Papa Kubs Releases “Tell-Some” Book in Time for Father’s Day…… Think Chicken Soup for the Soul meets MacGyver! Available now on >> facebook.com/PapaKubs
Tom Kubinski, AKA Papa Kubs, likes to think he’s a loud, obnoxious Pollock. What he actually is is a man-child who keeps his wife’s eyes rolling while he remains, paradoxically, extremely safety conscious. His new book, How Dads Can Make a Difference, is part memoir, part how-to for other dads who want to be intentional with their kids but aren’t sure where to start. Think Chicken Soup for the Soul meets MacGyver!
Until 2000, Tom’s man-child ways and devil-may-care attitude permeated his life until his unrecognized downward spiral was abruptly halted when a police officer wouldn’t let Tom talk his way out of a driving under influence ticket. Tom was at his first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting the very next night which helped him realize that what he was striving for—what he felt he needed to accomplish, do and become—was slowly suffocating his relationships with the real treasures in his life. From that day on, Tom became intentional in building better relationships with his kids and repairing the one with his wife who “saw in me the man I was meant to be, could be, and was trying to be” and he turned that “wild and crazy guy” into a guy who was wild and crazy about his kids.
Tom Kubinski, AKA Papa Kubs, set out to become his kids’ Number One Dad after he realized his old priorities were getting in the way of what he truly valued: family.
Tom Kubinski, AKA Papa Kubs, set out to become his kids’ Number One Dad after he realized his old priorities were getting in the way of what he truly valued: family.
“How Dads Can Make a Difference” is Tom “Papa Kubs” Kubinski’s new book that sets out to inspire other dads and caregivers by sharing some of the more unorthodox and over-the-top experiences he and his kids have shared and the memories they have created.
“How Dads Can Make a Difference” is Tom “Papa Kubs” Kubinski’s new book that sets out to inspire other dads and caregivers by sharing some of the more unorthodox and over-the-top experiences he and his kids have shared and the memories they have created.
“Women seem to be born with instincts on how to parent well every single day and that amazes me,” Tom explained. While that instinct may not come as naturally to Tom, as an outside-the-box-thinker, he found many ways to build memories with his kids which might not be within the realm of “parenting well” but are certainly creative and prove he made the effort.
It was this dad that created a 2800-square-foot ice rink in his backyard complete with 100 hockey pucks and a hard plastic goalie blocker. And sent his daughters one letter each week during their college careers for a rough estimate of 320 letters plus care packages. And allowed himself to be conned into attending a hockey camp for his son’s sake when Tom, a collegiate swimmer, had never before even put on hockey gear. And gamely joined in on choreographed dances at father-daughter dinners while having no discernible talent. And basically made a point to make his kids feel important and noticed, sometimes to their chagrin and embarrassment.
When Tom found himself battling throat cancer in 2016 for the second time in seven years, he became motivated to create not just a journal of his special times with his family but also a guide for how other dads could create a lasting legacy with their kids. Just in time for Father’s Day, How Dads Can Make a Difference is available for sale at select retailers as well as at facebook.com/PapaKubs or on Amazon.com. Tom, a long-time Plymouth native and graduate of Osseo High School and St. John’s University, is also available for speaking engagements by calling 612-760-3700.
