Modern Day Dads

Malik Sharrieff~Modern Day Dad

About The Author:

First, I am a relatively new father. My eldest son, Josiah is a little more than two years old. My younger son, Savoye’, hasn’t made a year yet. I’ve been married for just shy of four years now. My wife, Erin has two sons, 15 and 10 years old, from her first marriage. Her eldest, Kendall, lives with his uncle in Boston, MA, and her second son, Kamron, lives in El Paso, TX with his dad, stepmom, and step-brother and sister. Since my family and I currently reside in Arlington, TX, I wouldn’t say ours is the traditional family ideal.

My latest career as a writer started a little almost two years ago when the company I worked for filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors.  Since then, I have written freelance articles for site support firms, academic papers for research institutions, and marketing and site copy for internet firms. For about nine years prior to losing my last job, I worked in marketing and sales support.

I was born and raised in New Orleans, LA (fauburg Treme’ and Mid-City area). I spent the first two years of my undergraduate college career partying at L.S.U. (Geaux Tigers!) The next three years were spent getting a bachelor in Marketing and Management at the University of New Orleans. Since graduating in 1998, I have earned an MBA with an emphasis in E-Commerce, and a Masters of Management.

When I was a boy I wanted to be Spider-Man when I grew up.

Now that I’m grown I want to be Wolverine!

~Malik Sharrieff

About Modern Day Dads

Now that I am older, and know more stuff (I hesitate to say wiser), I realize the truth in something my grandfather once told me, “The world is big and full of surprises.”

When I was that young boy, I could only conceive of how wonderful that sounded. Now that I have kids of my own, it scares the crap out of me!

There are things that a parent needs, I think, that can help us do a better job as parents. Moms (as a group) have always had resources to discuss, define, and support the effort of attaining these things. Dads, for the most part, didn’t have to. Dads are built different, mentally and emotionally, and society supported the notion that parenting and being the family caregiver was the exclusive domain of the mother.

The world is changing. It started years ago, if only slowly. Now, the momentum has grown so that the movement really can’t be denied. Dads are more involved in caring for, not just providing for their families. This is new territory for us Dads. There will be new responsibilities, new ways to interact, new emotions and new ways of thinking; and it can scare the crap out of you!

What can be even worse is that the pros who have all the experience at this don’t know how to communicate it to us so that it sinks in. Moms are used to dealing with other Moms, and Dads are just plain different.

This site is my effort to build Dads up and help address the common fears and concerns in a way that is real and digestible to other Dads. Success in this effort will mean the development of a new resource where today’s fathers and Dads-to-be can find community and direction to help them be the best Modern Day Dads they can be.

~Malik Sharrieff