johnporcaro: [email protected]

Take Time to Be a Dad Today

The NY Times today features a story about a new advertising campaign aimed at reminding fathers to be a more active part of their children’s lives.  The public service ads from the Advertising Council are a follow-up to a similar series of ads from 2008.  They have been funded by the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Family Assistance, two arms of the Department of Health and Human Services

From the NYT article:

"...The National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse has found that children who live without their biological fathers are, on average, two to three times more likely to have educational and health problems, be victims of child abuse and engage in criminal behavior than peers who live with their married biological or adoptive parents.

Conversely, the group also has found that children with involved, loving fathers are far more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem and avoid high-risk behavior. Some 24 million children in the United States — one-third of the total — do not live with their biological father, according to the N.R.F.C. And nearly 20 million live in single-parent homes. "

 Nice message, good reminder for all of us that the little moments all add up. 

Is it Time to Return to Caveman Parenting?

MSNBC reports on some studies that were presented at a conference this week at a University of Notre Dame conference, that show that early human parents were more empathetic and attentive, and provided a nurturing environment with multiple caregivers, in contrast to the way some (most?) children are raised today. 

From the MSNBC article "Is it time to return to caveman parenting?"

Hunter-gatherers , the human way of life until the agricultural revolution about 8,000 years ago, were responsive caregivers, who didn’t let a baby cry it out. Moms breast-fed, probably for about five or six years. Cave kids had hours of unstructured free play, with children of all ages. And the little Pebbles and Bamm-Bamms of that Paleolithic period probably had multiple caregivers who provided nurturing and love. Cavemoms and dads didn’t spank their kids. Rather, they were the first adopters of positive touch, constantly carrying, cuddling and holding their children.

Many of our modern parenting practices are in direct opposition to our Stone Age brethren. The result: kids with a skewed sense of moral behavior, poor social skills, high rates of anxiety and depression, and a host of other ills, according to Narvaez. As one example, college kids today are about 40 percent less empathetic (a trait measured by standardized tests) compared to college students just 30 years ago, a study from the University of Michigan found.

“Humans are incredibly weak, but incredibly adaptable, and we knew we needed to create alliances to help us out,” says James McKenna, Notre Dame's Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., professor of anthropology. “Babies needed to be protected. A group of people who really care for an infant provides more protection than just mom and dad.” 

Non-structured free play improves mental health and enhances intelligence. Longer-term breast-feeding boosted the immune systems of Stone Age kids, helping to protect them from disease. And with all that affection they received, they grew into happy, well-adjusted adults, because cuddling and holding infants helps boost neurologic development."

It's no surprise that as the world gets more complicated, things are going to be different.  But this study is a good reminder that as humans, we're wired a certain way, and our kids are going to do a lot better if we realize that our instincts of holding them, protecting them, nurturing them, maybe even being a bit of a "helicopter parent" (yikes!) isn't a terrible thing. 

But then again, if our ancient ancestors had iPhones and texting and the Internet, maybe things would be a lot better today.  Or not. 

ADHD Genetic, er, Not from TV and Videogames

Many parents have children with a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD.  For those of you that do, let's just say that at the risk of embarrasing anyone, I know some people very well who struggle with ADD, so I sympathize.

A new study done by Cardiff University researchers, and reported in The Lancet, show a direct genetic link to ADHD and differences in brain development. Scientists at Cardiff University show for the first time that "a direct link has been found between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and differences in brain development as displayed in autism and other disorders." 

Scientists carried out a study of 1400 children, and hope the results help parents beat the myth that ADHD is merely a behavior problem, or just poor parenting. 

The study shows that "the risk of having a certain set of genetic variants was twice as high among children diagnosed with ADHD compared with children who did not have it."

Good news, and bad news for parents: It's genetic, so it's not entirely your fault; but since it's known to be passed on genetically, or have a high "heritable."  Have you or your spouse noticed that maybe you might have some of the same symptoms your kids display?  Hmmmm.   

More from the Cardiff University article:

The researchers found that rare CNVs were almost twice as common in children with ADHD compared to the control sample – and even higher for children with learning difficulties. CNVs are particularly common in disorders of the brain.

