New Dad Series

As a father, you and your spouse, or partner, will have to work together to get the best results as far as taking care of the baby and yourselves. The main question is whether it’s better to handle things at once or use the shift method. In some cases, this may be situational, however, much of the time, it’s better to engage in the shift method, so you are getting things done, taking care of the baby, and supporting each other.

First of all, what is the shift method? This means one person is handling the responsibilities, while the other is resting or partaking in self-care. For instance, during the day, you, as the father, can get some rest, take naps, work on projects, or whatever, while the mother takes care of the baby. Then, at night, the mother rests, while you take care of the baby, getting up to feed, change diapers, and provide comfort, etc. Essentially, you are working together but taking turns.

Will this be a perfect system? Of course not. There will need to be flexibility involved. After all, life, in general, is unpredictable and even more so when children are involved. For instance, while you’re watching the baby, the mother may not get a chance to rest. She may have to work or do some chores around the house, and you may need to do the same while she’s watching the baby. It is what it is. However, take every opportunity you can to rest and support each other in doing so.

Remember that the shift method can be used in shorter spurts throughout the day. For example, 2 hours on and 2 hours off, or something similar to this schedule.

As a dad and a parent, in general, you will inevitably take numerous photos of your child. Once you see them growing, learning, trying new things, and navigating through unfamiliar places, you’ll want to capture as many moments as you can. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your mini-me grows.

Make sure that you are also in as many pics as possible. Even if you don’t feel photogenic, be in those pictures. Years from now, you and your kiddo will cherish looking back at those memories you had together. Proper photos will help you remember them better.

This is my son at breakfast this morning at our local Village Inn. Despite a busy work schedule and numerous things to take care of on the regular, I always try to make time for the kiddo and take him to have experiences.

I have always hated asking for help because I just wanted to figure things out on my own. I often thought it made you weak, dumb, or less of a person if you needed help. The only thing negative about receiving help is not actually seeking it out when you need it. Yes, we all need help, and I must say, when you become a father, or a parent, in general, you will need it more often than before. Parenthood means another person will depend on you and the decisions you make will impact another life. Make the decision to ask for assistance when required. It does not make you weak, dumb, or less of a person to do so. My opinion for so many years was wrong.

It certainly is not cowardly to ask for help. On the contrary, it requires a certain amount of courage because you are putting yourself out there and being vulnerable. So, asking for help, whether it’s with babysitting, someone buying you groceries or cooking a meal once in a while, maybe some financial assistance, or even some simple guidance, is a good thing. Do not fear asking for help and certainly offer it to others who may need it.

Of course, you want to be careful about who you ask, because not everyone has good intentions. Therefore, think about who your closest family members and friends and keep them close to you. Sometimes, you may need help from a stranger too, and that’s okay. I find that many people are willing to help when given the opportunity. The bottom line is that you shouldn’t fear asking for help because we all need it at some point.

Okay, so when we think of starting school for kiddos, kindergarten or preschool at age four may come to mind. However, children can start school much younger. Our child is currently two and we are working to get him started at a Pre-K academy near our home soon. This way, he can interact more with children, develop a good routine, learn valuable information, and expand his mind in many ways.

Children can actually begin school during their infant years. I’ll leave it up to you to determine when you want to send your kiddo to school. Just be aware that there are good options available out there for initiating your child’s education at a very early age. I will provide another blog someday with more information once we experience the schooling our child goes through.

Hope you gentlemen are enjoying your little ones, or hoping to have little ones soon. I remember burning my hands on the stove at some point as a child, and I’m sure many of you have, as well. It’s inevitable that as children get older, the risks of them getting hurt grow immensely. While we can’t protect them from everything, we can do our best to avoid major injuries by taking proper precautions. I hope my kiddo never receives a major injury, but i’ll see where life takes us.

Once our son began walking and reached a certain height, it was obvious he could reach the stove fairly easily. Therefore, precautions needed to be taken in the form of a stove guard. There are numerous stove guards out there and you can do your research on which one you like the best. We bought the Yaocom Stove Guard, which is a metal barrier that covers the front and partly the sides of the stove. It has done a great job of keeping our son from touching the hot stove top, and avoiding burn injuries. Of course, take whatever precautions you can to keep kids away from the stove, especially during and right after cooking.

The Yaocom Stove guard is easy to install. You basically just have to apply the double-sided adhesive to the counter top and the bottom of the guard. From there, it stays locked in pretty well. The only challenge at the beginning is reaching over the slightly raised metal wall, but you will get used to that soon enough. Try it out and see what you think. Whatever the case, get those stoves covered.

As your child grows, they will become more independent. You won’t just see this phase during their teenage years when they want to leave the house and go off with their friends. You will actually see growing independence even at the toddler stage, and even the infant stage, where they’ll try to start doing more things on their own. Definitely encourage this independent behavior while maintaining safety as much as you can. You certainly don’t want your child to do things that are unreasonably dangerous for their age. always keep a watchful eye, which is easier said than done.

Out toddler is continuing to become more independent, and as a result, learning things like problem solving. For instance, if he can’t reach something, like a light switch or the top of a counter, he will grab something he can stand on and move it over to give him some height. We certainly have become more mindful of what we leave on the counter or table. When my son wants to go outside or to the basement, we tell him to get his shoes first, and he does it. He can even put them on, with a little bit of help.

You may notice your young child slowly develop independent behavior and certainly encourage it, because it’s great for them in many ways. So, when you see them using utensils for the first time, holding their milk bottle, grabbing their shoes, or anything else that shows growth, remember to recognize these achievements and give positive reinforcement.

So, I had an experience a few days back. Our son is now tall enough to reach the countertops and we must be careful that nothing is close to the edge. Especially something dangerous. While I was taking some stuff out of the fridge, looking for something to eat for lunch, I placed the carton of eggs on the counter and began searching in the back of the fridge. To my surprise, my son came up and pulled the carton down, smashing most of the eggs. I salvaged a few of them, but they had crack in them. Therefore, I used the eggs to make an omelet for lunch and it was delicious. Lol.

I don’t really know what the point of this post is. I just wanted to share a funny experience. You will have many adventures and unexpected circumstances with your kiddos. Do your best to keep them safe and enjoy the ride. I guess you can say: when life gives you broken eggs, make some omelets. Or, whatever you like to make with broken eggs.