A Book That Makes All of Us Dads "Glad to Be Dads"

Tim J. Myers has written a book about the joys of fatherhood.  It's called:  glad to be dad  A CALL TO FATHERHOOD.  Here's a short summary:

"Glad to Be Dad" is a funny, honest, realistic, and warm-hearted look at parenting, marriage, and family life, especially for men as their domestic roles are changing. It's full of stories, practical advice, and realism about the up's and down's of raising children -- and it's for wives as well as husbands.

Let me 1st say that Tim has done tons of research.  He quotes child-rearing experts, psychologists, and a bunch of data.  And all of that is very interesting.  But what really appealed to me was the charts that Tim created, most of them very funny.  The STRESS CHART FOR MEN AT HOME, on pages 74-77, is so funny that I couldn't catch my breath. I was eating lunch at The Garrett (my 4-5 days/week lunch spot) and kept getting looks. We're not talking about The French Laundry here.  It's a sports bar where the noise level approximates Times Square at 11:59PM on December 31.  And, yet, there I was drawing attention to myself (you know how I hate that - oh, wait).

Besides the charts, there is plenty of other humor.  I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have enjoyed the book nearly as much if it had all been serious.  Here are a few examples of Tim's lighthearted approach to fatherhood:

Tim is describing how it feels to be with a 4-year old all day.  The phone rings, and he misses the call.  "I'd so desperately wanted to hear another adult at the end of the line, be it telemarker, survey-questioner, or phone evangelist. Hell, I would have settled for a robo-call."

Another time, Tim is at the shoe store with his 4-year old daughter.  He is not happy with the Disney shoes.  "You people at Disney - what the hell's the matter with you?  Did you have to design these cheap plastic sandals, encrust them with rhinestones, and then slap HER (Princess Jasmine) picture on the side?!  It's like a box of chocolates in the middle of a broccoli farm."

But make no mistake.  There are many sentimental moments that brought tears to my eyes (I know what you're all thinking right now!).  And there are a lot of very serious moments, both with respect to parenting as well as maintaining a romantic relationship with your significant other when the kids are young.  In fact, one of my favorite sections is when Tim uses The Dr. Seuss book, Horton Hatches the Egg (p.s. Joni knows this book by heart) as a great example of fatherhood.

Whether you are a father or mother, you will get a lot out of this book.  I'm now going to turn "glad to be a dad" over to my son and daughter-in-law, parents of 2 children.  It's worthwhile reading for all generations of parents.