There was also significant overlap between CNVs identified in children with ADHD and regions of the genome which are known to influence susceptibility to autism and schizophrenia. Whilst these disorders are currently thought to be entirely separate, there is some overlap between ADHD and autism in terms of symptoms and learning difficulties. This new research suggests there may be a shared biological basis to the two conditions.



Teach Your Children (to drive) Well

The AAA Foundation wanted to see how well parents did when teaching kids with learner permits.  They put cameras on the dash of cars, and followed 50 families.  They were disappointed to find that supervised driving averaged only 2 hours a week, and only 20% of that at night, where kids need more experience. 

The foundation recommends 100 hours of supervised time, and taking time to practice in bad weather or at night. More details from the study are on the AAA site.

This clip from NBC Today shows just how important spending time teaching your kids to drive can be:

M3 Dad Central Consulting Presentation

A few of you have asked for our presentation at M3, so here's a link to our Slideshare.  

The New Hands On Dad Modern Media Man (M3) Summit

View more presentations from Dad Central Consulting.

New Study: Dads Use “Dad Lens” to Make Family Purchases

Today, we sent a press release of the official results of an indepth study we did a few weeks ago, as well as formally announcing the creation of Dad Central Consulting. 

We searched quite a bit online for recent research about the purchasing habits of Dads, and found very little that was current. Because we have access to a huge research panel at Mom Central, we were able to put the call out for participation from Dads, and were able to get several hundred responses overnight. Thanks to all those that helped by completing the survey, or forwarding the survey link to your friends!

Stacy and I will be presenting the complete study this Saturday, at M3, the "Modern Media Man" Summit in Atlanta.  In the meantime, you can check out the research by filling out a quick form to have a link to the published study sent to you. 

Here are a few of my favorite parts from the survey of over 700 Dads with kids under 18 at home:

• 77% - being a Dad significantly influences how I make decisions
• 82%  - being a Dad influences who I trust when I seek advice
• 92%  - I make purchases through a Dad Lens™
• 68%  - my purchasing is influenced by the needs and interests of my family
• 56%  - report making more purchasing decisions than before becoming a Dad
• 67%  -  trust other Dads more than TV or print advertising, or articles
• Dads connect with other Dads mainly through one-on-one conversations, work, Facebook, and email

Some more interesting facts in the study, I hope you'll check it out!  If you have any questions, let me know. 

Power of Dads Twitter Meetup

Today, a few of us here at Dad Central Consulting (and Mom Central) held the inaugural “Power of Dads” Tweetup.  We had over 850 Tweets in an hour, and got some good insight into a few questions we’ve been doing some research around.

We had six winners of $50 American Express Gift Cards: @kiltedshaver, @DadaRocKs, @cnaes, @simplyandreah, @dealdaddy, and @portlanddad.  Congrats!

You can catch the whole transcript here, on www.wthashtag.com (thanks, @DaddysToolbox!)

One way we hold these is to answer a series of questions, and get feedback from everyone.  Here are a few of my favorites:

Q1: How has being a Dad influenced and changed your life?

ivannawin: Q1 speaking from my perspective of hubs... he's calmer and no longer skydives..

kiltedshaver: Definitely changed the tway I think about my family, added a big perspective in responsibility.

timeoutdad: Fatherhood is an AWESOME responsibility!

bigdisneyfan: My husband now has our son to play video games with, they really bond over Lego Star Wars.

CarlThress: A1: Much less self-focused. Decisions and choices are all filtered through "how will this affect my kids?

simplydab: RT @johnporcaro: How has being a Dad NOT changed my life? Most pleasure, most pain, most joy, most grief. Wouldn't change i

artisticbaker: Theres less money to spend on cars/tvs/gadgets - thats one change

Doodle741: Yea, my husband's "leisure time" is mowing the yard or taking care of house stuff. He does enjoy playing Halo

smlcfh: Now that hubby is in the military, any spare time he does get, he writes letters to them. It's the sweetest thing

squirrelburrito: @johnporcaro Our daughter got plenty of p0wnage in utero, but she's more interested in rock band and racing games!

