@Forty Blog

@Forty Blog

A Ribfest to Remember

Naperville, Ill. (July 3, 2017)—Fireworks emblazoned the night sky, their explosions choreographed to a patriotic simulcast from 95.9 The River, the FM station of rock 'n roll favorites. My daughter, on the eve of her third birthday, darted across the openness of Knoch Park like the Road Runner from Looney Tunes, zigging and zagging this way and that,...

A Ribfest to RememberJohnathon E. Briggs

Giveaway: Cantu Men’s Collection

— June 30, 2017 — The good folks at Cantu Beauty were kind of enough to send me their new line of men's grooming products. Wanna try them for yourself? Enter for a chance to win a sample of the collection by clicking the Giveaway tab on my Facebook page or this link: http://gvwy.io/win06a3.     One lucky winner will win...

Giveaway: Cantu Men’s CollectionJohnathon E. Briggs

Three Things I Learned From Doing My Daughter’s Hair

— June 25, 2017 — Editor’s Note: On this blog, I refer to my daughter as "Dear Daughter" (DD) and my wife as "Dear Wife" (DW).   I probably know more about Black women’s hair than the typical guy. Growing up, I was often enlisted by my mother to help her with the upkeep of (or switch...

Three Things I Learned From Doing My Daughter’s HairJohnathon E. Briggs

Lost and Found: 10 Years Later

Editor's Note: This essay is from 2016, but I'm reposting for the launch week of Fatherhood@Forty. Happy Father's Day! — January 12, 2016 — Ten years ago, Friday the Thirteenth proved to be the most extraordinary day of my life. Two days after Christmas in 2005, I set out to answer a seemingly simple question: Who was my...

Lost and Found: 10 Years LaterJohnathon E. Briggs

Blog Launch: Start the Beginning

— June 17, 2017 — It's only too late if you never start. With these eight words, I formally launch my blog, Fatherhood@Forty. Welcome! This blog has been 12 years in the making (in my head, at least). The germ of it started in 2005 when I set out to locate my biological father whom, at...

Blog Launch: Start the BeginningJohnathon E. Briggs

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About

Few may know this, but twice as many dads of newborns today are now in the 40-plus age group, compared to the 1970s. Six weeks before my 40th birthday, I became a first-time father, hence the title of this blog.

This life-changing moment made me think about my own dad, who became a father at 43. As my parenthood journey unfolded, I noticed that most of my friends had become parents earlier in life yet, here I was, changing diapers and battling sleep deprivation at (nearly) 40. I told my wife, “Parenting is definitely a young man’s game.” But is it really?

Where most of my friends were preparing for their children’s middle and high school graduations, I was mastering the art of the swaddle, perfecting the one-hand baby wipe, and learning to decipher my daughter’s gurgles and whimpers. It occurred to me that I had so much more to offer my daughter at the sure-footed age of 40 than I did at, say, 28, when I was still coming into my own.

Fatherhood@Forty: Memoirs of a Gen X Suburban Dad™ is a creative outlet to share my experiences and connect with other (relatively) late-in-life dads.

Here are a few factoids about me, Johnathon Briggs, the editor behind this blog:

  • I’m a former journalist (Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune).
  • I love exploring Chicago and the Midwest with my family.
  • I remain on a constant quest to stay fit.
  • I support charities that fight HIV, uplift families affected by incarceration, and ensure African American boys graduate from college.
  • I’m a comic book geek (mostly Marvel, but a bit of DC and Image Comics).
  • I’m a child of the ‘80s, so please expect occasional references to the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.

As a reporter for daily newspapers, I had the opportunity to interview fascinating people and to test out great products and brands for my readers. I hope to do the same for you as I blog about the moments that make up this adventure called fatherhood.

Feel free to tweet (@fatherhoodforty) or email ([email protected]) me if you’d like to collaborate or have ideas for a blog post.

Father on,

P.S. Check out The Art of Conversation podcast interview I did with Art Eddy from Life of Dad.

 


Disclaimer: Fatherhood@Forty may contain affiliate marketing links, which may result in commission on sales of products or services I write about. My editorial content is not influenced by advertisers or affiliate partnerships. This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR § 255.5: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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About

Few may know this, but twice as many dads of newborns today are now in the 40-plus age group, compared to the 1970s. Six weeks before my 40th birthday, I became a first-time father, hence the title of this blog.

This life-changing moment made me think about my own dad, who became a father at 43. As my parenthood journey unfolded, I noticed that most of my friends had become parents earlier in life yet, here I was, changing diapers and battling sleep deprivation at (nearly) 40. I told my wife, “Parenting is definitely a young man’s game.” But is it really?

Where most of my friends were preparing for their children’s middle and high school graduations, I was mastering the art of the swaddle, perfecting the one-hand baby wipe, and learning to decipher my daughter’s gurgles and whimpers. It occurred to me that I had so much more to offer my daughter at the sure-footed age of 40 than I did at, say, 28, when I was still coming into my own.

Fatherhood@Forty: Memoirs of a Gen X Suburban Dad™ is a creative outlet to share my experiences and connect with other (relatively) late-in-life dads.

Here are a few factoids about me, Johnathon Briggs, the editor behind this blog:

  • I’m a former journalist (Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Sun, Chicago Tribune).
  • I love exploring Chicago and the Midwest with my family.
  • I remain on a constant quest to stay fit.
  • I support charities that fight HIV, uplift families affected by incarceration, and ensure African American boys graduate from college.
  • I’m a comic book geek (mostly Marvel, but a bit of DC and Image Comics).
  • I’m a child of the ‘80s, so please expect occasional references to the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.

As a reporter for daily newspapers, I had the opportunity to interview fascinating people and to test out great products and brands for my readers. I hope to do the same for you as I blog about the moments that make up this adventure called fatherhood.

Feel free to tweet (@fatherhoodforty) or email ([email protected]) me if you’d like to collaborate or have ideas for a blog post.

Father on,

P.S. Check out The Art of Conversation podcast interview I did with Art Eddy from Life of Dad.

 


Disclaimer: Fatherhood@Forty may contain affiliate marketing links, which may result in commission on sales of products or services I write about. My editorial content is not influenced by advertisers or affiliate partnerships. This disclosure is provided in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR § 255.5: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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