by Ari Yares | Feb 2, 2026 | The Innovative Dad Blog
Many parents tell me they want the same thing: “I want my child to take more responsibility.” They say it about homework, chores, follow-through, emotional regulation, and independence. And they usually say it with a layer of exhaustion underneath. What they’re really...
by Ari Yares | Jan 27, 2026 | The Innovative Dad Blog
When parents describe blowups at home, they often say the same thing:“It came out of nowhere.” A child melts down over something small.A teen explodes after seeming fine all day.A routine moment suddenly turns intense, fast. The usual conclusion is that the emotion is...
by Ari Yares | Jan 20, 2026 | The Innovative Dad Blog
Most parenting problems don’t start with misbehavior. They start with something quieter: a routine that once held things together no longer does. A school year ends.A new schedule begins.A child enters a new developmental stage.A parent’s availability shifts. Nothing...
by Ari Yares | Jan 13, 2026 | The Innovative Dad Blog
This week, my oldest finishes high school. There will be a ceremony, some pictures, and a quiet sense that something important has shifted. Not all at once, and not always in ways that are obvious—but enough to notice that we’re standing at a threshold. A lot has been...
by Ari Yares | Jul 5, 2017 | Start Here, The Innovative Dad Blog
I went grocery shopping the other day and an errand that should have been pretty quick to twice the amount of time I had planned. The culprit? Choice. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of free will and I believe we should be empowered to make our own...
by Ari Yares | Apr 19, 2018 | Start Here, The Innovative Dad Blog
For most people, the word wicked conjures images of evil villains and dastardly deeds. Minimally, it brings to mind the Wicked Witch of the West either in her “I’ll get you my pretties” version from the classic movie or the more recent, just as green, but more melodic...
by Ari Yares | Feb 20, 2017 | Design Thinking, Start Here, The Innovative Dad Blog
One of the best lessons that I learned in graduate school was to ask myself the question, “Do you want to die on that hill?” My advisor would pose that question when it seemed like we were putting on our armor to tilt at a windmill just like Don Quixote. He would...
by Ari Yares | Dec 7, 2017 | Start Here, The Innovative Dad Blog
Good advice can be hard to find. I got two really great pieces of advice in graduate school that have stuck with me. The first was to never to get on the wrong side of the school secretary because she can either make or break your work experience. This was...
by Ari Yares | Sep 22, 2016 | Start Here, The Innovative Dad Blog
As much as we had wanted to spend time with our kids, my wife and I were quickly becoming frustrated with our kids’ morning and afternoon routines. It was filled with nagging, yelling, and everyone generally being miserable. This was not a recipe for a happy...
by Ari Yares | Jan 12, 2026 | The Innovative Dad Blog
Talking with teens can feel surprisingly hard. Parents often describe trying to connect only to be met with silence, sarcasm, or one-word answers. Questions like “How was your day?” or “What’s going on?” are technically answered — but emotionally empty. If this sounds...