 

Q2: Who or what influenced your purchasing habits before being a Dad?

dealdaddys: for me it was mostly just what I wanted, better neater stuff mostly technology

thesavingqueen: Q2 His friends and desires influenced his purchase habits. Now fellow dad and his kids influence them

glme: myself

dragonfly777: Before becoming a Dad....wife, friends and co-workers influenced me

DadCentric: Ricardo Montalban. Dude could sell the s*** out of a Chrysler Cordoba

squirrelburrito: @johnporcaro mmm...gadgets...we still get plenty of those, just installed some high wall shelves!

JanetandMaya: Q2: Purchasing habits were "selfish" now more careful esp about product safest

Q3: Who or what influences your purchasing habits now that you’re a Dad?

timeoutdad: Family comes first... always...

TechyDad: My wife and my kids. (Their needs more than "I want this!!!")

tshaka_zulu: A3: The children's needs, sometimes their wants and a lot of prayer. Have to be wise.

portlanddad: Q3 With kids it is now a family thing, we make purchasing decisions together but also have discretionary funds for each of u

squirrelburrito: @artisticbaker No minivans! We're clinging to our awesome little hatchback!

DaddysToolbox:  A3 - we think "do we REALLY need new sheets" or should we put the kids in soccer or karate

judgebrix: my lovely wife and my kids ... and then new cool toys :-)

timeoutdad: Q3: My Bank Account... Can't spend more than I have.

thesavingqueen: Q3 Now fellow football dads and my kids influence my purchases.

_mongoose: We've gone to 5 phone lines with unlimited texting and my two oldest will be driving soon scar

ivannawin: hubs buys games he can play with kids and also buys matching jerseys

elivya:    @johnporcaro Sometimes just seeing a kid happy is enough to make you forget what you sacrificed.

CarlThress: we went from spoiling ourselves to spoiling our kids :)

tidbitmom: RT @timeoutdad: Anyone else have Suze Orman's voice in their head every time they use a Credit Card? LOL < DENIED! ;-)

dark54555: One thing that has not changed: NO MINIVANS. Of course, with one kid, seating isn't much of an issue regardless.

jaybugsmommy: I think as moms and dads we try to give our kids things we didn't have as children ?

jaybugsmommy:  this makes me want to give hubby and dad a Gift all this Dad talk .. or at least tell them I appreciate them!

timeoutdad:    @MomCentral Becoming a dad has definitely forced me to become more sociable. That's good.

Q4: Where do you go for advice or information for family purchasing decisions?

kingkontra:  Q4 My wife and i decide together for most big purchases

JanetandMaya: Q4 It's fun to see hubby talk with other dads about things like baby monitors, hehehe.

theladya: Word of mouth is best. If our friends and their kids like something, we probably will too

sethandshannon1:  our parents and consumer reports

kiltedshaver:  My wife and I talk over big purchases; we research, ask our parents and other mentors we have.

squirrelburrito: A4: We don't have outside resources for talking about spending, but we make sure each purchase is a family decision

simplydab:  internet, friends/family, esp if it's big $. Needs anal. is critical - do we really need to spend the $ for this?

DaddysToolbox: i'm a GOOD src of info when it comes to techie purchases, food, wine, etc. lots of friends hv older kids & we ask them

DadStreet: A4: I do all the research for our family when it comes to buying things. I also call upon my support at #DadsTalking

dark54555: Q4: INTERNET INTERNET INTERNET! You can research everything to death if you so choose. And I usually so choose.

TechyDad: I do research online like looking for product reviews on Amazon.com (even if we're not buying from them).

ivannawin:  I sometimes do impulse buys on gadety items and hubs always returns them for a better item

mongoose: My three teens are smarter than I am about electronics so I go to them

thesavingqueen: Q4 My husband relies on me to check the reviews, because of the lack of daddy blogs!

MomCentralChat: My husband is a better wife and Mom than me in so many ways. His family raised foster babies and he is AMAZING!

elivya: @mstyle10 So many people on twitter... someone here is bound to have tried a product, can give opinion!

TechyDad: Review sites mostly, but also sometimes Twitter.

kiltedshaver:  internet: Amazon, review sites, Consumer Reports, Twitter, Facebook, retailer websites, etc.

