Strong Dads Wrap-up
You may remember a blog I did earlier this year about a course given by Oklahoma State University called “Strong Dads.”
I interviewed Lacey McCause, Strong Dads Field Coordinator with Tulsa County Cooperative Extension Service. She talked about the goals of the class and how it can benefit dads of any age. There is also a nice compensation for travel costs, a $10 gift card to QuikTrip for each class you attend. And three $25 gift cards to Walmart after completing a survey about the class.
AND since the class is every Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m., before each class you get free Mazzio’s pizza, salads, dessert brownies and drinks!
I’ve taken many parenting classes, and that is by far the best incentives I’ve experienced.
I highly recommend any dad looking to be the best dad they can be to check out the website for more information. The next class begins Wednesday, April 30: extension.okstate.edu/
I learned a lot, and I was happy the teacher and other dads were welcoming to my kids being a part of the class. Both my daughter and son attended several classes, and my son even raised his hand and participated in most of the classes.
I was happy for my kids to see their dad in a class participating and having fun. Since parents are a big influence on their children, I hope they saw that “school” can be fun!
I wanted to ask one of the other dads in the class a few questions about their experience, so here is my interview with Heath Harjo:
1. Please tell me about your “Dad Situation.” Married? Divorced? One child? Two kids? Etc.
I’m divorced, but I have a really bad habit of still referring to Riley’s mother as my wife. We’re still under the same roof, and it’s honestly been the best that it’s ever been between us. Riley is our only child and our first child for each of us.
2. Why did you take Strong Dads class?
I took Strong Dads as a means to hear from other dads about their parenting experiences. I’ve been in other relationships where my partner had children, but I had never been involved in raising a child from day one. It’s been a joy watching him grow and learn. I really needed some skills on how to discipline him because I’m definitely not the disciplinarian in his life.
3. What did you get out of Strong Dads class?
I feel like I got some valuable resources from Strong Dads. Every time that he needs discipline now, I also think of what I can teach him in that moment. The idea of disciplining while also teaching has been a real eye opener for me.
4. What has been the hardest part of balancing work/life balance?
Definitely the hardest part of work life balance has been my blue collar, 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. job. I’m out the door to go to work before he even wakes the majority of his mornings. I would definitely like to help out with him more in the mornings, in terms of getting him ready to go to daycare, like getting him dressed and presentable. I also just plain miss out on being there when he wakes up. I try to be the first person that he sees on the weekends, but I know that that does not make up for the other five days of the week.
Being off work with my broken foot has allowed me to have more of that time with him, and I’m definitely going to miss that when I eventually go back to my regular work routine. I’ve brainstormed about ways that I can be more present for him in the mornings, and I’m seriously considering going back to school to finish my degree and try to find more of a 9-5 type of existence.
5. Would you recommend Strong Dads class to a friend?
I would most definitely recommend Strong Dads to any dad that wants to be a better father to their child. The camaraderie and shared experience from other fathers was invaluable to me. I had read one or two books (finished only one of them if we’re being completely honest) while Riley was in the womb, and while I got some good pointers, nothing can prepare you for the experience. I honestly thought that I would just know what to do naturally, and that was so not the case once he was here. It’s like everything that I had tried to apply from the books just went right out the window.
Ps. I gotta ask if you are related to Sterlin Harjo. I am happy to see Hollywood paying more attention to Oklahoma because of him.
I’m not related to Sterlin, but I’m most definitely a fan of his work. His feature-length films, “Four Sheets to the Wind,” “Barking Water” and “Mekko,” just to name a few, give such a realistic view into the Native American community and what it’s like to grow up in that world. I’m also a huge fan of Ethan Hawke and absolutely loved seeing him make a cameo in season 3 episode 9 of Sterlin’s “Reservation Dogs” TV show. I cannot wait to see this TV series with Ethan Hawke that Sterlin created for the FX network.
Here is Heath accepting his certificate is completion from Mrs. McCause:
Here is Atticus accepting his certificate of completion from Mrs. McCause:
Our class picture:
At graduation, we were allowed to say a few words from the podium, so I wanted to express my gratitude to OSU, Mrs. McCause, and the dads in the class. Plus, give my kids a shoutout and tell them how proud I was to be their dad:
Also, shoutout to the mayor’s office for being at our graduation and showing their commitment to supporting dads in Tulsa! Mayor Nichols was in Washington, but Senior Advisor-Housing Gene Bulmash gave insightful remarks about his own family and the importance the mayor’s office puts in helping Tulsa dads:
