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    Tree Lights at Morton Arboretum Spark Togetherness

    — December 30, 2019 — Illumination: Tree Lights DAD APPROVAL RATING:   (out of four) Dates: Runs through Sunday, Jan. 5. Info: www.mortonarb.org/illumination-event/2019 In the darkness of night, a cluster of trees bathed in blue light illuminated the open roadway where my Dear Daughter, clad in a purple hooded coat, ran with wild abandon through the winter air. She...

    Tree Lights at Morton Arboretum Spark TogethernessJohnathon E. Briggs

    To Tree or Not to Tree? That Is the Question

    — December 21, 2019 — To tree or not to tree? That's the question you're faced with when it's 12 days before Christmas and you still haven't taken your miniature Christmas tree out of storage or even committed to the idea of putting one up at all. But on the 11th day before the holiday (Dec....

    To Tree or Not to Tree? That Is the QuestionJohnathon E. Briggs

    An Open Letter to Pixar: Diversity and Inclusion in Animation Affirms Us All

      — December 9, 2019 — Dear Pixar Animation Studios, When I heard your parent company, Walt Disney Studios, was set to launch a streaming service called Disney+, I had no idea the plus sign would stand for inclusion. I’d missed the media coverage that explained how your new series of short animated films, SparkShorts, was designed to...

    An Open Letter to Pixar: Diversity and Inclusion in Animation Affirms Us AllJohnathon E. Briggs

    Inside the Bubble of Childhood

    — August 5, 2019 — Editor’s Note: On this blog, I refer to my daughter as “Dear Daughter” (DD) and my wife as “Dear Wife” (DW).   There she is, my Dear Daughter, under the warm haze of a summer night, chasing flickering fireflies with wild abandon across the expanse of our backyard, pigtails bouncing, sprinkling Black Girl...

    Inside the Bubble of ChildhoodJohnathon E. Briggs

    Dad Bod: What It Means to Me at Mid-Life

    — July 15, 2019 — Editor’s Note: On this blog, I refer to my daughter as “Dear Daughter” (DD) and my wife as “Dear Wife” (DW).   Let it go,” my wife instructs whenever she catches me in front of the mirror of our bathroom vanity, pinching my jiggly love handles. I’m staring at the reflection of a...

    Dad Bod: What It Means to Me at Mid-LifeJohnathon E. Briggs

    A Developmental Delay is a Comma, Not a Period

    — April 5, 2019 — Editor’s Note: On this blog, I refer to my daughter as “Dear Daughter” (DD) and my wife as “Dear Wife” (DW).   The doors of the daycare fade in the rearview mirror as I steer my Ford Fusion toward Maple Avenue, easing into the flow of a Friday rush hour in the Chicago...

    A Developmental Delay is a Comma, Not a PeriodJohnathon E. Briggs

    Ask a Dad: What’s Your Shaving Routine?

    — January 27, 2019 — After washing my scruffy face with glycolic facial cleanser, I pat it dry. I unscrew the bottle of Williams Lectric Shave and squirt a stream into a cotton ball before dabbing my chin, cheeks, and neck with the skin-smoothing solution, infusing the air with the citrusy scent of a pre-shave. Every man has a...

    Ask a Dad: What’s Your Shaving Routine?Johnathon E. Briggs

    Stepping Into the Outdoors of a New Year

    — January 1, 2019 — I closed the door behind me and stepped into the brisk air of a 20-something degree afternoon. The sky was dull and deflated as if the weather gods had partied too hard New Year’s Eve and regretted decisions that came to light this morning, the first day of 2019. The concrete...

    Stepping Into the Outdoors of a New YearJohnathon 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.

    Tags

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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.
    Iris Awards Nominees 2021
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