Cinderellamom: Totally getting dizzy trying to keep up w/ #powerofdads twitter party! Yikes!

CK_Lunchbox: I go to FAIL Blog for advice.... on scary things not to buy

Q5: How do you connect with other Dads? (Online, at work, at kids sports games)?

sleatham1: Everywhere! Facebook, twitter, ballgames, inperson, phone, work

lolamichele: hubby is a member of several online communities revolving around hobbies.

sweetone624: Q5 he plays video games with them on xbox live

squirrelburrito: We don't have a parent's circle yet, and we're the first in our group to have kids. meet dads at parks and other outings.

CarlThress: A5: at work, at social functions, starting to try to connect more online, too, in forums like this.

Kelliebug:  Q5. He sees them at work and has buddies that are dads as well. I should get him involved in dad community online!

mandyOregon:  Q5 my hubby gets together with the guys for basketball games a few times a month

portlanddad: Q5 I connect with other dads on Twitter, through blogs, locally at the pub, and even the occasional playdate

kiltedshaver: Q5:Mostly through internet based communications, Twitter, Facebook; church, and community activities.

_mongoose: DH still plays in bands. The kids are old enough that he can go do it without them caring lol

kingkontra: Q5 I also connect with dads on my daughters soccer team during soccer season

doodadblog: Q5: 1. Church 2. Online 3. Family 4. Sports (adult)

elivya: From these answers I'm imagining dads... "Gonna go hang with the guys, hon." "Sure! Will you be on twitter or fb?

CK_Lunchbox: A5 There should be a Fantasy Dad Blog League were we make up fictional blog names & chest bump our monitors

johnporcaro: I talk to Dads the most when I'm at soccer games with my son, or when I'm at the park with my kids and their friends

portlanddad: Sadly Dads don't see the value in connecting with other dads the same way Moms do. That is changing but slowly

DaddysToolbox: I connect with other Dads via #DadsTalking (Dads TALKING :) ) and all on Twitter

onescrappyblog: My husband does PTA stuff at the school with other dads. Networking that way is nice

lanieekat: Q5 my husband also spends time playing of Xbox live and I'm sure he connects w/other dads there

johnporcaro: My four brothers are amazing Dads, and all have good ideas. Except one of them. He knows who he is... ;)

SpinyNorman: Q5- Through Disc GOlfing, Geocaching, Social Media, Blogging, X-Box, Sporting Events..

jaybugsmommy:l this makes me want to give hubby and dad a Gift all this Dad talk .. or at least tell them I appreciate them!

Q6: What was the last purchase you made after consulting with another parent?

kamewh: A playset for our backyard

My3Sons33:  Q6 the last purchase after consulting w/another parent was a baseball bat for our son.

kingkontra:  A new xbox after my last 1 died

onescrappyblog:  Definetly a car seat! A dad's advise on them is GREAT!

portlanddad: Q6 Phil & Teds double stroller, talked to a guy in the bookstore about it for 20 minutes, researched, then pulled the trigger

DynamoMike:  Q6: we bought a Wii for game night with the kids

squirrelburrito: A6: Picked up a sweet Pow-Pow-Power Wheels after talking with my neighbor!

raggammuffin:  Q6: i conulsted with my hubs on what brand razorblades he needed

1awesomekid: sheetrock for our bathroom redo!

thesavingqueen: My hubby purchased a mountain bike for my son after reading reviews to choose the best one.

dragonfly777: My last purchase was a keyboard for our PC...a friend had one he recommended. Great purchase

lilmiss37: The other big purchase was a nice 35mm camera

CarlThress: A6: bananagrams. great game. we (my wife, my older son, and I) love playing it.

Cinderellamom: Q6: Husband bought a table saw- an expensive un-needed table saw! after talking to friend

DaddysToolbox: A6 beer. honestly it was.

mochadad: Able to change a diaper with a single hand

DaddysToolbox: .@1awesomekid yes, getting good advice on which sheetrock is good for bathrooms!! hoepfully mold resistant

TechyDad: I do research online like looking for product reviews on Amazon.com (even if we're not buying from them).

