You Never Know When Your Kids Will Want to Talk

My 8-year-old keeps surprising me.

I love her to death, but she’s a bit of a space cadet. 99% of the time, she doesn’t hear a word you’re saying because she’s goofing around.

Trying to talk to her about important things (logistics, life lessons, etc.) is worse than pulling teeth, unless you enjoy repeating yourself over and over. Getting her to sit still and listen, or move efficiently from Point A to Point B, is a herculean task.

She’s rarely serious. Not aloof, just silly, the way a kid should be.

And she can be moody, of course, often preferring to listen to music in the car instead of making conversation.

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7 Ways to Fight Toxic Positivity When Talking to New Parents

May is the time for both Mothers’ Day and Mental Health Awareness Month. Coincidence?

I think not!

Perinatal depression has been rising, and suicide is among the top killers of new moms.

And with the pressure from social media to only show our best moments, it’s easy for new, already-overwhelmed parents to get sucked into a vortex of doom, gloom, and hiding to eat snacks and cry in the bathroom.

So it makes sense that we try to lift new parents up with strained optimism, but when we do that, we sometimes make things worse. It’s called Toxic Positivity — and it can invalidate a person’s feelings and add an extra layer of guilt on top of everything else they’re already dealing with.

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If you’re struggling to explain school shootings to your kids, you’re not alone

There is plenty to worry about with a kindergartener.

They are tiny balls of cosmic energy focused entirely on whatever whim enters their head at any given moment and prone to forgetting anything they learned at school that week in favor of committing a particularly quirky and fun limerick to memory and shouting it, loudly, inside the house and to passerby at the park.

They are perfect and flawed, just like all of us, only more so and without the inhibitions and anxieties brought on by knowing exactly what the world is and what is lurking in it.

It seems great, to be honest.

Brett Levin / Flickr

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I Let My Kids Meet My Girlfriend Too Soon. I Won’t Do It Again.

There’s a podcast I listen to called One Life, One Chance, hosted by hardcore singer Toby Morse, an explicitly positive person who’s a straight-edge vegan who sees the best in people.

And at the end of every interview, he asks, “do you have any regrets?”

Some say yes, and others say no, that the path they’re on is theirs alone, complete with its successes and failures.

I cannot relate to this. Like, at all.

Every single time he asks about regrets, my mind does one of those montages of moments where I die inside, pinpointing my fuckups, leaving me wishing certain things were different, curious what my life would be like had I played situations a little smarter.

I know I can’t change the past, but the past has come collecting its tax more than once. And because of those hard-knock lessons, I’ve learned to think critically and strategically when it comes to being a parent, for better or worse. 

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8 First Time Dad Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner

I’ve been a dad for 8 years now, and as of this writing, I have two girls — 2 and 8.

In that time, I have learned a lot. And it seems that, somehow, I have more and more to learn each and every day. New mistakes to make! New ways to screw up!

As a first time dad, I knew next to nothing. The amount of responsibility in front of me was totally overwhelming.

It would be impossible for me to write an entire manual of everything you need to know as a first time dad.

But here are just a few simple first time father tips I picked up that I wish I knew from the very beginning.

Let’s get right into my list!

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8 Things I Wish I Knew Before My Daughter Went Through Puberty

As a man in his soon-to-be late 30s, I’m pretty far removed from puberty.

But from what I can remember, there were mostly a lot of pimples, a growth spurt or two, and awkwardly trying to find myself in middle and high school.

Overall, though, not a crazy experience and certainly nothing that required a lot of hand-holding.

Now, I have a daughter, and she’s starting to go through puberty, and I realize how much different the experience is for girls than boys. The worst thing I had to worry about was an erection at a bad time. For girls, a worst-case scenario is much more intense.

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9 Captivating & Heartwarming Books About Dads & Fatherhood

Dads often don’t have the best representation in literature.

In a lot of novels, the father character is some combination of:

  • Toxic
  • Absent
  • or dead!

So if you’re looking for the best books about dads, you might be having some trouble finding good options.

Without any further ado, here are my favorite novels about dads and fatherhood — many of which (but not all) are actually positive and uplifting!

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9 Baby Things (Almost) No One Needs to Buy

If this is your first baby, there’s no getting around it.

You’re gonna need a lot of stuff!

The list of things you need for a newborn is long and expensive, which is why registries for baby showers are so helpful.

