30/40 Parent: Recent Episodes

Civil Matador

30/40 Parent is podcast for parents in their 30s and 40s who just need to know…kids do things that we think are weird, life takes turns we don’t expect. But, I’m not the only person going through this and neither are you.

I’ll think something is uniquely crazy to my family, but when I talk to other parents - turns out it’s pretty normal. I mean, there’s a ton of completely normal stuff…but just don’t talk about it much…so, let’s talk about those things

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There is explicit Language in This Episode

Augustine cussed. Not like - ‘baby said a bad word’. No. Augustine actually fully cussed - choosing specific ‘bad words’ to express her emotions and formatting them into a coherent sentence.

Sure, it’s only happened twice, but she did it so well that it really seems more like a lifestyle choice….and I’m not in love with that for her.

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My wife and I were new parents, but had already gotten used to starving our daughter. Comfortable with it. We had a routine….and we were doing a great job. Augustine was loosing weight crazy fast.

Of course, we didn't know we were starving our daughter...and that's how Jade ended up trapped in a doctor's office with our first bottle of formula and a deadline.

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When I was preparing for the birth of my first kid, my entire life - decades - as a non-parent had lead me to assume that immediate love - ‘love at first sight’ - for my new kid was normal…a commonly shared experience between all parents. I expected that seeing my kid(s) being born would hit me like the Grinch deciding to give back the presents - sudden, physical heart growth…Bam! This is Love!

But is that normal? Or is that even so rare that it's actually weird to feel that?

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If an addiction is something you hide. Something you downplay even to yourself. Something you want to quit, but can’t seem to stop. Then, I’m addicted to bargain hunting.

**This weeks podcast & this post are companion pieces. When I started working on this, I wasn’t sure how bargain hunting worked or who was behind it…I just knew that talking to “The Target Bargain Hunter” would answer some question. 

Our conversation was completely different than I expected and as I wrapped everything into a story - it ended up standing alone and complimenting my own experience. So, this week, make sure you check out both this article and the podcast to hear the full story.

Links : Instagram : @The Target Bargain Hunter

@TXBargain_Huntress

@BrodieSaves

@DealsWithNat2

Blog Post : Deal Addicted on Civil Matador

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This is the last thing I’ll write about parenting before we become a Two-Kid-Household. It’s the sum of everything I’ve experienced during our second pregnancy…from when I’m still in it, no hindsight, nothing foggy in memory, total reality - this is everything…and we’re almost there…10 months in…

...is it too late to turn back?

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If you'd asked me about this list 7 years ago, I never would have thought about any of these destinations. Trust me, the best places we've traveled with Augustine are nowhere you're thinking of right now.

I'm so lucky to have Christopher Staudinger on the show - he's a Dad that inspires me.

Together, we go through our Top 5 Places We've Taken Our Kids

Links

The Official Blog Post Link :: 5 Best Trips I've Taken with my Daughter

For more of Chris, check out ::

Captain & Clark & Pretty Gritty Tours

Also, here are links to the destination guides I've written with Vagabond3 for each place I mentioned.

Greater Baton Rouge

St George Utah

Alberta Canada

Oklahoma City

Fairytale Road in Germany

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…Musical Chairs might be what’s really wrong with the world. A game we force our kids to play that is at the same time competitive and non-competitive. Do we want our kids to win or be polite? 

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“Are you ready?” With only about a month left before the due date for our second kid, it’s a question I’m being asked constantly. But, what does it mean to be prepared. 

I spent years searching for a Dad Group like my wife's Mom Group, and hated all of them...then I tried to figure out why. 

Is this the sketch of the modern man changing to Dad?

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Kindergarten is a huge year. I assumed that for us (with 4 years of preschool) - this was going to be business as usual. I was wrong.

Here are the 10 things I think every parent should know as they send their kid off through their first year of Elementary School

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They’re all these parts of having an old dog - me having Romeo - that I never knew how to talk about until the other night. Romeo was crawling off my chest - I’ll lay him on my chest to pet him - and he leaves me with a nice amount of ambient pee…that’s when I realized…I don’t know what I’m supposed to doing right now.

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What are the bare essentials to call something a Softball league?

This season I coached my daughters first softball team, and I'm not happy with the way the league is managed. How does your league do it?

Also, are girls at a sports disadvantage forever?