Daddy Kamp

Trying not to suck at Parenting.

Time Management and the Real Reason Your Kid Can’t Tie His Shoelaces or Microwave a Bowl of Oatmeal.

A few posts back, I referenced The National Outdoor Leadership School and something called the Time Control Plan. According to Bruce Martin’s Outdoor Leadership: Theory and Practice, “A competent leader develops a time control plan that matches the goals and…

By Troy Obrero | April 3, 2015 | Making a Living, Perserverance | No Comments |

What I Wish I Kept From the Birth of My Children

A great friend of mine who, incidentally, is expecting his first child called this “a cool, neglected blog”. He’s right. Well I’m back, and just in time it seems. In the last few days and weeks, no less than a…

By Troy Obrero | March 27, 2015 | Making a Living, New Dads | No Comments |

We Are Going to Die, and That Makes Them the Lucky Ones

“Dad, when I’m 8 years old, Barack Obama won’t be President anymore.” Thomas dropped this little nugget in the car a few days ago. “Yes, yes son. Now stop distracting me while I’m driving.” The significance of his observation hit…

By Troy Obrero | December 19, 2014 | Our Dads, Tribe | 1 Comment |

Daddy Selfishness – Defense Against the Dark Art of Emotional Manipulation

When your kids are in preschool, they’ll come home with tons of projects: coasters, ornaments, t-shirts, etc. Some of these are binned pretty quickly. Others really get you in the gut. Check out these gems: “Sometimes you get discouraged Because…

By Troy Obrero | December 12, 2014 | New Dads | No Comments |

Buy The First Round, Protect the Most Important Person, and Other tips for Expectant First Time Fathers.

One piece of advice I received at an early age was to buy the first round. When I was about 16 years old, I was hanging out in a bar in California with my brother-in-law and some of his friends. …

By Troy Obrero | December 5, 2014 | New Dads | 10 Comments |

Thanksgiving and The One Thing I Learned from “Grey’s Anatomy”

I’ve already mentioned our penchant for crappy TV shows. You can add early seasons of Grey’s Anatomy to the list. The only thing I remember about the show was something Meredith said: “Family is what you start out with until…

By Troy Obrero | November 28, 2014 | Tribe | 4 Comments |

Abandoning Your Kids and The Myth of the Picky Eater

There are two major minefields in American discourse. Religion and Politics should come as no surprise to anybody. These days, two more topics are creeping up as major battlefields: Nutrition and Parenting. With battles raging over so called gluten intolerance,…

By Troy Obrero | November 21, 2014 | Food, Travel | 6 Comments |

In the near future, Lori and I will travel to New Orleans – my favorite city in the world. We will have dinner, quest for the perfect Sazerac, and catch a football game at the Superdome. The boys and our…

By Troy Obrero | November 7, 2014 | Food, Travel, Writing | 5 Comments |

Brandon Crawford, Beards, and Baseball or Why I Love Youth Athletics but Hate Youth Sports

Okay – let’s get this out of the way. Brandon Crawford is pretty hot. My wife, who “can’t stand all that frigging hair”, doesn’t think so. But if they remade Tombstone, one of my favorite movies, he would have to…

By Troy Obrero | October 31, 2014 | MDICTYD, Sport and Fitness | No Comments |

Cook a Meal, Make a Living, and Defend Yourself

Many parents bribe their kids out of diapers. We were no different. We told Logan we’d bring him to Disneyland if he could use big boy underwear. Around this time, his home daycare provider informed us that he had a…

By Troy Obrero | October 24, 2014 | Food | 4 Comments |