Disclosure: I am part of Netflix’s #StreamTeam and I have agreed to regularly share some of my favorite things about Netflix in exchange for some goodies and experiences. As always, the thoughts written here are my own.

Just like my wife and I try to watch the same shows at the end of our busy days (I like to call it Date Night, Every Night), we prefer our two boys watch the shows together rather than retreating to their own devices every evening.

It was easy when they were younger. For their first viewing years, our eldest (by three years) controlled the television because he was the only one that cared. I still sing the songs set to a featured piece of classical music on Little Einsteins, and I’ll never forget a friend of my oldest bursting into tears as Annie translated Baby Chimp’s feelings as she sang, “I am lost and I am looking for mom and dad” to Bedřich Smetana’s Moldau. Neither boy remembers the incident, but both still cringe when I sing Annie’s infamous line.

The following years were also pretty easy as the little brother followed the big brother’s lead (as little brothers tend to do). We cycled through Sid the Science Kid, Dinosaur Train, and Super Why. All of these television shows were entertaining and, at least, a little educational for the boys and palatable for me.

The inevitable happened when my oldest was about 9. He was tired of “baby shows” and wanted to watch something for more mature audiences. We tried Phineas and Ferb (thumbs up from the older, meh from the younger) and Miles of Tomorrow Land (thumbs up from the younger, meh from the older). We were saved by Brain Games, a show actually so fun that even my wife and I would sit down to watch, though the boys definitely wondered whether I would let them watch the “Battle of the Sexes”episode (season 4, episode 5).

These days, our oldest (nearly 12) really only wants to watch sports, while the youngest (nearly 9) still loves the television shows from his youth. We still hold strong on them negotiating to watch the same show so every night is a discussion on how they will split their TV time. The non-sports time is usually taken up by the current season of The Voice, MasterChef Junior, or America’s Got Talent. Entertainment now reigns supreme over education, but every now and then, when the oldest is not around, the youngest gets to watch whatever he wants. His current favorite is Octonauts, a show that I have not even seen a full episode of and one that I certainly don’t know any of the songs or even of the characters … he seems to be just fine with that. This television show is all his own.

We write a lot about breaking gender roles when it comes to parenting. Now we talk about it, too.

Joining us on the Modern Dads Podcast are Kori Reed and Mike Becker, husband and wife and co-authors of the book, ZagZig Parenting: (Mis)Adventures of a Career-Driven Mom and a Stay-at-Home Dad.

ZagZig Parenting, released this week, takes you on a journey through the married couple’s contemporary perspective on being a mom and dad when the traditional parenting roles are reversed. Using comical vignettes, they share their differences, struggles, mistakes and failures in ZagZig. They even include the feedback of their kids. Ouch!

On the podcast, we discuss how they came about their family arrangement and how it has evolved over 20 years and four kids.

Reed is a career woman, originally from Chicago, where she met Becker in high school. She has a journalism degree from the University of Missouri Columbia and a master’s in communication from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Her professional career has spanned four states and Fortune 500 companies. including Pepsi, Quaker Oats and most recently as a corporate vice president at ConAgra Foods. She and Becker live in Omaha, Nebraska.

Becker, who has a degree in marketing from Michigan State University, has spent more than 20 years as the primary caregiver to their children. He was recognized by a suburban Chicago newspaper for his “paternal instincts” and in a subsequent article titled “A Man Among Moms: Stay-at-Home Dads Have Full-Time Reminders of Their Future.”

Robbie Samuels, co-organizer of our Boston Dads Group, talks about his experience as a transgender dad and his ongoing efforts to network with other parents on the latest edition of the Modern Dads Podcast.

Samuels, a professional speaker, also discusses his appreciation for the adjustments that people and organizations are making to encourage acceptance of all types of parents, trans and otherwise.

Samuels, a work-at-home dad living with his wife and son in Massachusetts, is the founder of Boston Babies Facebook Group and hosts a monthly baby clothing swap. As a professional speaker he shares how to effectively and inclusively network and build community. He also hosts a weekly podcast, On the Schmooze, that is a mix of interviews with leaders and networking tips.

