I hope lots and lots of books are a part of your child’s world.

With the news this week regarding the death of Maurice Sendak, one of our favorite children’s book authors, we were talking about the importance of reading each night. It is very important to make that a part of the evening’s structure and routine.

Some will say they are too busy, but here is why it is important: The places that books can take kids - that money cannot - are endless. Diving into a good book is about pretending and role playing. It is about make-believe and dreaming. Best of all, it is about learning new things. It is also about a safe way to take us temporarily away from the troubles of the world, so we can relax enough to go to sleep and not worry about the next day’s stressful agenda. Although, keep in mind that things that are stressful to our kids may not seem so to us, such as what they got in trouble for at school today.

Oh, I guess I am talking about the adults there. Isn’t it fun to portray the different voices in a child’s storybook? We like to read children’s books to the kids, too, because we like to see children happy. We pray they don’t have stressful agenda’s the next day - especially in their elementary years.

We particularly like Sendak’s living legacies, also known as his book collection, because they are not all fluffy, happy and predictable. Perhaps the characters are best described as realistic, but living in make-believe worlds.

He has truly inspired many families and for more than one generation.

I’m an avid fan of the Chicago White Sox.

Both my 5- and 4-year-old sons have been to U.S. Cellular Field in the past. However, I’d never taken my boys to the Comcast Fundamentals area. That changed Sunday.

I purchased tickets for the game versus the Boston Red Sox through a friend. The game time appealed to me - 1:10 p.m. But I also wanted to see another buddy who was playing in a band outside of the ballpark prior to the first pitch.

We checked out the concert and headed inside the ballpark. However, we arrived more than 30 minutes before the first pitch. I suggested checking out the Fundamentals area in an effort to kill time.

I was thoroughly impressed.

Bubba and Peter began by fielding ground balls from one of the patient White Sox staffers. Then, we headed upstairs. The boys both practiced pitching and even their hitting skills.

The folks working these booths provided a bit of feedback, suggesting slight changes that seemed to resonate with my oft-stubborn boys.

There’s also a batting cage in this area, though it’s only for kids who are 8 years old and up.

Perhaps the best part is that all of these things are included in the price of your ticket. There’s no $3 surcharge for folks interested in participating in the Fundamentals area.

We returned to our seats just in time for the opening pitch. By the 7th inning, Bubba and Peter both fell asleep. I’m sure all that activity in the Fundamentals area tuckered them out.

Every minute of every day.

That is how often the economy dictates the relationship between education and jobs.

Did you see page A3 of Wednesday’s edition of The Daily Journal? There was a story at the bottom of the page by Doug Finke about raising the high school dropout age.

Yes, I waited a few days to write about this because I wanted to talk to some teens (not just the two in my house) about it.

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Every year, two surveys are distributed to media outlets everywhere. The first survey attempts to calculate how much an average stay-at-home mom would earn if she were paid an annual salary. The second looks at the wage gap between men and women.

Put these two surveys together, and you could make the case that a stay-at-home dad is more valuable than a stay-at-home mom. Now, let explain.

Salary.com puts together an annual survey that looks at all of the usual tasks completed by a stay-at-home mom, such as laundry, cooking, bookkeeping, etc. They then attach a dollar figure on what it would cost to hire someone to perform all of these tasks. (See graphic below.)

This year, the annual salary for a stay-at-home mom was $112,962, according to the survey. Salary.com even has a cute calculator that allows you to enter all of the jobs the stay-at-home mom in your life takes on and gives you a personalized salary and certificate - Just in time for Mother’s Day (May 13).

The second survey comes from the National Partnership for Women & Families. This group looks at the wage gap between men and women, and it even provided figures specific to Illinois:

In Illinois, the median pay for a woman working full time, year round is $38,638 per year, while the median yearly pay for a man is $50,549. This means that women are paid 76 cents for every dollar paid to men, amounting to a yearly gap of $11,911 between full-time working men and women in the state.

Now, I have issues with both of these surveys. For example, the wage-gap survey fails to take into account that men and women typically do different jobs. And as for mom’s annual salary, working men and women who are also single have to do laundry, bookkeeping and other household tasks too. So, should these folks be considered as having two jobs?

Regardless, I think combining the info provided by both of these surveys is the most interesting component. So, lets start by saying a stay-at-home mom and a stay-at-home dad would be worth the same $112,962 per year, as quoted by Salary.com. Then, take into account the wage difference supplied by the National Partnership for Women & Families.

The result: A stay-at-home dad is worth $140,072 annually - $27,110 more than a stay-at-home mom.

Saying my two sons are picky eaters is an understatement. Five-year-old, Bubba eats roughly two dozen foods. He’s also scared to try anything new.

Four-year-old Peter has roughly the same diet. Though, he’s more willing to give new foods a try.

PB&J and grilled cheese are among the items on the small menu that both of my boys will eat. However, neither of these foods are met with much enthusiasm. So to add a bit more flair to their meals, I gladly accepted an offer for a free sample of Munchkin’s new Silly Sandwich Cutters.

