I Scream

You scream...

We all scream...

For ice cream that DOES NOT MAKE A MESS OF EVERYTHING!

If you're like us, 3 boys = laundry pouring out of the windows of our house that perpetually replenishes itself like a never-ending basket of fries (note to self: must be hungry).

And while ice cream is a wonderful treat (and sometimes a reinforcer of positive behavior), BOY DOES IT MAKE A MESS.

In the words of Chandler, "Could it BE more stain-o-genic?"

Whenever we have ice cream (or frozen yogurt, doesn't seem to matter much, our sinks overflow with stained garments, and the folks at Shout and Zout go "Ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching."

Never fear, dear readers, I have the solution.

ICE CREAM CLEAR.

Sure, it didn't work out so well for Pepsi, but as a parent I would love this (so long as it doesn't look like Swill.)

Here's there slogan:
"Eat all the ice cream you want, without having to worry about the mess. Because with Clear Chocolate, you're in the CLEAR."

Think about it people.

Meanwhile, Mom-E and I gotta go treat some stains.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Bab-E Drool

So Bab-E Brother has entered "The Drooling Phase" of the first year of life. You know, the phase where babies drool like a leaky faucet turned on full blast 24/7.

I remember having this same thought with both Big Brother and Little Brother, but people: we need to figure out SOMETHING AMAZING TO DO WITH ALL OF THE BABY DROOL.

I'm thinking something like using it as an alternative fuel source.

Think about it. Baby drool could help us eliminate our dependence on forein oil.

Baby drool is the perfect alternative fuel source. It's clear, mostly odorous, and won't make the hole in the ozone layer bigger. And the best part is that there's virtually an endless supply.

Sure, it might require babies to spend a brief period of time in little drool-harvesting pods, kinda like in the Matrix, but hey it's for a good cause.


So, I need help from you, dear readers, about how we can turn baby drool into an alternative fuel. Let me show you what I've come up with so far (I borrowed my model from the South Park "Underpants Gnomes" episode):

Step 1. Obtain baby drool.

Step 2. ...

Step 3. Profit (aka Fuel)

Who's on board? We can put the logos below on the bottles.


Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Tum-E Yummies

Big Brother was very thirsty after his first gymnastics (HYPERLINK) “practice” a few weeks ago, and due to sleep deprivation-induced memory loss poor foresight on the part of Mom-E and Dad-E, we did not bring a water bottle for him.

Of course, we were “rescued” by the drink machine at the gym.

Big Brother requested a drink I’d never seen anywhere else before called Tum-E Yummies. It’s a sugary, Gatorade-like drink with fewer calories than juice. So, with little other options, we obliged him.

Of course, the rule in the land of kids is “whatever you do the first time, that’s how it is…FOREVER.”

No surprise then that after EVERY subsequent gymnastics practice, that Big Brother asks if he can have some Tum-E Yummies (it’s pretty good, I got to try a sip).

And no surprise that Mom-E or Dad-E reply with the typical “you don’t need that, we don’t want to buy it parental block”: “SORRY, BIG BROTHER, BUT WE DIDN’T BRING ANY MONEY. PLEASE JUST DRINK FROM YOUR WATER BOTTLE.”

Fast forward to our recent trip (HYPERLINK). We made a pit stop at a gas station/convenience store. As we’re leaving the potty, Big Brother tugs on my side and, very politely, points to the shelf with Tum-E Yummies, and asks,

“DAD-E, CAN I PLEASE HAVE ONE OF THOSE DRINKS LIKE THEY HAVE AT GYMNASTICS. MOM-E NEVER HAS ANY MONEY FOR THOSE.”

It was all I could do to keep from busting a gut. Admittedly, I caved and bought one for both Big and Little Brother.

****
So, I must ask whether any of you dear readers happens to know anyone/have any connections with the folks at Tum-E Yummies?


I can’t help but think that they’re destined to sponsor my blog. I mean, Busy-Dad-E and Tum-E Yummies goes together like PB & J.

Maybe they’d even consider changing their name to Tum-E Yumm-E’s for greater effect.

Then again, maybe not.

In the meantime, I’ll just sit around and wait for the monkeys to fly out.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

While Mom-E is Out

Welcome to a "Wordless Wednesday" post (okay, well, maybe just a few words of explanation).

Here's what you get while Mom-E is out of the house doing "boring girl stuff" and the boys (Dad-E and Big Brother) go wild with Thomas the Train track, Legos, and about 90 minutes of uninterrupted engineering time while Little Brother naps.


