Thankful Parents, Thankful Kids
Teaching our kids to be thankful is about more than manners and simply saying thank you.
Author: Derek James
What will you be for Halloween?
The kids love Halloween even more if they see you taking part in the fun. Being a kid again is good for everyone.
5 Things You Need to Know About Boys
An important list for soon-to-be moms of little dudes.
I Am Not A Handydad
Struggles of a tech dad while installing a basketball goal for his sons.
It's 10pm. Do You Know Where Your Summer Went?
Ask your kids what they love best about summer and make plans for one or two more memorable moments before school starts.
Let Me Run
Let Me Run program helps boys become confident men who can express themselves.
Why You Don't Want to Be a Distracted Parent
Photo credit: Twitter @DerekJamesTV In May, my colleague Terrance Bates and I put together a series of parenting stories for WCCB that covered everything from the differences between raising boys and girls to race and identity and bullying. I interviewed…
"Can I Get Out of Bed Pleass?"
My sons are 6 and 4, which means a busy day or a lot of activity can mean a need for a nap if we don't want to have grabby, angry kids (or grabby, angry daddy) by dinnertime. A few…
Last Minute Mother's Day Ideas
Mother's Day, known as Mommy Day in our house is almost here and dads and kids are always last minute on their gifts and plans so I figured I could offer a reminder and some last minute advice. There's only…
May is for Moms
Moms are who bring us into this world, and frequently remind us that they could also take us out.
‘Stuff’ I Learned by Selling our Home
As we've gone through the process of selling our first home, I've learned a few important things.
Daddy Needs a Nap
My job as an early morning TV host on WCCB means I work something close to third-shift or graveyard-shift hours. I have two alarms that go off every morning at 1:45 a.m. I attempt to go to bed by 8:45…
Prematurely Aging Dad
I recently came to this conclusion after the physical evidence started piling up.
Carrying on and Creating Christmas Traditions
This post appeared in the December 2014 issue of Charlotte Parent. When I was a kid, many of my Christmas Eve nights were spent at my Grandma J's house. Each year until her passing, she would host everyone in the…
Born to be Picky
My wife and I were both notoriously picky eaters, and still are today. What we don't eat typically leaves people giving us looks of both shock and awe. I don't like mac-and-cheese, and my wife nearly died eating a grape…
I Miss my Kindergartener (Really)
One of the best parts of my job is that my early morning hours at WCCB News Rising (3 a.m. to noon) have allowed me a lot of time with my two sons, Tyler and Chase. When both boys were…
Helping Your Kids Make Good Cents
In last month's column I talked about how my oldest son Tyler wanted a Wii U for his sixth birthday and how I refurbished my wife's old original Nintendo and gave it to him instead. We felt spending over $300…
A Round of Fun
While for some miniature golf is seen as sign of nothing else to do while on a beach vacation, it's always been a highlight for me.
Mom, We Want a Wii
When I was 4 or 5, we got an Atari 2600 for Christmas. It easily went down in history as my favorite childhood gift because it was my introduction to home video games. For my boys, who are both under…
Potty Predicament
Potty training is the worst thing in the world. Even after it’s over you try to block it out like the final season of "How I Met Your Mother" or "Roseanne" if you are a little older.When our youngest son…
Ain’t No Fairy Like The Paci Fairy
When my youngest son Chase turned 3, my wife and I had two major goals for him. We were going to say goodbye once and for all to his pacifiers and diapers. For almost a year the pacifier had only…
How I Became A Soccer Dad
It's pretty easy for people to make fun of soccer if they've never experienced it. Soccer is often low scoring with long periods of little to no action and often ends in a draw (tie). "The Simpsons," summed up professional…
April Showers Means Games for Hours
When the April rain is heavy or it's too wet to go outside and play in the backyard, as a parent you have a few options. While I would prefer everyone take a nap, that rarely happens. If my boys…
Off to Kindergarten? Not so Fast
In the winter of last year, my wife and I were confident our oldest son Tyler would move from WEE School at Carmel Baptist Church to public school kindergarten the following fall. He was old enough (late July birthday), had…
Birthday Party Advantage: Home or Away?
