http://denver.yourhub.comThe latest blog posts in The Denver Newspaper Agency YourHub.comen-usnews@yourhub.com(c) 2009, YourHub.com5It was a Sunday morning and an early winter storm had moved in over night. I had just started the coffee and went to put on my snow boots to get the paper when I realized I had left them at work. Such is the characteristic of Denver snow and sun, enough snow to warrant boots in the morning and s...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~689058.aspx11/18/2009 2:27:00 PMRich BattenAs I write this the World Series is rounding third base and heading for home. And while other sporting events may challenge the supremacy of baseball, in the words of a character in W.P. Kinsella's 1982 novel, Shoeless Joe , "The one constant throughout all the years has been baseball. Amer...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~682128.aspx11/4/2009 4:13:24 PMRich BattenThe Be There for your Kids: The Face of Fatherhood in Colorado October e-newsletter is now online. Follow this link to read and subscribe. http://tinyurl.com/ybyeaeh In This Issue: Strengthening Families - Building Momentum in Colorado Community Forum Highlights November Regional Father...http://denver.yourhub.com/CastleRock/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~681212.aspx11/2/2009 7:59:24 PMRich BattenWhat is your proudest moment as a dad? My son, Kenny, who has cerebral palsy, graduated from Rampart High School in 2000. His para-professionals worked with him for two years to be able to 'walk' across the stage to get his diploma instead of being pushed in his wheelchair. As he moved acros...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~676493.aspx10/24/2009 11:11:51 AMRich BattenSome of my favorite parenting memories are reading with my children. Whether I was holding them on my lap in a rocking chair, laying prostrate beside them on their bed, sitting leaned up against their bed, sitting in the hall way between their rooms voicing the characters of the Narnia or Harry ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~675940.aspx10/23/2009 9:05:34 PMRich BattenThe Colorado Men Against Domestic Violence Pledge Initiative is growing by leaps and bounds! The last thirty days has resulted in over 400 additional pledges. Most of the new pledges are hand written pledge cardsfrom City and County of Denver employees. Several others and myself have been enteri...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Your-Voice/Blog~664941.aspx10/9/2009 10:30:53 AMRich BattenGreatSchools, a national independent education nonprofit, and Harris Interactive, recently released "The Economy's Impact on Back to School" report. Harris Interactive interviewed 1,086 Adults ages 18 and over, who are parents of children 5-17 who are currently in a public or private school. Amon...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Education-General/Blog~661807.aspx10/1/2009 3:17:26 PMRich BattenOver the last several years I've written several posts on the importance of family mealtime. I hesitate to write yet again, but the evidence is stunning. According to the National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse at Columbia University, compared to kids who have fewer than three fa...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Blog~657109.aspx9/17/2009 11:43:58 AMRich BattenOver the last several years I've written several posts on the importance of family mealtime. I hesitate to write yet again, but the evidence is stunning. According to the National Center on Addiction & Substance Abuse at Columbia University, compared to kids who have fewer than three fa...http://denver.yourhub.com/Denver/Blogs/Archive/Blog~657031.aspx9/17/2009 10:13:27 AMRich BattenSearch Institute recently updated their website for parents MVParents.com . For 50 years Search Institute has provided research and resources to promote positive change on behalf of youth. They are best known for the 40 Developmental Assets . The Developmental Assets are 40 common sense, p...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~654305.aspx9/8/2009 5:15:07 PMRich BattenI write this post on the evening of a full moon. I have always anticipated and enjoyed full moons as they rise in the evening, stand guard through the night and set in the growing light of the dawn. I anticipate this evening a little differently since reading a research article by Suzanne M. Flan...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Blog~644647.aspx8/8/2009 9:36:41 AMRich BattenTwenty plus years ago I finished graduate school in May, my daughter was born in June and my first job out of grad school came in September . . . of the following year. I became an at-home dad right from the start. And from that moment my heart and direction was set. Whatever I did, wherever I di...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~640905.aspx7/28/2009 9:47:00 AMRich BattenYou probably wouldn't be surprised to learn that studies indicate that children are spending half as much time outside as they did 20 years ago. Child advocacy expert Richard Louv directly links the lack of nature in the lives of today's wired generation-he calls it nature-deficit-to some of ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~637420.aspx7/17/2009 2:29:04 PMRich BattenThank you to everyone who helped and participated in the 2009 Colorado Fatherhood Rally! Despite a sky full of threatening clouds nothing rained on this parade! Those present were treated to a great performance and introduction to the power of fatherhood wisdom passed from generation to generati...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Blog~628714.aspx6/21/2009 1:36:38 PMRich BattenIn April the Colorado Fatherhood Council brought Ray Upchurch to his hometown of Denver to screen his film documentary, Daddy Hunger . Ray spent the day at the Gilliam Detention Center and the evening to a standing room only crowd at the Shadow Theatre. The film is a powerful presentation...