The Parents’ Phrase Book author and L.A. Dads Group member Whit Honea concludes our podcast to suggest it is time for parents to stop teaching their kids about tolerance.

Robbie Samuels, co-organizer of our Boston Dads Group, talks about his experience as a transgender dad and his ongoing efforts to network with other parents on the latest edition of the Modern Dads Podcast.

Samuels, a professional speaker, also discusses his appreciation for the adjustments that people and organizations are making to encourage acceptance of all types of parents, trans and otherwise.

Samuels, a work-at-home dad living with his wife and son in Massachusetts, is the founder of Boston Babies Facebook Group and hosts a monthly baby clothing swap. As a professional speaker he shares how to effectively and inclusively network and build community. He also hosts a weekly podcast, On the Schmooze, that is a mix of interviews with leaders and networking tips.

The Parents’ Phrase Book author and L.A. Dads Group member Whit Honea concludes our podcast to suggest it is time for parents to stop teaching their kids about tolerance.

My wife and I don’t have a perfect marriage, but one thing I think we do well is prioritize our time together. While we often take advantage of what living in New York City offers by going on the town, even on nights we stay home we choose to be together rather than retreat to separate corners of the house.

I’ve taken to naming this ritual, “Date Night Every Night.” It begins when the kids have gone to bed and we’ve finished all the kitchen cleaning, bill paying, permission slip signing and so on. After briefly catching up on what’s happened in our day, we are both ready to kick back with a glass of wine and our favorite TV show of the moment.

No (or at least not much) judgement for the couples who retreat to their own devices at the end of the day, but we have found plenty of good TV that fits in the overlapping area of our Venn diagram of tastes.

Here are some Netflix shows I think will be perfect for your Date Night Every Night.

To remember the single life

Master of None – “New Yorker Dev takes on such pillars of maturity as the first big job, a serious relationship, and busting sex offenders on the subway.” A fun look at what NYC life is like for the pre-kids millennial crowd that kinda makes me jealous, but mostly makes me happy to have settled down. Binge watch Season 1 because Season 2 premieres May 12. Aziz Ansari tweeted a preview:

Master of None Season 2 premieres May 12th on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/nqqogKPnrm

— Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) March 15, 2017

For the foodie couple

Chef’s Table – “Find out what’s inside the kitchens and minds of the international culinary stars who are redefining gourmet food.” This is one of the most beautifully produced shows I have ever seen made even better by the fact that we live in New York City and can go to some of the featured restaurants. Season 3 posted a few weeks ago with chefs ranging from Ivan Orkin of Ivan’s Ramen (headed there this weekend) to Buddhist nun Jeong Kwan.

For a good date night laugh

Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt – “When a woman is rescued from a doomsday cult and lands in New York City, she must navigate a world she didn’t think even existed anymore.” The premise is somewhat absurd, but everyone can relate to being a fish out of water, especially in NYC. Another one to binge watch before Season 3 launches on May 19.

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpiJGd8EL8M

That should keep you two busy on date night, at least between the kids’ bedtime and yours.

Disclosure: I am part of the Netflix #SteamTeam and was compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

We have five City Dads Group members on the new Modern Dads Podcast who will put you a little more at ease by sharing their tales of raising tweens and teens in today’s crazy world.

City Dads columnist Whit Honea, a member of our L.A. Dads Group and the author of The Parents’ Phrase Book, discusses dealing with the excessive homework his 11-year old son receives from one of his teachers.

City Dads columnist Seth Taylor, a California-based college professor and writer, worries about the possible negative reaction his daughter will receive from classmates to her very public support of the gay community.

City Dads columnist Vincent O’Keefe, an at-home dad and parenting writer who is a member of our Cleveland Dads Group, remembers how he reacted when he realized his tween daughter had became a teen.

Leadership coach, speaker and NYC Dads Group member Devon Bandison recalls the exact moment he knew his 15-year old son was watching his every move.

