Parenting stories to make you laugh, smile or say, ‘That’s gross’

"And get this, he thinks it's funny!" "Yeah, what nerve, what pomp!"

These are short and, hopefully, entertaining stories on raising children from my perspective as a work-at-home dad.

The stories may prove a good distraction from your day.

And they may provide insight on raising children to explore the world at their own pace and to learn how to be safe, independent and happy. All while living in a world deemed too dangerous for kids anymore.

There are stories on:

  • Autism
  • Raising a family in Argentina
  • Bringing up kids in a high-tech world
  • Trying to remain a youthful father – and decent surfer – without looking totally uncool
  • What to do if a dinosaur is about to eat you
  • 101 ways my three children have tried to worm their way out of trouble and to get me to buy them candies.

You can read the stories every Monday.

About Charles Newbery

Charles Newbery in Buenos Aires

I started writing these stories about my life as a parent in 2008 when I was living in Pinamar, a beach town with a pine forest in Argentina.

Hence the name, Pine Tree Paradise.

I make my living as a writer, mostly as a reporter.

I have sold a few short stories, you know, fiction stuff. But not yet enough to ever think of attaining the heights of favorites like Ray Bradbury, Junot Diaz and David Peace. The pursuit is very much still alive, of course. It is good to dream big.

I am the youngest of five, born in Los Angeles to an Argentine father and English mother. I grew up in Brentwood Glen, an upper-scale neighborhood on the Westside that us kids managed to bring down a notch. We rode skateboards, threw things where they shouldn’t have been thrown and played punk rock, noisily and incoherently. A neighbor once lobbied to have us evicted. But we stayed. We matured. And now we’re all-around good people with a tinge of rebel.

As a reporter, I write about business, energy, entertainment and politics… You name it. Bond markets, interest rates, social trends and sports, plus film and television. Who for? My work has appeared in BusinessWeek, Global Post and The New York Times, plus Advertising Age, Latin Trade, Market News International, MarketWatch, MoneyNews, Platts and Variety.

And in other publications.

I am a writer for hire, for everything from reporting the news to writing business content, reports and websites.

You can read more about what I do on my freelance reporter and writer site.