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~626465.aspx6/14/2009 3:56:53 PMRich BattenBy now I hope you have heard about the upcoming Fatherhood Rallies that will take place in D.C., Denver and other cities across the nation. The morning of June 20 in Denver is shaping up to be a great time of celebration and fun! Follow this link to RSVP . Regardless of where you spend...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~621398.aspx5/30/2009 1:21:56 PMRich BattenJoin the Be There for Your Kids campaign at the 2009 Colorado Fatherhood Rally on Saturday, June 20. Events will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the Meadows at City Park. The rally will feature local and national speakers, food, entertainment, local fatherhood programs, giveaways and family friendly ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~618781.aspx5/22/2009 3:15:15 PMRich BattenAm I alone or have you also struggled with balancing your roles as disciplinarian, parent and friend to your children? Sometimes when my kids misbehave, I'm too easy with the punishment. At other times my frustration gets the best of me and I react too harshly. Unfortunately, neither of these ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Littleton/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~614739.aspx5/12/2009 5:25:52 PMRich BattenWe need them (fathers) to realize that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child - it's the courage to raise one - President Barack Obama, Father's Day 2008. Did you know that the following events took place in 1909? President Taft was inaugurated as the 27th President of the...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~608209.aspx4/26/2009 8:35:46 PMRich BattenHonoring Extraordinary Colorado Fathers and Fatherhood Programs About the Awards In an effort to recognize and reward outstanding individuals and program service in healthy father involvement with children, families and communities throughout Colorado, the Colorado Fatherhood Council establishe...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~606335.aspx4/21/2009 2:04:24 PMRich BattenRecently published research from the University of Denver confirms what many first time parents already know, the joy of parenthood often includes stress and strain on their couple relationship. The Denver study, published in the March 2009 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psycho...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~602353.aspx4/11/2009 6:44:15 PMRich BattenLike me you have probably stopped trying to figure out what the ribbon of the month is. There are green ribbons, yellow ribbons, gray and pink ribbons. There are tartan ribbons, and orange ribbons. There are even ribbons for "students against the exploitati on of Rocky and Bullwinkle in Taco Bel...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~599915.aspx4/5/2009 8:58:52 PMRich BattenOne of the more entertaining moments of my parenting experience has been helping my children learn to ride a bike. Although each of them took to two wheels in their own unique way, my assistance always involved the dilemma of when and how to let go, when to hold them up and when to let them fall....http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~597210.aspx3/28/2009 6:06:52 PMRich BattenOne of the more entertaining moments of my parenting experience has been helping my children learn to ride a bike. Although each of them took to two wheels in their own unique way, my assistance always involved the dilemma of when and how to let go, when to hold them up and when to let them fall....http://denver.yourhub.com/GreenValleyRanch/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~597038.aspx3/27/2009 7:29:23 PMRich BattenApril 2, 2009 - Daddy Hunger Documentary Screening Join the Be There for Your Kids campaign for a special screening of "Daddy Hunger." At a time when more than 25 million children in the United States are living without their fathers, this critically acclaimed documentary examines the impact of...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Blog~592932.aspx3/18/2009 10:06:15 AMRich BattenIf you are the father of a teenage daughter you can be certain she has had plenty of conversations with her friends about Rihanna and Chris Brown. Have you had any with her? In a recent blog entry Lucy Bloom, Director of the Father-Daughter Summit and coordinator of the Father of th...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~591511.aspx3/15/2009 9:03:29 PMRich BattenA recent study of 2,000 parents carried out by CITV (the children's programming arm of ITV, the biggest commercial television network in the UK) revealed that three quarters of Britain's parents are too busy to read bedtime stories to their children. "Mums claim they are distracted by cleanin...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~588283.aspx3/7/2009 2:57:08 PMRich BattenWhile I do have a Facebook and Twitter account, I have yet to tap into the instant news updates that my son receives on his cell phone. I still prefer to get my news around 5:30 AM with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. Regrettably today is day one without the Rocky ! I subscribe to breaking ...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Blog~585580.aspx2/28/2009 2:18:14 PMRich BattenA February 23 post by the New York Times highlights a University of Maryland study that finds that today's fathers seem to play a bigger role in their daughters' career choices compared to men of previous generations According to the Times, the researchers "used various data sets to s...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~583987.aspx2/24/2009 9:27:43 PMRich BattenYears ago psychologists at Stanford University found that kids who were able to hold off eating a marshmallow did better in school and in life. Children were presented with a simple but enticing dilemma - you can have one marshmallow now or if you wait (in this sterile room alone with the marshm...http://denver.yourhub.com/Parker/Blogs/Archive/Relationships/Blog~580859.aspx2/16/2009 4:29:54 PMRich Batten