What does it means to be a dad? I mean uniquely a dad, as opposed to being a parent. In today’s modern society, moms and dads generally share parenting tasks equitably; but what makes dad distinct?
For me it comes down to two words:
Last month we paid homage to our mom’s, but we didn’t want to leave out the other half of the equasion, so since June is here with Father’s day around the corner, this month we will be taking time to recognize and appreciate the father’s in our life. Our dad’s play a different role in our lives than our mothers, their influences nurturing our development in a often unexpected or unconventional ways. Don’t just celebrate them on Father’s Day (June 17th) but take the opportunity celebrate our father’s and thank them for all they do for us and our community all month long. This month we’ll be asking our bloggers (who are also all fathers themselves) to expand on the theme by sharing their stories and resources, and relating their experiences and opinons in a way that only a father can.
Whether you are a parent, an expecting parent, or still savoring the child-free way of life, we hope our bloggers will provide an interesting, humourous, and enlightening (or perhaps eye-opening) peek into their lives. They might expose you to new information that you hadn’t heard about before, provide comfort in the knowledge that you aren’t alone, inspire you to make a small change to your own routine or encourage you to suggest resources to others.
We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.
Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!
Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.
Saturday, June 9, 2012 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM (MT)
Join Edmonton’s NextGen for its second time in the Edmonton Pride Parade on Saturday, June 9, 2012. We’re thrilled to participate in one of the best parties of the summer and celebrate Edmonton as a diverse and welcoming community for the next generation.
First 50 to register receive a limited edition NextGen t-shirt to wear during the event. Register today at http://nextgeninprideparade2012.eventbrite.com/.
Parade Staging will be between 11:00 am and 11:30 am on 108 Street between Jasper Avenue and 102 Avenue. Upon arrival, please find someone in a NextGen t-shirt to check-in and sign a waiver. Please be on time so that we can get lined up.
The Parade route starts on 108 Street and 102 Avenue and travels east on 102 Avenue to 99 Street. The parade will take up both lanes of 102 Avenue.
After the Parade all participants are encouraged to gather with us at Churchill Square to continue the festivities. Celebration on the Square includes the main stage, beer gardens, business and community information booths, merchandise and food vendors, and various forms of entertainment.
For more information on the Edmonton Pride Festival, visit http://edmontonpride.ca.
Here’s a gallery of great pictures of NextGen at Pride in 2011.
It’s difficult for me to imagine a world without communities. Perhaps because it’s human nature to find like minded people to collaborate with, the process of forming a community is quite natural.
I’ve seen the amazing things communities can accomplish with my own eyes.
The diversity of Edmonton’s communities is as great as the diversity of its citizens
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Community is such a large part of our lives. We are all part of many smaller and intersecting communities. We gather together based on region (like our nieghbourhood or city), around a shared interest (like sports, religion, or comic books), or for other reasons (like work or cultural). Sometimes you will be active in your communities and other times you’ll just be a member of that community. What can you learn from others in your community circles? What can you contributeThis month we’ll be bringing you posts focused around this idea and hope you look forward to reading and sharing your thoughts on the ideas presented by our guest bloggers.
We also want you to engage in discussion. Come on nextgener’s we know you have opinions and thoughts on these themes too. We’d love for you to comment, start a discussion, and share these posts with your networks.
Check back weekly as we will be adding new NextGen Speaks Out! posts regularly. We’re looking forward to it and hope you do too!
Disclaimer
NextGen Speaks Out, our guest blogging series, is envisioned as a hub for information and discussion. NextGen is a non-political, non-denominational organization focused on giving all nextgeners a voice. NextGen does not represent the opinions expressed by the individual columnists.
What if you just don’t like someone you work with and never will? Can’t you just avoid them instead?
Given the amount of time that most of us spend at work, having professional and respectful relationships will lead to a more positive work environment. Some of you may have (or do) work in a situation where you have to drag yourself into work every day because of the nature of the relationships at work. How did/does that make you feel? Were you able to do your best work in that environment? Most people are not able to.
Here’s a common situation:
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Ah Valentine’s Day, that day of the year set aside for lovers and romance. Visions of Cupid in his cute little diaper with heart-shaped arrows flitting around making people’s soul mate dreams come true. Wait…what? A diaper? Who thought of that?! As a Mother, I assure you, there is NOTHING romantic about diapers… Anyway… I digress.
Valentine’s Day, the day of overpriced flowers, expensive chocolate and feathery lingerie. Thankfully, I am not stressed. No significant other means no searching through rows of ridiculously expensive cards to find one that expresses the right amount of “love” for a person I do not. So rather than concentrate on the whole V-Day hoopla, Andrea and I have put together our list of most hated “being single on Valentine’s Day drivel” for your entertainment.
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I’m working with a lovely couple who are having the same problems many couples have. Wilma doesn’t feel like she get her needs met and gets hurt, angry and critical. Her husband, Fred feeling criticized and attacked, gets defensive and either withdraws or lashes out angrily – both of which do nothing but add fuel to the fire.
Fred and Wilma came in for a few sessions and after a while they both agreed that they felt like they were “hamsters running around the same old treadmill, over and over again, blaming each other.” I told them that it’s worse than that. They aren’t just cute hamsters running along side one other, getting themselves tired and then ready for bed after a long hamster day together. They have become…