And finally, blogger and photographer Jeff Bogle, a Philly Dads Group member, encourages dads to break down tropes and embrace being the fathers of daughters living in a modern world.

We parents are always telling our kids about the importance of money, but are we really talking to them about it?

Don’t fret. One of our nation’s leading authorities on personal finance for young people, Beth Kobliner, appears on the new Modern Dads Podcast to help teach moms and dads how to discuss savings, earnings and more with their children.

Kobliner has recently published Make Your Child a Money Genius (Even If You’re Not), a jargon-free, step-by-step guide to help parents of all income levels teach their kids about money. She talks up the highlights of her latest tome while helping us through some age-appropriate money concepts including allowance and why paying for chores might not be a good idea.

Publishers Weekly has praised Make Your Child a Money Genius, saying: “Kobliner persuasively explains how parents can instill, from a child’s early years, essential character traits and abilities for understanding how money works, and how to earn it and use it wisely. More than just a conversation starter or primer, the book gathers together an abundance of bulleted lists of rules and tips, explanations of complex issues, and sidebars and boxes with illustrations of financial documents. With practical prescriptions, simple but effective action steps, and instructive anecdotes, Kobliner has written a book that belongs on every parent’s shelf.” 

A former Money magazine columnist, Beth Kobliner has also written the New York Times bestseller Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties.Her work has also appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, as well as outlets such as Glamour and O, The Oprah Magazine.

President Barack Obama selected her in 2010 to be a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability. She has also served as a content advisor for Sesame Workshop’s financial education initiative For Me, For You, For Later.

Mike Domitrz received a life-changing phone call at age 19. His mom rang him at college to tell him that his sister had been raped.

That inspired Domitrz to start the Date Safe Project in 2003. Through interactive presentations, creative educational resources, and unique national initiatives, the Date Safe Project is committed to being the nation’s leading organization for creating healthier dating environments, a clearer understanding of “consent” and for raising awareness on the many issues surrounding sexual assault.

Domitrz joins the Modern Dads Podcast this week to talk about building a culture of sexual consent and how to have age-appropriate conversations with our children about relationships, intimacy, and respect. His book on the subject, Can I Kiss You?, takes an in-depth look at the positive realities of intimacy and the dangers that exist in the current dating culture for teenagers and adults. The book — loaded with candid advice, real-life scenarios, and interactive exercises — has received near-perfect reviews on Amazon and Good Reads.

+ Listen to ‘Date Safe’ podcast with Mike Domitez +

The Date Safe Project morphed into The Center for Respect. The Center for Respect provides an interactive, high energy live virtual and live onsite keynotes, trainings and workshops for creating a culture of respect for all. Topics include overcoming negative societal influences and assumptions, consent, respect, relationships, bystander intervention, supporting survivors, and building healthy relationships. Their services are available to schools — from middle to university levels, corporations and even the military.

City Dads Group columnist and L.A. chapter member Whit Honea joins us at the end of this Modern Dads Podcast. He comes on to discuss why he lets his two kids see both his strengths and his flaws.

After all the recent social media and news coverage of what I consider ignorant and disrespectful responses to President Obama’s call for public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms matching how they self-identify their gender, I was proud to see the response the principal of my kids’ school sent to our school community (below). I have learned that much thought and many voices contributed to the nearly 20 drafts it took to craft a message that conveyed the values the staff is bring to our children.

Here’s our principal’s message:

As a school community that values each member, child and adult, and the gifts and differences of each, we consistently strive to be inclusive. We have had multiple conversations across the year, in professional development, in “grown-up” meetings, and in classrooms with our children about the care and respect due to each person in our school and world communities. These conversations, aligned with the NYCDOE’s Respect for All initiative have touched on race, culture, ethnic identity and even gender identity. I want to talk briefly about our conversations regarding gender identity.