A couple of notes we threw out during the discussion:

• Join the @DadCentral Facebook page to stay up to date on all campaigns and going-on! http://bit.ly/rKox3

• Are you a Dad Blogger? Join the @DadCentral Blog Roll by filling out this quick sign up form: http://bit.ly/cHJIwv

• Testing Panel answers surveys/ gets inside information on cool brands – Join here: http://bit.ly/ak5Eoe

Thanks, everyone!   We had a blast!

Join Dad Central Thursday for a "Twitter Party"

What the heck is a Twitter Party?  Twitter Meetup?  Tweetup?  Glad you asked!

We've been doing some heavy-duty research here on how being a Dad changes the things guys care about, what they buy, whom they trust, that kind of thing.  We just got the results back (Thank You to all that participated!), and we'll be publishing the results shortly.

We wanted to follow up with a more interactive forum, so we'll all be meeting up online this Thursday, on Twitter, to talk a bit more and to get some advice from the real experts, you Dads.

Here's how it works: Log into Twitter (create a free account if you don't have one), and do a search for the hashtag "#PowerOfDads".  I'll be there, along with several others from the Dad Central and Mom Central team, to ask questions and get your feedback.  We want Dads to join, but Moms are welcome to cheer on the Dads, and give opinions of their own, too.

Here's what makes it even more fun.  Every 10 minutes or so, we'll give away one of six $50 American Express gift certficates to someone participating.  Heck, couldn't be much easier than that, right?

Make it a point to join in, for a few minutes, or for the whole hour. No RSVP required...

Here are the details:

What: Dad Central Consulting "Power of Dads" Twitter Party
When: Thursday, August 26th from 12-1pm EST
Why: To discuss how becoming a Dad has influenced what you buy, why you buy it and who you trust for advice. You'll also be entered to win one of six $50 AMEX gift cards.
Hashtag: #PowerofDads
Hosts: @MomCentral & @DadCentral

Talk to you Thursday!

Videogame Study Shows Kids Play Sports in Real Life Too

Owen Good at Kotaku (a very popular videogame blog) comments on a new study that came out of Europe that shows that 75% of kids that play videogames also play a sport.  Not exactly the stereotype of the anti-social,couch-dwelling teen so many parents fear. My son loves FIFA Soccer on the Xbox, but spends a lot more time playing soccer as a goalie for his select team.   

From Kotaku:

"The UK industry group TIGA touted the research, done a by a French business school’s sports marketing department. The study found 38 per cent of boys (well, males under 21) who played sports games practised their favourite video game sport in real life. Additionally, the study said 75 per cent of all gamers also took part in some kind of real sport. […]

“Video games are frequently demonised,” said a representative of the French business school. “We now know that these fears are unfounded.There is a strong correlation between playing video games and participating in real sports. Watching television is a threat to physical activity. Video games are not, however.”

Videogames are like any kind of passive activity—there’s a time and a place for it.  For kids, make sure they’re getting lots of variety, and don’t worry if they’re into a game for a while.  Just know what they’re playing, who they’re playing with, and set responsible limits. 

Pampers Marketing to New Dads

Sheila Shayon at brandchannel writes an interesting article about how Pampers is jumping into the “marketing to dads” segment. 

She writes:

“A recent Pampers survey cited 69% percent of male respondents claiming diaper-changing duties as often their wives, and 11% claiming they did it more often, while a Families and Work Institute study reported fathers spending three hours per workday with kids under thirteen, up three hours in 2008 from two hours in 1977. Mom’s time, meanwhile, remained steady at 3.8 hours.”

Here’s a video created by Pampers, presumably targeted to dads, due to its tie-in to New Orleans Saint Drew Brees.  It reiterates the point that dads buy baby stuff too.  In fact, I’d guess that I bought more diapers for my kids than my wife, though she insisted on the brands that I bought. 

I’m not sure the ad resonates with me.  It’s a bit too patronizing, and I guess if you see it as a tongue-in-cheek attempt to make a point, it’s okay.  Shayton also points to another video that Pampers did, more my style.  What’s not to love about being a new dad?