top of page
Scott Beller, Editor and Contributing Writer
Since February 2020, the DADDYING blog has provided weekly commentary, personal narratives, reviews, research, poetry, and other creative expressions from a diverse group of colleagues, guest writers, and experts to promote the benefits of lifelong Dad involvement to kids, families, and communities.
Search
I'm Finding A Ray of Hope In An Unexpected Place
In tough times, DCG founder Allan Shedlin finds a ray of hope in an unexpected place: the increased involvement of fathers with their kids.
Allan Shedlin
Feb 24, 2022
Spoiler: “Learning Loss” Is A COVIDious Myth
DCG Founder Allan Shedlin explains how "learning loss" is a COVIDious myth & teachers/parents should focus on kids' pandemic learning gains.
Allan Shedlin
Nov 4, 2021
Annie's Poem: A Child Copes With Pandemic Anxiety
9-year-old Annie has turned to poetry during the COVID pandemic to help express and cope with the difficult things she's been feeling.
Allan Shedlin
Oct 28, 2021
Zoom to Classroom: How to Prepare Your Child For Returning to School In the New Normal
Author and youth rights advocate Anna Gilchrist provides parents with tips on how to help children adjust to returning to school in person.
Allan Shedlin
Aug 26, 2021
How To Wrangle Those End-of-Summer Butterflies In COVIDious Times
DCG's Allan Shedlin helps parents talk to kids about why it's normal to feel anxious at start of a school year, especially during a pandemic
Allan Shedlin
Aug 10, 2021
A Long Year of Reflection and Daddy Blogging
Just as daddying doesn’t take place in a vacuum, but within multiple contexts and social systems, so it has been with our Daddying blog.
Allan Shedlin
Mar 18, 2021
How To Cope With A Race That Never Ends
We avoid the runner’s pitfall of incessantly asking “How much more is left?” Instead, we focus on our journey toward the finish...
Allan Shedlin
Feb 4, 2021
Was 2020 Real or Just Virtual?
I’m trying mightily to embrace the optimism that usually marks a new year and the traditional hopefulness it entails
Allan Shedlin
Jan 6, 2021
Have A Thankful Thoughtsgiving 2020: Through the River and Over the Woods
Despite the sadness and disappointment being magnified as our holiday plans are rethought, I battle to have my positive nature prevail.
Allan Shedlin
Nov 23, 2020
The Squirrel in the Coal Mine
by Allan Shedlin Founder, DADvocacy Consulting Group The following was written 11/4/2020, mere hours after Election Day 2020 closed and...
Allan Shedlin
Nov 5, 2020
There Will Be A Blue Moon In More Ways Than One This Halloween
by Scott Bellair Witch Project Editor of Daddying and Director of Communications, DADvocacy Consulting Group My girls will be masked up...
Allan Shedlin
Oct 29, 2020
Our COVIDious Crescendo
My basically-optimistic nature continues to prevail and believe that we are fitfully inching toward a decrescendo, a COVID convalescence...
Allan Shedlin
Oct 15, 2020
The Superpower of Being Present
Think of the children in your life. Their superpower is living in the moment. COVID-19 implores us to be more like our children.
Allan Shedlin
Oct 1, 2020
Nurturing the New End-of-Summer Butterflies
When the cocoon of childhood summers past opened into a more predictable fall, the emergent butterfly was able to unfurl its new wings & fly
Allan Shedlin
Sep 3, 2020
Mommying Helps Me Cope with COVID-19 Isolation and Dad Grief
My own personal grief has been set aside while we mourn so many things before COVID19. The pandemic made me be the mother I dreamed of being
Allan Shedlin
Jul 30, 2020
A Pandemic May Be the Best Time to Discover the Freedom of Limits
When limits are consistently and clearly in place, they provide a sense of freedom that doesn’t exist when boundaries are unclear...
Allan Shedlin
Jul 23, 2020
Finding Zen in the Art of Creative COVID-19 Lockdown Projects
Facing long-term confinement with kids/family got me thinking about best ways to pass time at home during COVID-19 lockdown. We chose art.
Allan Shedlin
Jul 9, 2020
An Ode To Baseball Dads
One of the best parts of being in this baseball family community is that I’ve had many chances to witness father-son relationships.
Allan Shedlin
Jun 25, 2020
Your Helping Hand Is the Antidote to COVID-19 Fear
With COVID-19, we're all scared & want to know how to overcome fear it's caused. Reaching out to hold someone’s hand is the best antidote.
Allan Shedlin
May 28, 2020
Soul Searching and Daddy Yearning In COVID-19 Isolation
The men of my family were men of small rooms. I think of this as I begin another week of social distancing.
Allan Shedlin
Apr 15, 2020
Processing My Son's Graduation from High School...in Poetic Verse
Poet, author, and Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F) Dadvisor Hakim Bellamy commemorates his son's high school graduation in the best way he knows how: in poetic Dad verse.
Allan Shedlin
2 days ago
It's Graduation Day for Daddy Too
Dr. Anthony Fleg faces the next daddying phase as he wishes his daughter well on the occasion of her high school graduation.
Allan Shedlin
May 27
More than Your Ordinary Film Festival Metrics of Success
Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F) founder Allan Shedlin explains why the six-year-old festival's metrics of success are necessarily different from thousands of other annual festivals worldwide. D3F favors the qualitative over the quantitative, and he believes those are the metrics that best reflect the festival's success in achieving its daddying mission.
Allan Shedlin
May 20
More Thoughts About Entering the Kingdom of Great Granddaddying
Allan has hope and many thoughts to share as he stands on the precipice of becoming a Great Granddaddy.
Allan Shedlin
May 13
What is the Dad Difference?
With her new book The Dad Difference publishing this month, educator and father engagement specialist Dr. Deborah Higdon joins the Daddying blog to discuss the proven benefits of having dads more involved in school classrooms with their children.
Allan Shedlin
May 6
Processing My Greatest Birthday Gift Ever
Daddying Film Festival & Forum founder Allan Shedlin reacts to news he'll soon be a great grandfather.
Allan Shedlin
May 1
Being a Dad-at-School is One of the Many Benefits of Being a Work-At-Home Dad
On Earth Day 2026, Daddying blog editor Scott Beller is reminded that being present in his daughters' classrooms over the years brought him as much joy as being there for them as a work-at-home Dad.
Allan Shedlin
Apr 23
Our Nest is Half Full
Daddying blog editor Scott Beller chooses to look at his imminent empty nest as half full.
Allan Shedlin
Apr 16
Why Not Speak the Truth to Our Kids Through History?
Daddying blog editor Scott Beller suggests letting the truth of history be the guide when talking with our kids about important topics that too often have been politicized and obscured with misinformation.
Allan Shedlin
Apr 9
After 20 Years, We're at the Right Place at the Right Time and Still Having A Ball
On the occasion of his 20th wedding anniversary, Daddying blog editor Scott Beller reflects on how being in the right place at the right time can be life-changing.
Allan Shedlin
Apr 3
bottom of page