by adder, from Running in ZK, February 9th, 2017
I would like to introduce a brand new podcast hosted by myself (adder) and Keegan. It’s called Commune Dads and is a a discussion-driven podcast about the challenges and joys of parenting on a commune, in our case at Twin Oaks . We share our individual parenting and education values, as well as anecdotes about many of the commune kids.
I got excited about the idea of doing a parenting podcast pretty soon after my son was born, who is now eleven months old. I love to listen to podcasts, audiobooks, and lecture series when I work, and this didn’t change when my main work area became parenting. When he was brand new, he would (naturally) sleep for the majority of the day. But the best way to keep him asleep was to wear him on my back and bounce him around for the entire duration of his sleep. This is still his preferred form of nap.
Naturally, I listened to podcasts during his naps. I was turned on to some pretty good ones (my favorite is probably Slate’s Mom and Dad Are Fighting). At the same time, my best friend here, Keegan, was looking forward to the birth of his child, about six months after mine. Keegan and I regularly have long, productive, funny, emotional, supportive, enjoyable conversations — why not record them? I pitched him the idea and he was all for it. Though it took some time before we got around to it, once both of us had babies whose schedules started to settle, we could plan and record this show. I am glad we have. At its heart, I think this podcast is a way to ensure that, despite our changing and busy lives, my best friend and I still make time for each other.
commune life 