What's Up Wednesdays: More Than Cute

Being a dad to a little girl completely changes your perspective on just about everything. I’ve become far more cognizant of what society deems to be gender appropriate and I’m already tired of it. John Marcotte agrees and that’s why HeroicGirls.com is launching a campaign, exclaiming that Halloween costumes for girls can be more than cute. They can be brave. They can be scary. They can be smart and adventurous. They can be whatever they want to be.

Continuing on the topic of traditional gender roles and expectations, Sarah Beaulieu explains that while moms and dads should each have equal parenting roles, they shouldn’t have the same roles. Leverage one another’s strengths, give each other breaks, and avoid micromanaging what the other parent is doing. Arguing over the details is far less important than the dynamic of both partners choosing to “chip in.”

Some people will tell you that gaining American citizenship is a long and grueling process. Those people are probably unlike Andrew Sekeres III and they may not have looked into the complexities of getting permanent residency in Japan. Even if you marry a Japanese national, you have to stay married for at least three years and live at least one of those in Japan. That’s just the first step. After that is another five-year process, followed by another 10-year process. And even then, they still might not grant permanent resident status.

The world of work has become increasingly unconventional over the years with more people working from home and more people working with flexible hours. Even if you work in a “traditional” office, as Geoff Coates points out, the life of an art director hardly fits regular societal norms. Make sure you’re wearing age-inappropriate black skinny jeans and be sure to learn the lingo (or make up some of your own). Take your work, make it “shaggier” and “make it dance.”

And closing out this week’s speedlink, we are joined by fellow geeky dad Zach Rosenberg. He noticed something after he picked up some super hero toys for his son. Sure, these toys appeal to his son, “but deviously so, they appeal to me too.” What was cool during our childhoods is suddenly cool again, including Transformers, Jurassic Park and Marvel’s Avengers. Except today’s toys are way fancier and more high-tech.

#MoreThanCute art by Melissa Pagluica