the entire weekend alone with my daughter for the first time.…