"What I've learned today" introduction

I'm creating this blog because of one simple sentence which consists of 4 simple words: "I am my dad". And because "I am my dad" I have come to the realization about certain aspects of being a dad. Why dads do things that they do? More importantly, why did MY dad do what he did?

I'm not going to go into detail about everything my dad did when I was a kid. This blog is being set up for one particular thing and one thing only. If I need to create a blog later about something else he did, I will. But no, today, it's for this one thing. (And dad, if you read this, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about)

One particular thing that my dad did is this: "what did you learn in school today?"

Present day - Sitting at the dinner table with my wife, my two daughters (11 and 9 yrs old) and my two sons (16 1/2 months and 2 1/2 months), I ask my daughters "what did you learn in school today?" Answer: I don't know!!

My pre-teen/teen years - Sitting at the dinner table with my three brothers, my mom and my dad, my dad asks, "Brad, what did you learn in school today?" Answer: I don't know!!

I have come to the realization that he did it because he just wanted to see how my day went and that he wanted to connect with me. But I was the pre-teen/teenager who didn't want to communicate with his parents. And as I look back on it, I was an ass!! If I could go back, I would answer everyone of his "what did you learn in school today" questions. (But I still won't eat the peas)

You never really grasp what one does, like a parent, until you're put in their shoes. I'm sitting there at the dinner table using my dad's technique and getting the same answer. Therefore, "I am my dad!"

So, this blog goes out to my dad for all of those "I don't know's" and to my two daughters, because if you can learn something each day, so can I. Each day, I will post what I have learned that day. It's been a while since I was in school and you know that not everyone remembers everything they learn in school.

And, this blog is also for anyone out there who wants to learn. Send me a message asking me the answer to something you want to learn. I will research and answer your question and at the same time, I will learn it as well.