AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Cheers to dads and grads in this unprecedented time D BECCA SCHMIDT BALDWIN PARK LIFESTYLE DIRECTOR Lifestyle Director Becca Schmidt has lived in Baldwin Park since 2005 and has the pulse on neighborhood social gatherings. Check out the Groups and Gatherings section of baldwinpark.net for a list of Baldwin Parkbased groups. Contact Becca at lifestyledirector@baldwinparkpoa. com if you’d like to start a new group or have questions about how you can meet your neighbors.
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ad, Daddy, Dada, Papa, Pops, Pappy, Pa, Daddyo … No matter what your kids call you, fatherhood is a role like none other. In fact, fatherhood requires being proficient (OK… at least average) in an ever-changing list of roles. One day, you are baby soother, bottle washer and diaper changer. And in a blink of an eye, you’re coaching your toddler in the swimming pool. In another blink, you’re teaching your boy the art of tying a shoe and your little girl how to ride her bike. You’re a counselor during the challenging middle-school years. And before you know it, you’re a fashion consultant helping your son tie a man’s tie and a driver’s education teacher, gripping the dashboard while your little girl learns how to maneuver a car. In the past two months, I’ve seen a lot of dads enjoying their kids on a whole new level. It’s funny what you wish for. I know that just before our stay-in-place order, many Baldwin Park dads, along with dads (and moms, too) everywhere, longed for more quality time with their kids. And suddenly, hundreds of fathers in our neighborhood had that coveted extra time. Of course, many parents still are working outside the home at hospitals, restaurants and other frontline locations, but for those dads who suddenly found themselves on Monday-morning Zoom meetings and with flexible work hours, they found a way to integrate family life and job
BALDWIN PARK LIVING | JUNE 2020
duties beautifully. In other words, Dads dived in! Here are some of the “dad moments” I’ve witnessed: (Hint, must be read like a Dr. Seuss book.) Dads on Foot! Dads on bikes! Dads on skateboards, unicycles, With Frisbees and kites! Dads with babies and puppies and yoga mats and weights. Dads singing and dancing and juggling plates! Dads at the stove, Dads at the table, Dads discovering all that they’re able! As with all my columns, I like to add a few tips. So here are some ideas for dads (and moms) to continue this stay-at-home essence after returning to traditional workplaces. n Keep the spirit of togetherness. Cook together, dance together, color the sidewalk and, why, not … hopscotch together! n Keep learning together. Check out The Great Courses (streaming or on DVD and CDs) for photography, guitar, cooking, drawing and much more. The Orlando Sentinel offers One Day University for family learning. Coming soon, Baldwin Park’s Lifestyle Meet & Mingle series will be offering family learning time. n Keep teaching. Show your daughter how to change a tire,
build a birdhouse or use a Dremel tool. Show your son how to cook breakfast for mom, change the air-conditioner filter or unclog a sink! n Keep playing together. Dads, take your kids on an uncharted bike ride and see where the path leads. And finally, dads, share your experience with other dads. There’s been interest in starting a dad’s group for single dads, non-traditional dads, older dads and every kind of dad! Contact me this month for details on a Zoom gathering of dads. During the month of June, we’ll be posting “Daddy and Me” pictures on our Baldwin Park Groups and Gatherings Facebook page. So, start submitting those prize-winning shots, and please include why the photo is special to you. It’s also been a rough couple of months for the graduating high school and college seniors. But Baldwin Park grads are showing plenty of ingenuity and are finding ways to celebrate the uniqueness of their graduation days! If anyone can figure out how to stay together while apart, our teens sure can. We’re making space on our Baldwin Park Groups and Gatherings Facebook page for your pictures this month. Reach out to me via email to get started. In the meantime, wishing you a Happy Father’s Day and Happy Graduation!