My wife and I are busy trying to plan a birthday party for our youngest son Chase who turns 3 in April. When I was a kid, I had most of my birthday parties at home prior to turning 9…
Discovering Star Wars 30 Years Late
Discovering Star Wars – 30 Years Late My oldest son Tyler (5) dropped a bomb two weeks before Christmas. "I want a Darth Vader toy that you can dress up and play with," he said to me one day at…
Fire and Lice
A few weeks ago I get done with hosting Rising and I have a voicemail on my phone from our boys' preschool. Sick? Playground accident? Fight?"We wanted to let you know that Chase has head lice and nits. If you…
My Apologies to Lucy Liu
My wife Kristen and I are TV addicts. Make that were TV addicts. Being a parent cuts down viewing by more than 60%. Yes, I just made up that statistic. We know it kills our brain cells but it's our way…
Time to Back Off a Bit?
It's back to reality as my wife is back at work this week (teacher in CMS) and my two little guys head back to preschool in two weeks. Before we got back to life as we know it we enjoyed…
Kids Love Seeing Themselves on the Big Screen
It's Wednesday and I'm finally recovered from our son Tyler's 5th birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese's. He had an incredible time playing games, climbing around the play place with his buds and getting in the Ticket Blaster. A big…
Toddlers Are Part-time Nudists
Sorry for the lack of regular posts over the last month or so. I haven't been able to concentrate due to my anticipation over the royal baby. Ok, that's not even close to true. I had this idea that somehow…
Using Celebs’ Kids as Target Practice
Celebrities have complained about it for years. Agents. Wait, I mean Paparazzi's going after their kids. At their schools, on their private property, chasing them in cars. Let's call it what it is: stalking. Just last month Halle Berry testified in…
If the NSA is Watching or Listening…
Thanks to Edward Snowden (the real-life Carmen Sandiego) we have learned the National Security Agency is able to listen to our phone calls, read our emails and text messages and who knows what else. Some have even speculated that "Big…
What Dads Really Want for Father’s Day
As we approach Father's Day we are bombarded on TV, radio and the web with lists and stories about what dad does and doesn't want for his big day. We hear the same things we hear every year. Don't buy…
15 Reasons I’m Not a Cool Dad
When I was in my twenties I told myself I was going to be the coolest dad. Equal parts of TV dads Mike Brady, Heathcliff Huxtable, Danny Tanner and Michael Bluth. I've come to realize in my thirties that I'm…
What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
When I was a kid I wanted to be Bob. Two Bobs actually. I wanted to be Bob Newhart. I wanted to be a psychologist in Chicago and an author/innkeeper in Vermont. There was a little confusion on my part…
A Four Year Old’s Thoughts on Fatherhood
I was having lunch with my good friend Eric last week who happens to be a great writer. We got to talking about this blog and he suggested having my four-and-a-half year-old Tyler help me write one of these weekly…
What I’ve Learned About Family Photos
When you become a parent you also immediately become the family photographer. Thanks to digital cameras it's possible to take great pictures of your little one as he or she grows up in front of your eyes. It isn't as…
Journey Toward Being A More Engaged Parent
Tonight my oldest son Tyler (4 and a half year-old) & I will be going to a yearly tradition, Dad's Night at his pre-school. It's a chance to spend some one on one time and enjoy a show (puppets this…
3 Kids Shows You Should Be Watching
I have no problem admitting I am a TV addict. I have loved TV my entire life. My mom says my first phrase was "Come on down!" and that I had Rainman-like qualities when it came to knowing what shows…
A Most Impressive Vanishing Act
It's time to play "The $25,000 Pyramid." Here are your clues: Right socks. Bubbles. Magicians. Fly by night businesses. Pacifiers. Get it yet? All are "Things That Disappear/Vanish." Whatever you call it in your house: pacifier, paci (that's our nickname),…
“Will I Be on Maury?” and Other New Parent Worries
It's a scientific fact. Women LOVE fat babies. From fan groups to memes, fat babies resembling the Michelin Man can be found everywhere. If you take the time to do a fat babies Google search you'll get 58.2 million results.Our…
An Apology to My Youngest Son
I am the youngest of four kids. I'm also an "oops baby" so I'm more than ten years younger than my siblings. Some would argue that makes me more of an only child than the youngest, but I seem to…
I’m No “Super Dad;” I Almost Broke My Son
After my first "Daddy Derek" blog last week I've gotten teasing from some friends about the "Daddy Derek" name, an email saying I am "the last person who should ever be telling anyone how to raise their kids," and a…
Radio Turned My Four Year-Old Into Snoop Dogg
Before I had kids I thought Radio Disney was nothing more than a platform to launch the careers of teen singers like Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and the new wave of kids named Connor, Madison, Addison, Cayden and Jaden. I…
