The Beginning

Everything has a beginning.

Six years ago, my wife Joanna and I decided that it was time for us to become parents. The initial thought of raising a child terrified me like nothing else ever had. I was confident that I was many things: a computer geek, a science fiction fan, an environmentalist...sure, but a "Parent".. How could I ever possibly do a job like that?

Then our son Sam was born and I found that there simply wasn't time to worry about any of that anymore. My concerns soon turned to being as active a husband as I could and learning how to take care of a baby. A few years of sleep depravation and a seemingly endless stream of diaper changes alters one's perspective on life forever.

We now fast forward to 2007 and we are preparing to send our boy off to Kindergarten. As difficult as this first handful of years has been, I can now see that in many ways things get more complicated from here on out. And that is where this blog begins.

My goal is to document my progression as a digital parent. My son has an enthusiasm for science and technology that I most certainly recognize. I want to encourage that aspect of him as much as I possibly can. However, the world has changed since I was a nerdy kid growing up in Iowa. While the local library is still a favorite place for our family, the Internet winds it's way into nearly every aspect of our education and entertainment. This opens up opportunities that very few people ever dreamed of 30 years ago, but it also brings with it a whole host of challenges for the modern parent.

So this site will be where I share my thoughts on these new challenges. It will describe what I am doing for my family. I will review products and services, give my thoughts on various topics and hopefully aggregate useful information for other families.