There was a week recently where my 4-year-old daughter kept waking up crying.
I’m talking INCONSOLABLE, just out of the blue, for no reason.
Nothing specific happened to set her off, she just woke up sad and cranky and hysterical, started bawling, and couldn’t seem to explain why.
This happened 4 or 5 days out of the entire week. My wife and I became extremely concerned.
What should you do if your toddler always wakes up crying every day, and why are they screaming or cranky every morning?
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.
I’m pretty clueless about laundry.
Thankfully, as a dude, the majority of my clothes are simple. Throw them in on whatever wash cycle I feel like, haphazardly toss them in the dryer on basically any heat, and whala!
But when it comes to your kid’s clothes, and baby clothes in particular, you’ll want to be a little more mindful.
That begs the question: How do you wash and dry baby clothes properly without shrinking them? Can baby clothes go in the dryer? Should you use dryer sheets?
Help!
You’ve probably heard the horror stories.
A baby monitor camera that starts moving on its own.
Hackers gaining access to cameras, WiFi, personal information, and more.
Baby monitors are meant to keep your children safe, but they’re often riddled with security gaps and vulnerabilities that can be easily exploited by even low-level crooks.
So which baby monitors cannot be hacked? What are the safest baby monitors from hackers and most secure types of baby monitors you should look into?
One of the most common questions new parents have is when their babies can start daycare.
But you might be surprised how many parents wonder the opposite:
When does a child stop going to daycare, or when are they too old to attend?
Let’s take a look at the age limit for daycare, and the minimum and maximum ages a child can attend.
Got an old hand-me-down pack and play from a sibling or friend?
Maybe you found a good deal on a Pack ‘N Play at Goodwill or the Salvation Army?
That’s great! These things are super expensive new, so whenever you can save a few bucks on baby stuff, that’s money that can go towards endless refills of diapers and wipes.
But are old Pack and Plays actually safe? Do Pack and Plays expire, the way car seats do?
If you’ve got kids of any age, your summer plans should absolutely include as many pool days as possible.
There’s no better way to get everyone outside, away from screens, staying active, and having fun!
But beware. Pool days can be an “easy win” for parents, but they still require some forethought and planning.
So here’s my complete guide to family pool days, and everything you need to know about taking kids, babies, and toddlers to the pool.
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.
Play Ball!
If you’re thinking about taking your kids to a baseball game, I only have one thing to say…
… great idea!
Baseball is the perfect family sporting event to attend with the kiddos, for so many reasons. Regardless of what you think of the actual sport itself, EVERYONE can have a good time at a warm and sunny MLB game.
All it takes is a little prep and a few pro tips.
So here’s my full guide to taking kids, toddlers, and babies to a baseball game.
Taking your kids to the mall might sound like a nightmare.
Surely they’ll be begging for toys and sweets the entire time, right?
Well, maybe. But if you’re not regularly going to the mall with your kids on rainy days you’re completely missing out on a fantastic parenting hack!
IF, that is, you do it right.
So here’s my complete guide to taking young kids (babies, toddlers, and more) to the mall.
