Very Smart Brothas
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VSB Dads Share Their Father's Day Wish Lists. We Thank You In Advance
Father’s Day is upon us and even before COVID-19, the sock aisles at your favorite retailers (that also sold groceries!) were probably almost bare, but now they are probably empty. Socks and ties are the Father’s Day staples near and far, to and fro. But is that what the father in your life really wants…
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The Way My Kids Are Eating Snacks at Home, I'm Starting to Wonder If They Were Starving at School
I have a curiosity that I’ve been pondering since schools shuttered and our kids have been home around the clock: were my kids starving at school? I think my parents will probably feel me on this one right here. If you are a parent and find yourself so compelled to throw your hands in the…
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The Dads of The Root Provide Some Insights Into Their New, Shut-In Realities
The coronavirus has most of us staying inside the house—if possible—and that’s creating some new realities for our country. Parents are becoming teachers as well as employees while having to learn time-management skills. People who never want to leave the house under normal circumstances are itching to hit the CVS for nothing other than some…
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A Conversation With a Wise Old Black Negro Who Voted for Joe Biden
“Hey Sweetie,” Miss Mable said, as she welcomed me onto her porch. “Would you like some tea?” Mable Jenkins was known in this sleepy, sticky, southern, black community for two things—her sweet tea and her preternatural tendency to vote for moderate Democrats in highly contested primaries—so of course, I accepted. “The kids call me Miss…
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Thanks to My Kids, I Hope to Never Hear ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ Again. I’ll Probably Listen to It Again This Afternoon
We’ve been down this old town road before. A few months ago, my wife and I took my two boys to Monster Jam, the traveling monster truck competition and demonstration show during its Washington, D.C. stop. One of the trucks, Monster Mutt, comes out to Baha Men’s 2000, Grammy-award winning (!!!!!) cover, “Who Let The…
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America's Got Ash: Where Does Terry Crews Fit On The Ash Spectrum?
1. Wait, there are levels of ash? Yup! 2. How many? Three have been discovered so far, but there might be as many as 16. 3. This is fascinating. I know, right? 4. Is Terry Crews ashy? Very! 5. Where does he fall on the ash spectrum? Watch and learn!
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Stepping on Shit in the Middle of the Night: A Discourse on Parenting Little Children
I’d like to be one of those parents who can say that my kids have never heard me use profanity. But I can’t do that. In fact, if you live within a mile of my house, it is highly likely that if you have kids, they’ve heard me use profanity. Stepping on shit my kids…
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If You Piss Off My Youngest Kid, the Way His Petty Is Set Up, You Are Absolutely Not Coming to His Birthday Party
You know, as I watch my kids grow, I’ve come to the realization that, in life, the 3-5 age range is really the sweet spot. For kids, it’s the age before they are required to know better and thus do better so they can pretty much say anything they want (short of curse words around…