Dear Reader

We love you, Captain Fun!

At some point about 20 years ago, I started stockpiling important family “stuff” in a truly ghastly Pepto-pink leatherette box I purchased on sale from the home office aisle at Staples. Not a fan of any shade of pink or faux leather of any kind, it was an odd choice to begin with, but, as they say, she persisted. In the event we ever need to make a hasty escape in the middle of the night, that nauseatingly pink box will be the thing that I grab.

Whenever I have a cause or occasion to paw through Ol’ Pinkie, I always get sidetracked by a sentimental archaeological dig of my family’s life. Apart from its more mundane contents (Social Security cards, insurance documents, passports), it contains irreplaceable, utterly cherished talismans and treasures of my kiddos’ childhoods: those first alienesque ultrasound photos; sweetest newborn footprints; official birth certificates and announcements; precious snips of gossamer strawberry- blonde baby hair; well-child reports documenting gains in height, weight, developmental milestones, hurray!; report cards; baby teeth ... So many baby teeth!

But perhaps most heart-squeezing of all are the dearest pictures, cards and notes our two kids made for us when they were little to mark our birthdays, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

In this month when we celebrate all our favorite papas, a visit to the Ol’ Pinkie archive seemed in order. What I always find truly amazing is how accurately our kids captured the essence of our love for them and our personalities over the years. For instance, I’ll let my youngest, Tommy (at maybe 4?), tell it like it is about his sweet daddy:

My dad is Matt. He likes to go to the beach with me. He likes to throw rocks in there. He plays fun games because he needs to play soccer. He’s really good at fixing my toys. He likes to say, “Let’s go to a party!” I love my dad a lot! He’s funny! Tommy

For years, I’ve referred irreverently to my partnership with Matt as “The Ongoing Parenting Adventures of Frau Bummer [that’s me, nice to meet you!] and Captain Fun.” That’s not to suggest that I am an overly dour, humorless rule-maker of a mom, but Matt’s irrepressible comicality and bonhomie are really just that epic by comparison. No contest. He lives up to his alter-ego cred every day, coming to the rescue with fun and laughter. And it has been the luck, solace and happiness of my life, in good days and hard days alike, to always know where my next laugh is coming from.

Happy Father’s Day to my dear Captain Fun and all of you wonderful daddies out there!

— Patty Lindley, managing editor

JUNE 2022, VOL. 19, NO. 6 PUBLISHER Alayne Sulkin

EDITORIAL

MANAGING EDITOR Patty Lindley OUT + ABOUT EDITOR Nancy Chaney DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR Vicky McDonald DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Kari Hanson OUT + ABOUT EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Julie Dodobara COPY EDITOR Sunny Parsons CONTRIBUTORS Gemma Alexander, Nancy Chaney, Amy Guatelli, Tiffany Doerr Guerzon, Kate Missine, Sanya Pelini, Ph.D., Kellie Schmitt, Lindsay Zielinski

DIGITAL MARKETING

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Gina Ryan

EMAIL MARKETING SPECIALIST Devon Hammer DIGITAL MARKETING COORDINATOR Taryn Weiner INTERIM SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Emily Feely

ADVERTISING SALES + PARTNERSHIPS

SENIOR ADVERTISING AND PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER Ida Wicklund ADVERTISING CLIENT SERVICES MANAGER Jessica Collet ADVERTISING CLIENT SERVICES ASSISTANT Angela Goodwin CLIENT SERVICES PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Mallory Dehbod SALES + OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Rachel Howard

EVENTS

EVENT OPERATIONS Brenna McCown

ART + PRODUCTION

SENIOR DESIGNER Amy Chinn

ADMINISTRATION

BUSINESS MANAGER Carolyn Brendel

What are your favorite ways to spoil the dads in your life?

A new (totally unnecessary but cool) center-aisleof-Costco man toy

Sending him off on a bike ride to a brewery with his dad friends

Snacks! Mixed nuts for my dad and coffee + doughnuts for my husband

Giving my dad the gift of quality alone time with his grandsons

Sending my husband out kayaking for the morning, then lots of good food

PARENTMAP EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

Benjamin Danielson, M.D. CLINICAL PROFESSOR, UW SCHOOL OF MEDICINE PRACTICING PHYSICIAN, UW MEDICINE Joan Duffell RETIRED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, COMMITTEE FOR CHILDREN John Gottman, Ph.D. THE GOTTMAN INSTITUTE PROFESSOR EMERITUS, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON Laura Kastner, Ph.D. PSYCHIATRY + BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON Bea Kelleigh VICE PRESIDENT, DOVETAILING, LLC Yaffa Maritz, M.A. FOUNDER, LISTENING MOTHERS + COMMUNITY OF MINDFUL PARENTING Ron Rabin EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KIRLIN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MINDSIGHT INSTITUTE CONTACT INFORMATION

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