Daddy Newbie

My son, who has his father’s awesome booty-shaking moves, is now dancing to all any song he hears, no matter where he is… We went to the park yesterday. I was pushing him on the swings, and we were finally just about ready to head home… Of course, he wanted to go down the slide before we went home. He …

My son is starting to get more vocal when it comes to what he wants to eat. The problem, of course, is to get him to eat more then just what he likes. I believe he would eat chicken nuggets for every meal in a day (plus snacks) if we would allow it. Therein lies the problem. How do we …

Well, this week, I learned… When I put together an oak full-size/twin bunkbed, I should find some other place for my son to be. I love my son, but it was a chore to put the bed together, while he ran (and climbed) around. He had a knack of taking off with the bolts just when I needed them. And, …

I am here in my office, trying to come up with a topic to write about today and I hear, “D..a..d..a, D..a..d..a, D..A..d..a, D..A..D..a, D…A…D…A…” I walk out of my office to find my son sitting at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at me, with a huge smile. I am left with no choice–he is so darn cute–but …

Well here we are another week…and this is what I’ve learned. Well, I’ve learned a few things. My son has discovered a new love: Walking with Dinosaurs. On a good note, this show has 6 episodes, 29 minutes long–on a 3-hour loop (if I am lucky that is). I am learning the dinosaurs names: Diplodocus (long neck plant eater), Allosaurus ( …

Work, bills and sometimes just the hard times that life brings can leave us frustrated. When we are like this, rest is something we really need. Of course, my son is like me: he doesn’t need 8 hours of sleep most nights. And, it can be challenging. So: wakeful nights, tiredness and the pressure.  And, what do you do with the …

Have you made parenting rules that you’ve also broken?   Heck, the list of rules I made has been a paper weight on my desk for about 1 3/4 years of my son’s 2 years of life. No tv rule No crappy food We have all had them. And, we resolve not to break parenting rules. In my (former) academic life, theory ruled. Everything looks …

Do you ever catch yourself paying more attention to negative feedback, than positive? When you do receive positive feedback, do you find yourself looking past that and on to what you think needs improvement? There are ways for us as to combat this way of acting and thinking. According to neuroscientists, our brains are hardwired to focus more on the negative, including worry, disapproval, …

The cost of new kitchen cabinets can range from $1,800- $4600 ( cost estimates from About.com Home Renovations “What is the Cost of Kitchen Cabinets?” ) Kitchen cabinet replacement is one of the most expensive parts of a kitchen renovation project. But in many cases, you can create an entirely new look to the kitchen by giving those cabinets the love they …

As my son becomes more and more independent, it is also a time for him to become increasingly frustrated as well. He’s trying out all his new abilities. Running… he is learning to balance himself while running–so I see him take off on that wobbly, top-speed run. But, he can just as easily trip and fall. Or, he can’t keep …