728x90


Dad on a Lark Blog

by Rand Richards Cooper

Lark (lärk): noun. 1. a carefree or spirited adventure. 2. a harmless prank

Dad on a Lark Blog

Lark (lärk): noun. 1. a carefree or spirited adventure. 2. a harmless prank

Snarkytown

Posted February 17, 2009
Posted February 18, 2009

Valentine's Day approached, and how did Molly and I get ready for it? With a no-holds-barred fight. Two frustrating episodes with Larkin lit the fuse. Both involved the same dilemma -- when to draw an absolute line in dealing with Larkin's snarky behavior, and when to yield strategically. Many couples have one parent who tends to stand firm, and one who deals. Between Molly and me, she's principle and I'm pragmatism; she's the firm stander,… Read More

State of the Union

Posted February 03, 2009
Posted February 4, 2009

remember back when Ed Koch, that irascible loudmouth, was mayor of New York, and at public gatherings he'd ask his audience, "So, how am I doing?" This was early in his administration, when things were going well. Later, when he felt beleaguered, he stopped asking.

Molly and I joke about this. Three years into our administration, we feel beleaguered most of the time. We're behind on work, and the house is a mess, and the… Read More

Bridge to Nowhere

Posted January 20, 2009

Posted January 21, 2009

What's your earliest vivid memory? For me it is a gray afternoon, and I'm listening to a record about the adventures of a dog named Muffin. Muffin goes wandering out in the world, braves storms, crosses train tracks to the sound of an approaching locomotive. At the zoo he hears the roar of a lion. The roar frightens me, and I flee in terror, running from the living room of our house, right out the front door… Read More

Licensed to Chill

Posted December 23, 2008

Posted December 24, 2008

Last weekend, Molly went to New York to see a friend, taking Larkin along. They drove away at 4 on Saturday, and I didn't see them again until Sunday night at 10, when I carried Larkin, asleep and clinging to my neck, back up to her room.

Thirty hours of freedom, all for me. The time stretched out in front of me like an enormous cake. Where to bite first?

Biology teaches us that the freed parent will… Read More

Feast and Famine

Posted December 11, 2008

A confession. Want to know the one thing above all others that makes me feel like a failure with Larkin? It's her diet. What she eats – mostly, what she doesn't.

The frustration came to a head on Thanksgiving. Molly and I had 15 people here for a potluck extravaganza. The dining room table was loaded with dishes: ham, mashed potatoes, red cabbage, honeyed carrots, baked beans, broccoli casserole, salads, quiches, and on and on. And there stood Larkin, surveying… Read More
1 Comment

Überparenting

Posted December 11, 2008
Am I an Überparent? The other day I read a New Yorker article, called "The Child Trap," about the phenomenon of "overparenting," formerly known as "spoiling." This is the much-maligned way we boomer and post-boomer moms and dads ruin our kids by ladling too much attention all over them. Think of it as a parental comedy of errors: take the never-say-no fallacy, add the center-of-the-universe mistake, toss in violin lessons, write your kid's college essay, and bingo —… Read More
300x250

About Me

I began as a fiction writer (my first novel, "The Last to Go," was made into a really bad TV movie, starring Tyne Daly), then branched out to other writing. By now I've written for over 50 magazines, including "Glamour." "The New York Times Magazine," "Bon Appetit," and "Commonweal." Away from my writing desk, I'm a chess fanatic and hopeless basketball addict. Oh yeah, I'm also the family cook.

My next blog update: December 24, 2008

View My Profile View My Guestbook
April 2010
November 2009
September 2009
August 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
300x250
728x90