Manker: Learning to trust means turning over the lawnmower to your son
Trust is a powerful thing – hard to earn, and sometimes even harder to give. Last summer I wrote about passing the lawn-mowing baton to our oldest, who was then...
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Manker: Less than a week till Father’s Day … tie, golf or grilling gear this year?
This Sunday is Father's Day, a public service announcement we bring you for two reasons: To serve as ample warning of the many cliché golf, grilling and bad-tie references ahead...
Manker: Sometimes it pays off to cut loose and have fun
Birthdays are like opinions. And belly buttons. Everybody's got one. Mine having recently passed (birthday, not belly button), I was reminded once again how different our birthdays are as we...
Manker: Cubs games serve as backdrop for dad-child bonding experience
If I've learned anything as a parent, it's that one's children are not all the same. Not even close. If there's another thing I've learned as a parent, it's that...
Manker: Enjoy the weekend, but not until you remember the sacrifices
Schools are letting out and the mercury is going up. That can only mean that summer is finally upon us. Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the unofficial start of summer,...
Manker: A summer vacation survival letter from Future You
This appears to be the week it finally happened – that magical tipping point in the school year when kids and parents alike have flipped from the relief of sending...
Mariano’s opens, and another competitor for your food buck enters the fray
With Tuesday's opening of the new grocery store at 75th Street and Naper Boulevard, Naperville finally has its first Mariano's, located on the site of one of the city's three...
Manker: Nothing better than another parent praising you through your child
If you're a parent, you likely know how important it is that your children represent themselves and their family well while away from the house. Perhaps you've even told your...
Manker: Dad grows nostalgic watching his kids trade baseball cards
If you're ever yearning for one of those cycle-of-life moments, you'll get it when you see your children engaging in the same hobbies you did as a child. If there...
Manker: Debate over moving finally resolved: No place like home
To move or not to move? That is the question. Well, it has been the question in our house at times, though not often with much real momentum. Nearly 14...