Baby on the way?

Better get to baby-proofing the house!

Beyond setting up the nursery, this is one of the most involved and time-consuming aspects of getting your home ready for a baby.

Seriously, you’d be amazed at how many things need attention and could be dangerous if not addressed.

There’s the TV and TV stand. Electrical outlets. Doors. You name it.

Then, of course, there’s your kitchen and kitchen cabinets. You can drill some simple hardware directly into the cabinets themselves, but there are lots of good reasons you might not want to do that.

So how do you baby-proof your kitchen cabinets without drilling?

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Toddlers.

They can be pretty gross sometimes, right?

They tend to get snot everywhere, never cover their mouths when they cough, and accumulate massive amounts of dirt under their fingernails.

And if you ever look inside a toddler’s ear, you’ll likely be pretty horrified!

Yes, even their ears can get surprisingly filthy.

But do you need to clean a toddler’s ears? Is it safe? What’s the best way to clean a toddler’s ears?

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Ah, the baby stage.

When your child can barely move, hold their head up, or roll over on their own.

Those are the days!

Unfortunately, they don’t last long. And soon your baby will grow into a toddler that’s forever trying to hurt, injure, or maim himself.

Crawling out of the crib is one of their favorite ways to do it! And sometimes they figure it out way faster than you’d expect.

What do you do when your toddler starts climbing out of his crib, but he’s NOT ready for a toddler bed?

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The moment your toddler falls asleep is a magical time for some parents.

It can also be a very precarious time!

After all, toddlers have all kinds of problems falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up too early.

So when they do finally zonk out, the last thing you want to do is ruin it.

But what if they fall asleep before you’ve finished the bedtime routine, like while watching a movie?

Do you need to brush your toddler’s teeth while they’re sleeping? Or wake them up to brush?

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I’m pretty sure 99% of parents have been there.

You’ve had a long day at work, and you go to pick up your toddler from daycare.

You’ve missed them! You’re excited to see them!

And when you first walk through the door, they’re all hugs and smiles.

But as soon as you get into the car, it’s meltdown city.

Tears. Wails. Screaming.

Sound familiar?

Why are toddlers so cranky after daycare?

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Stop me if you’ve heard this one…

You’re all done setting up your new baby swing.

You’re excited and desperate, hoping it will finally help baby get to sleep.

(So you, in turn, can get some sleep. Or get some chores done in peace for once.)

You turn it on.

And it starts making an awful sound.

What do you do?

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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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So you want to have a boy.

Like, really, really, really want to have a boy!

I don’t blame you. As a dad especially, there’s something really cool about the idea of having a son, a buddy, a dude-pal.

(I have a daughter and she is my world. But there’s always next time!)

The big question people seem to want to ask is how to have a boy, if it’s even possible to control, and what kinds of things you can try in order to conceive a baby boy.

There is a LOT of myth, urban legend, bad science, and misinformation around this topic.

So I’ve read pretty much everything that exists on the subject and have tried to distill it down for you.

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Mealtime with babies and toddlers is…

… an adventure.

There’s a lot going on. A lot of chaos.

Food is flying everywhere. Kids are yelling. Or singing. Or throwing things.

Sometimes their favorite cup is dirty. Sometimes you forgot to give them their juice.

And sometimes you’re out of plastic kid-friendly silverware.

If you’re like me in those situations, you might be wondering when it’s OK and what age babies can use metal cutlery (forks and spoons).

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Daylight savings time just passed, and in our household brought with it a disturbing new trend.

Our 3-year-old is now waking up around 5:30-6am, ready to rock and roll.

This is not OK with me. Anything before 7 is the middle of the night as far as I’m concerned.

I don’t like waking up in the middle of the night.

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