These discussions have included thoughts on how gender roles are communicated in society. For example, our younger students have discussed how toys are marketed to boys and girls. They have also talked about books that show children behaving in gender creative ways and how labels are used to describe outside appearances rather than how people feel on the inside. Older classes have engaged in conversations around current events involving transgender civil rights. In all situations, conversations in class rooms have been handled in developmentally appropriate ways.

It is a testament to the strong values of diversity and respect that you are providing your children that they are making thoughtful comments in these conversations and then happily return to their work of being children and students.

“Transgender” is a word we cannot turn on the TV without hearing about, but our conversations around gender transcend just this word. We can all think back to a time when we may have been told that girls do XYZ or boys can’t do ABC. When we put our students, their families, our staff, and community members in a box – it makes it hard to break out of that box. For transgender individuals who have the courage to affirm their identity, this can be a challenging road and we as a community need to support our students, families, and staff who identify as transgender.

There are many resources that are available to support communities.  We recommend the following as a starting point:

• Policy: NYCDOE policy
• Community resources
  • The Ackerman Center
  • Gender Spectrum
  • LGBT Center

As a school, we invite you to direct any questions regarding our initiatives to your child’s teacher.

Editor’s Note: We’d like to thank BabyNes for partnering with us to arrange this interview to discuss childhood nutrition with Dr. Tanya Altmann, a UCLA-trained pediatrician practicing in southern California. Altmann is also the associate medical editor of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ best-selling parenting book Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 and author of Mommy Calls: Dr. Tanya Answers Parents’ Top 101 Questions About Babies and Toddlers.

Breast milk

NYC Dads Group: One of the first questions many parents ask regarding feeding their newborn baby is whether to breastfeed or use formula. For a while now, breast milk has been considered the “best.” Why?

Dr. Tanya Altmann: Breast milk has always been considered the best for baby because it is. Breast milk provides a baby with immunity against bacteria and viruses. It is easy to digest. And, it is uncommon for baby to be allergic to. From day one, the nutrition in breast milk (protein, carbohydrates, healthy fat and other nutrients) is exactly what a baby needs. It continually changes over time as a baby’s nutritional needs change for proper growth and development.

NYCDG: For some families, breastfeeding is not possible for physical or health reasons or because their baby is adopted. Some of these families buy breast milk from a willing and able mother. How does breast milk from a non-biological mother compare? Are there any concerns people should consider?

Altmann: Donor breast milk is an option for families who do not have their own breast milk. All breast milk contains important antibodies to help protect a baby from infections as well as the nutritional benefits that breast milk contains. The risk of donor breast milk, if it is not purchased from a certified breast milk bank that thoroughly tests and treats the breast milk, is the risk of infection or contamination. There have been cases of “breast milk” being sold over the Internet where it wasn’t even breast milk, or the breast milk was diluted — both dangerous situations. This can be avoided by using a reputable milk bank. (For more information, visit the Human Milk Banking of North America at www.hmbana.org.)

In addition, for those who are unable to produce breast milk, formula feeding is a very viable option. The BabyNes Advanced Nutrition System, for example, was created to closely emulate the varying nutrients, proteins and carbohydrates found in breast milk.

Baby formula

NYCDG: How do today’s baby formulas compare? Are some formulas better than others?

Altmann: All major baby formula manufacturers are using technology and science to try to make their formula closer to breast milk, which is good for infant nutrition. Some formula companies are adding important nutrients, such as DHA and ARA and probiotics. More recently, formula companies are making “staged formula.” This more closely mimics the evolution of breast milk over time as a baby grows and matures. The BabyNes Advanced Nutrition System most precisely stages their formula so that the protein, carbohydrate, fat and nutrient composition changes over time, similar to the way breast milk evolves as a baby grows.

NYCDG: We have both had the opportunity to work with the team behind the new Gerber® BabyNes® system. Why do you as a pediatrician recommend this system?

