New Dad Series

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.

One of the best things about being a dad is getting to experience things with your kiddo. Even if it’s something as simple as having a meal at a restaurant, or going for walk, just doing activities with your kid is a great feeling. Enjoy these moments whenever you can. If you don’t have time, make time. You definitely don’t want the years to pass and not have some great memories.

If you have some time after work, take your kiddo for ice cream, or another treat. Have a weekend available? Go to the park, the lake, or a short trip. Watch a movie in the evening. Make whatever time you can. It will take effort, but it will be worth it. Bottom line is, create whatever experiences and memories you can, no matter how small. You’ll realize later that all the little things were actually the big things.

Alright gentlemen, and ladies, if you’re reading. You have a baby, or one on the way. Another life is coming to this world and it will completely turn your world upside down. Your schedule will turn into strange blocks based on your child’s sleep/wake cycle. You are going to have sleepless nights, barely any time to eat a full meal without interruption, and become emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted. There are going to face challenges you’ve never realized and won’t understand until you have a kiddo who depends on you, 100%. Parenthood is not a part time job, but a full time responsibility. When I say full time, I’m not talking about 40 hours/week, but a 24/7 commitment. It’s important that each partner supports and help one another constantly.

All this being said, do not ignore self care. As hard as it may seem, ignoring your own needs and health is never a good idea, especially since you need to be energized enough to take care of another human life. Therefore, take care of yourself because that’s the only way to provide good care for someone else, at least in the long term.

Here are a few tips to consider:

• Build some healthy eating habits. It’s very easy to just grab that sugary chocolate bar and go quickly through the drive-thru when life is busy and chaotic. However, it’s not impossible to simultaneously eat healthy and be on the go. Do some meal preparation ahead of time so you have something to grab quickly when time is constrained. Instead of candy bars or chips for snacks, have healthier snacks on hand, like carrot sticks or almonds. It takes a while to build these habits, but you don’t have to change overnight. Even if you alternate between healthy and not-so-healthy meals at first, that’s at least a positive step. Diet and nutrition can be very specific, so I would advise reading up on some healthy diet plans or even consulting with a nutrition expert if you want to make that commitment.
• Always make time for some exercise. Physical activity is important because moving our bodies is great for our heart, our lungs, our muscles, our bones, and even our minds. This doesn’t mean you have to become a gym rat or run a marathon. There are numerous types of physical activities, like riding a bike, hiking, playing basketball, or just going for a walk, etc. Whatever type of physical activity you enjoy, do that. Just get up and move! The good news here is that once your child reaches a certain age, you’ll have to run around to catch them. So, you’ll get plenty of physical activity right there.
• Do your best to get enough sleep. Now, this may contradict what I said earlier, but not getting proper sleep is not sustainable in the long run. While it’s going to be difficult, do the best you can. Sleep when the baby sleeps and create a schedule with your partner where you alternate night duty. Of course, it’s hard to create a set schedule with your baby, so be flexible when needed. Remember that sleep is a necessity, not an option.
• Take time to do the things you love to do. If you had enjoyable hobbies prior to becoming a parent, don’t ignore them after having children. There is still time to do the things you love, it just may be challenging to carve out a schedule. However, take whatever opportunity you can to do what you enjoy. Once your child is old enough, start including them in your hobbies. For example, we take our kiddo on regular walks, have brought him to various restaurants, and already traveled with him overseas.

There will be a wave of emotions you will go through when becoming a parent and it won’t be easy to manage. It’s important to always take care of your health and wellness in every way and help your partner do the same. Be there for each other for the sake of yourselves and your baby. I’ve heard parents say that they feel guilty about self care because they believe it is selfish. Well, all I can say is that if you don’t care for yourself, you will burn out and that will impact how you take care of anyone else. When I was in nursing school, one of the things they discussed was taking care of yourself because that helps avoid having a breakdown while caring for others. So, do not ignore self care.