This morning, Lisa Murphy of Fox 5 NY’s Good Day Street Talk, shined the spotlight on activities that bring kids and families together. My son Jake & I had the opportunity to go into the studio to share some insight into the NYC Dads Group – a community of involved fathers that meets weekly for socialization and support as we navigate parenthood.  The show airs at 6:00am on a Saturday morning so I am not sure if anyone watched it…so the clip is displayed above.

First, let me say that this was a truly interesting experience for me.  A real bonding experience for Jake & I.  Jake enjoyed playing in the oversized bathroom in the “Green Room” as we waited for make-up.  Sitting in the shower and flicking on the heat lamp switch were his highlights.  Then, off to make-up together.  This was a first for me in my adult life.  I have not worn make-up since participating in my camp’s production of Oliver Twist when I was 13 years old. It only lasted a minute, but I required lots of dabs from the powder puff to keep the shine from my forehead.  To the beautician’s dismay, Jake enjoyed playing with anything he could reach off the counter top.

Next, we were escorted into the set of the studio.  As most parents know…you never know what to expect from a two year old.  They don’t understand a script!  Fortunately, Jake stayed in close proximity to me during the entire segment (a remarkable feat if you know Jake).  Some other notable points: You may notice Jake’s stuff on the glass coffee table like his milk cup, water cup, and pretzel snack – the crew did not know what to make of that as I set it up – they agreed to let it fly.  Jake was fascinated by all of the bright lights, moving cameras, and multiple TV screens in our view (who isn’t?).  As you can observe, he pointed & shouted out as the cameras were moving “down”, loved belting out his name when he saw himself on the TV screen (understandably so), and even gave a special shout out to his friend Sam Jeffery (as she flashed up on a clip).

To be candid, there were several moments where I was so concerned about what Jake was up to, that I missed the interview question or was in mid-sentence, and got derailed.  Multi-tasking was never my strong suit!  The most memorable moment was when Jake decided to stick his hand in Lisa’s (anchor) water glass as the tape was rolling.  He enjoyed how all of his fingers could fit into the glass & how the water dripped off his fingers and onto the coffee table.  He liked it so much, he decided to go in for a second and third dip.  As you might expect, the crew swooped in during the commercial break to clean up the mess and replace the water glass.

Lastly, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum was part of the segment as well.  Upon returning to the Green Room to retrieve our belongings, we were welcomed by a turtle, iguana, and Boa Constrictor.  Jake was overjoyed!  Overall, a unique and memorable experience for both of us.

Recently, NY Money Authority reporter Lisa Murphy caught up with the NYC Dads Group at Elahi Children’s Yoga on the Upper East Side. The segment aired on Good Day New York on Labor Day. Lisa Murphy contacted me because she noticed more and more dads spending time with their kids around town during the work day. It’s true. Seeing a dad, at noon on a Tuesday, pushing their stroller around is not uncommon anymore. She was interested in exploring the topic further and this piece is the result. Hopefully, more dads will see this segment, and say to themselves, “why aren’t I hanging out with those guys?”