But beware! A lot of the products put out by Big Baby are really just a Big Waste of Money. You won’t need a lot of fancy gadets and gizmos to survive baby’s first year, I promise.

Here are 9 baby registry products you almost certainly don’t need — and a few that you actually do.

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The 13 Worst Pieces of Parenting Advice You Should Definitely Ignore

When you become a new parent, it’s inevitable that you’ll be bombarded with advice from nearly everyone in your life.

Much of it is well-meaning. People are just trying to help!

But whether the advice and tips are outdated or just plain wrong, you should probably ignore most of what you hear.

Here is some of the absolute worst parenting advice new parents hear all the time, and why you should definitely ignore it.

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65 Reward Ideas for Kids (And brain-science explained)

Parenting isn’t all that hard.

(Sarcasm incoming!)

There’s really nothing to it except:

  • Keeping your child alive
  • Making sure they’re properly fed
  • Getting them enough sleep
  • Helping them do well in school
  • Teaching them to be good, moral people

You know. Just those couple of little things.

And when it comes to getting your child to do, or not do, the things you need them to on their way to becoming fully-functioning and healthy adults, you often need a two-pronged approach.

You can use rewards, and you can use punishments or consequences.

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30+ Essential Statistics About Fathers in 2023

You might have guessed from the name of my blog, but I think dads are super important.

And it’s not just me! The science and data backs me up pretty well.

So if you’re looking for some fatherhood statistics that show why dads matter, or just some fun facts and data on the importance and impact of fathers, look no further.

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I tried Artkive to organize my toddler’s art (Honest Review)

Artkive box review

Any parent of a toddler who goes to school knows this problem well:

The absolutely endless influx of artwork that enters your house on a daily basis.

Yes, it’s cute! It’s adorable! It’s a piece of history!

It’s also incredibly annoying when the pile starts to take over entire rooms in your house.

I’ve written before about some different storage solutions for this particular problem, but there was one, in particular, I really wanted to try first hand:

The Artkive box — It’s a box you fill up with your kid’s art and send off in the mail. A few weeks later, you’ll get a professionally bound book filled with photos of the art. Much easier to store!

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35 Fun Activities to Do with Your Toddler At Home

Toddler activities for home

You’re not really a parent to a toddler until you’ve thought:

“What the heck am I supposed to do with my kid all day?”

The easiest ways to keep a toddler busy and wear them out usually involve going outside. Going to parks, riding bikes, playing in the yard, etc.

But what if you’re stuck inside with a toddler? What are the best toddler activities you can do at home?

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9+ Ways to Be a Better Dad According to Science

Dads matter.

You probably already knew that, and so did I.

But don’t take it from me. Because the science on the subject is clear as day.

Children with good, loving, actively involved fathers have better outcomes in life.

They:

  • Have healthier relationships
  • Make more money & have more career success
  • Have less psychological problems
  • And often have higher IQs than their peers

That’s not to denigrate single mothers! Or lesbian couples! And it doesn’t doom kids who grow up without a father for one reason or another.

But if you’re alive and well, you owe it to your kids to be the best possible father you can be.

The question is: How exactly can you be a better dad?

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A Viral Reddit Thread Reveals the Brutal Truth About Men & Loneliness

Have you ever wanted to ask a bunch of men a question and get an honest, no-holds-barred answer?

OK, maybe not — but if you have, that’s where the Reddit community r/AskMen comes in.

One woman recently took to the subreddit to ask a piercing question:

““I’m worried about men’s mental health,” user venusemerald2 wrote. “Men, who do you confide in 100%?”

The top answer, and the ensuing discussion below, was absolutely shocking and heartbreaking.

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Are Baby Wipes Bad for Your Face? (Adult & Infants Explained)

In our house, we use baby wipes for EVERYTHING.

Changing diapers? Obviously.

Wiping down the counter? Check.

Scrubbing a juice spill out of the sofa? Check!

But a lot of new parents find themselves wondering if there are any no-nos for baby wipes. Like:

Can you use baby wipes on your or baby’s face? Are baby wipes bad for your adult face?

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Why Your Baby REALLY Hates The Bassinet (4 Fixes to Try)

When you bring your newborn home for the first time, it’ll probably be a pretty big challenge getting him or her to sleep.

In fact, brand new babies usually only sleep for 2-4 hours at a time — if you’re lucky! There are tons of factors that can interrupt even those limited stretches of sleep.