I was sent two samples. One of the cutters turns a sandwich into four interlocking puzzle pieces. The other turns a sandwich into a pair of elephants (see photo).

Well, my plan worked. Suddenly, Peter was much more interested in eating PB&J. He even requested it on several occasions, saying “Dad, can I have a peter-butter and jelly puzzle?”

I’d separate out the puzzle pieces and he’d reassemble them. Then, he’d eat one piece at a time.

Peter liked the elephants too but definitely preferred the puzzle. My guess is that he’s a Democrat.

Regardless, I think another big part of Pete’s attraction to the cutout sandwiches was the fact that the crust was removed by the mold. Normally, I make both of my boys eat the crust.

I was able to find these sandwich cutters for sale on Daipers.com for $2.49. That’s not a bad price for making mealtime a bit less of a struggle.

As if there weren’t enough crazy people on television, an email found its way into my inbox recently looking for “Pregzillas.”

Doron Ofir Casting, which describes itself as “the star-making casting company behind Jersey Shore, Millionaire Matchmaker, My Strange Addiction and RuPaul’s DragRace,” is looking for pregnant moms who are obnoxious enough to be labeled “Pregzillas.”

The Hollywood-based casting company is also interested in talking to significant others who look a their pregnant partner and feel “more and more like an alien took over her body and turned her into an emotional monster.”

If you are at all interested in participating, CLICK HERE.

However, I also feel obligated to warn you that Doron Ofir Casting is also looking for something called Momagers, which appears to be a show about mothers who are managing their child’s acting career. The company is also looking for folks to participate in a show called “Living Latina Loca” and addicts looking to better themselves via “Rehab with Dr. Drew.”

Strange bedfellows, indeed.

Maybe your youngsters will eat veggies if they are from plants they have grown on their own.

A friend was telling me that her younger elementary-age children were picky eaters until they started a backyard patio garden with just a few vegetable plants.

Somehow, the joy of picking that super fresh tomato off the vine and eating it right away fascinated them.

Even if they don’t take a liking to their veggies, it is an economical way to give them a try.

Besides, who doesn’t find it a fascinating miracle to watch plants grow from tiny seedlings and then watch the food develop a little more each time you water it.
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I blew away a buddy recently when he brought his two children over to my house for a play date with my 4- and 5-year-old sons.

The play date was scheduled at lunchtime, so I made a kid-friendly meal. It was a simple recipe that I thought everyone knew - hot dogs in crescent rolls.

It’s an American classic, as far as I knew. But he had never heard of this delicacy. Basically, you simply follow the instructions for baking on the side of a tube of crescent roll dough, with one exception. You roll a hot dog into the middle.

My boys love them, and I don’t mind eating them either (as long as they are made with all-beef hot dogs. I’m a bit of snob that way.)

Just thought I’d share it for anyone who doesn’t know this classic recipe.

I was alerted to a survey this week about kids’ sports that I found interesting. The survey was paid for by a group called i9 Sports, which seems to be in the business of setting up youth sports leagues. Regardless, a third-party survey company polled 300 kids throughout the country between the ages of 8 and 14 years old at the request of i9 Sports.

Most of the findings were rather mundane. But I was interested to learn that roughly a third (31 percent) of the children surveyed said they wished adults weren’t watching their games. The survey cited parents yelling too much and putting too much emphasis on winning for the response. Of course, i9 Sports claims that its youth leagues are void of such things.

I have to admit that I was one of these kids. I’ve never performed well while my parents were watching. Now that I’m older, I realize that this isn’t their fault. I simply put unnecessary pressure on myself to do well when my folks are around - particularly my father.

I also realize this is a double-edge sword. Had my parents opted never to attend any of my sporting events, I would have been bitter about that too.

So, I received the message below today via email. I’m fairly certain the producers of the show want someone more exciting than me to star in their upcoming television program.

So if you’re a stay-at-home dad and think you’ve got what it takes to be a reality TV star, check out this email:

Hi!

My name is Tamara Akins and I am a casting associate for FremantleMedia.  We are currently developing a new show featuring stay at home dads from the Minneapolis and Chicago areas (to start).  The show is going to be a light-hearted look into their worlds, we are considering it a reality-sitcom.

We are specifically looking for fathers who are currently raising 2 children or more in the household and who live in Chicago or Minneapolis.  I know that your blog is pretty prominent with stay at home fathers and is one of our first resources for finding dads who may be interested in participating.  If you could forward my contact information or post any specifics that you’d like in your forum, that would be fantastic.

The information we would need right now from each dad is:

Name:

City:

Phone:

Email address:

Your story:

(how long have you been a stay at home dad, how has the adjustment been, what did you do before and what is a typical day like for you)

Snapshot of entire family:

Wife’s Profession:

Any notable parenting groups or orgs you are part of:

Forward information to:  agtcasting7@gmail.com