Altmann: This is the first time that a formula company has staged a formula as precisely so the fat, protein and calorie content changes throughout six stages as your baby grows to more closely mimic the evolution of breast milk. Each stage comes in capsules that are inserted into the BabyNes machine, mix with water and out comes precisely measured nutrition for your baby at the temperature you desire all under one minute. There are no messy powders to deal with. It’s also Wi-Fi enabled. This helps parents who desire to keep track of the number of ounces their baby drinks or know when it’s time to reorder more formula pods.

NYCDG: If parents are using formula, at what age do you recommend a switch to cow’s milk (or some other type of milk)?

Altmann: After age 1, there are options! Parents can continue formula designed specifically for toddlers over age 1. They can start whole milk or 2 percent milk. Or use any combination those. Toddlers don’t need more than 24 ounces a day of formula or milk combined. Some parents may offer formula at home, but order milk when out or vice versa. Talk to your pediatrician. Depending on your toddler’s diet and growth, he or she may have a preference as to the beverages your toddler drinks. Either way, make sure you also offer plenty of plain water and avoid juice and other sweet tasting beverages.

Healthy eating

NYCDG: You have a new book coming out this month. Tell us about it.

Altmann: My book is called What to Feed Your Baby: A Pediatrician’s Guide to the 11 Essential Foods to Guarantee Veggie-Loving, No-Fuss, Healthy-Eating Kids. It is my formula for feeding babies from birth and beyond.

As a pediatrician and mother of three boys, I know firsthand that good nutrition is essential for healthy kids. However, parents today are bombarded with confusing and sometimes harmful information.

In What to Feed Your Baby, I cut through the noise with a simple program that follows the safest, best practices for feeding babies and young children. I begin with my foundation foods critical to brain development. These are: eggs, prunes, avocado, fish, yogurt/cheese/ milk, nut butters/nuts, chicken/beans, fruit, green veggies, whole grains, and water. Those should be the basis of every child’s diet in their early life. I also offer guidance for introducing them into a daily diet with delicious, dietician-developed recipes that will help train young taste buds to enjoy non-processed foods.

NYCDG: You are a practicing pediatrician in Calabasas, California. Have you seen a shift in the engagement of dads in raising their kids?

Altmann: Definitely! It takes a village and many dads in my practice are just as involved as moms when it comes to caring for and raising their children. I also have families with single dads, two dads, and very involved grandpas. They all seem to enjoy spending time with their kids and it’s important for young children to have a variety of loving adults to care for them.

My husband and I both try our best to integrate family and work into our day. Some days are more hectic than others, but I couldn’t do everything that I do without his help and dedication to our family.

Looking for parenting shortcuts to save you time, money and frustration?

Good thing we have Parent Hacks author Asha Dornfest on the latest Modern Dads Podcast.

Dornfest’s popular website has at last become a book, Parent Hacks: 134 Genius Shortcuts for Life with Kids. (We gave Parent Hacks a favorable review back on March 25.) Now she’s on the air with us talking time and money management ideas that will lead you to parenting success and some semblance of sanity.

Dornfest, the mother of two, speaks about some of the many parenting shortcuts moms and dads around the world have come up with to make their lives easier. She also discusses the online#ParentHacks community of thousands and thousands of moms and dads and all the community it has breed.

Dornfest’s writing career began in the 1990s by authoring a number of how-to books about Web publishing, one of which was Microsoft FrontPage For Dummies. That book went into several editions, making me a professional writer, after all.In 2013, Dornfest joined her my dear friend Christine Koh to co-write Minimalist Parenting, which details the “keep it simple” philosophy we’ve both come to in our different ways. In 2015, they expanded upon Minimalist Parenting with Edit Your Life, a weekly podcast about simplifying, decluttering and making room for the awesome in your life. Dornfest lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and two children.

The Parents’ Phrase Book author Whit Honea of our Los Angeles Dads Group also contributes to the end of this Modern Dads podcast. This time around, he explains what happened when his boys lost their electronics privileges over spring break.

** Listen to Asha Dornfest of ‘Parent Hacks’ online now **

** Listen the Modern Dads Podcast via iTunes **