So if your newborn baby hates the bassinet, the place they’re SUPPOSED to sleep at first, it can be really frustrating.

Baby hates the bassinet

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9 Fun Things for Bored Parents to Do During Sports Practice

Once your kids reach a certain age, there’s a good chance they’ll want to get involved in organized sports.

And if they want to, you should let them! Participating in sports helps kids develop physically and emotionally while teaching valuable life skills.

(If you don’t let the competitiveness get out of hand, that is.)

There’s just one problem: Endless practices.

Our girls are in sports practice and swimming lessons around 4-5 days a week right now, for anywhere from 45 minutes to 90 minutes at a time.

Usually, we’re expected to stick around. But between you and me… that gets a little boring. I like to watch practice when I can, but sometimes it feels like there might be other ways for me to use that time.

So I put together a list of fun things parents can do during sports practice!

(Other than screwing around on your phone, of course. All of the activities I’ve listed below have some kind of upside or positive effect on your well-being.)

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4T vs 4 Kids’ Clothes: What’s the Difference? (Explained)

Keeping your kids clothed is actually quite a challenge.

They grow so fast, and the stuff you bought them last season will be way too small by the time the weather will allow them to wear it again.

So you’ll find yourself refreshing their wardrobe often.

Sizing is usually pretty simple, but it gets a little tricky once your kid is about 4 years old. Even for me, and I’ve been through this twice now!

What’s the difference between 4T vs 4 clothes for kids and toddlers?

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Why You Should Take Young Kids to the Library + 5 Expert Tips

Take a look, in a book…

I love taking my kids to the library. For so many reasons.

For starters, I’ve noticed a strong correlation between how easy it is to get my 8-year-old to go to bed and how excited she is about what she’s reading before she falls asleep. Keeping her with a healthy supply of good books that she got to pick out is absolutely critical!

Our little one likes going, too. There’s just so much to see and do (and try to destroy).

Let’s get into all the benefits and my complete guide to taking kids, toddlers, and even babies to the library.

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Travel Crib vs Pack ‘n Play: What Are the Differences, Pros & Cons?

When it comes to traveling with your baby or toddler, you’d be amazed at how much stuff one little person needs to bring on vacation.

You need to consider diapers, wipes, food, toys, clothing, bottles, strollers, car seats, and of course, something for your baby to sleep in.

If you’ll be staying in a hotel, many of them offer the option of renting a crib of some type in your room; other times you may be staying with relatives. If you are faced with the need to bring a bed for your baby on your trip, there are a few options such as travel cribs or pack ‘n plays.

In this article, I want to break down the differences between travel cribs vs. pack ‘n plays and help you decide which one is right for you; and it might be both!

So…what is the difference between travel cribs vs pack ‘n plays?

Baby crawling on floor near crib

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A Helpful Newborn Baby Shopping List (with Pictures!)

Congratulations, it’s almost time to meet your new baby!

The bad news?

You have a TON of work to do to get ready.

You have to:

  • Design the nursery
  • Baby proof the house
  • And go shopping for all the baby essentials

But what exactly are the baby essentials you’ll need for a newborn?

If you’re like me, you don’t want a lot of fluff and explanation, just a straightforward list of everything you could possibly need as a new or first-time mom or dad.

So if you’re looking for pictures of baby things to buy…

Here is (almost) everything you’ll need on your shopping list for a newborn baby, with helpful pictures for the visually-inclined (I’m looking at you, fellow dads!).

Shopping list for newborn with pictures

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What to Do if the Airline Loses Your Car Seat or Booster (And Car Seat Travel Tips!)

Can you imagine this nightmare scenario?

(If you’re reading this, you might not even have to imagine… You may be living it!)

In any case, it’s frighteningly common, and a huge headache for parents.

What should you do if you’re traveling and the airline loses your car seat? What if you arrive at your destination and the car seat is too damaged from the flight to use?

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No Time to Shower with Newborn or Toddler? Try These Tips

I’m really, really big on self-care for parents.

Taking care of babies and toddlers is so incredibly hard that it’s absolutely crucial that you find any way you can to make some time for yourself.

Some folks will encourage skipping showers when you’re alone with the baby, opting instead for wipes, dry shampoo, and extra deodorant so you never have to leave their side.

I say fooey!

Here are my best tips and advice for how to find time to shower when you’re alone with a newborn or toddler.

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