And yes, on its own the train can actually complete the loop from the floor up to the ottoman, across the bridge to the coffee table, across another bridge to the couch, down the waterfall, and back again.

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

P.S. Bab-E Brother says he'd rather play with trains than tag along for "boring girl stuff", unfortunately he has no choice in the matter.

Moving Men

Happy Fatherhood Friday everyone!

Thanks to Dad-blogs.com for helping dad bloggers to take over the blogosphere one week at a time.

I think that we, as dad bloggers, need to make our own tv show.

Perhaps it’s because we’re trying to sell our house right now, but I think all of those “This Old House”, “Extreme Home Makeover”, and home improvement-type shows have it all wrong.

They claim to be “Reality TV”. When it comes to home improvement/moving with young families, they’re pretty far from reality.

I think we should make a home repair-type show, but it has to be done WITH KIDS “HELPING”. To show home repair/moving as it really is.

Take the other day for example. We’re trying to get the house ready to go on the market, and at a fairly frenetic pace. The weekends are our best time to get stuff done. Of course we have plenty of “help.” All of the following occurs within the same 24-hour period:

-Big Brother insists on making the entire Island of Sodor with his Thomas track no less than 5 times a day, and it must cover at least the entire space of the living room. Niche marketing ploy on our part. "Yes, the house comes with the train track."

-Little Brother enjoys helping Mom-E “clean” windows. Usually to the tune of autographing newly cleaned windows with his “high-five” handprints. C’mon, you know they needed cleaning twice anyway.

-Little Brother continues to help Mom-E “clean” windows. In a moment of boredom (the window in his bathroom starts at about twice his height), Little Brother opts to swish his hands around in a (not clean) toilet bowl. Slow down Little Brother. We’ll get you a brush.

-Attempts to touch-up trim paint turn into a game of, “Keep Little Brother’s Hand Out of The Paint.”
Only one player is allowed to laugh during the game, and that player must be under 36 inches tall.

-Big Brother proceeds to spike a fever to 104F, complete with puking, 36 hours before the house officially goes on the market. We’re convinced he has swine flu.

-Big Brother’s fever disappears within the first two doses of Tylenol, and he is darn near back to himself, arguing against influenza.

-Little Brother adamantly REFUSES to go down for a nap. Probably because the carpet in his room has just been cleaned, and almost all of his furniture is out of the room, thereby completely disrupting his routine. He proceeds to scream in protest to the point of making himself puke at least 3 times, requiring a bath, and coming within millimeters of having to re-do the carpet in his room.

-Big Brother is doing well such that he goes grocery shopping with Dad-E. We decide to go shopping at the literal point the monsoon decides to hit. Despite an umbrella and a relatively short walk into the store, our shirts are so wet that we had to go to the bathroom to wring them out. Unfortunately you can’t wring water out of shoes. I’m convinced the wet clothes plus the subzero temps in the store will bring his fever right back.

-Little Brother’s grows tired of the “Paint” game, and switches over to a games of “Walk With a Melting Purple Popsicle Over Newly Cleaned Carpet” and “Who Can Spit Chocolate Juice Closest to the Newly Cleaned Carpet Without Actually Hitting It.”

Now that’s what I call a reality show. You get a prize just for completing a given task.

Anyone can paint a room. But can you paint with a 4 year-old pulling on your arm, protesting, "Dad-E we need to make a track", while simultaneously preventing a 2 year-old from diving head-first into the paint can. Now that takes skills.

C’mon, as long as you’re not the one doing the repairs, you know you’d watch it.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Half-Way There

Recently Mom-E noted on the calendar that she’s half-way to her due date.

[Please pause with me for a brief freak-out moment.]

Even Mom-E said that she sometimes still looks in the mirror and is surprised to see her pregnant belly.

(Speaking of which, it’s better to ask a pregnant woman when her due date is, rather than commenting on the size of her belly. I can’t believe the people who have told her, “you look like you’re due anytime.” Lucky for them they lived.)

Hello, people, it’s called Bab-E #3. Her uterus simply says, “Oh, yeah, I’ve done that before. Let’s make some room in here,” and out it goes. Besides, I think Mom-E is hot with her “bab-e bump.”

Anyway, we’re obviously very excited about Bab-E Brother’s pending arrival in a few months. It’s just that we’ve been so bus-e with things lately that the time has been flying by.

*****

One of the exciting things about Bab-E’s pending arrival is that we will be having another “Big Brother Party.”

We did this just after Little Brother officially joined the family. Essentially, it was like a birthday party, except that we celebrated Big Brother becoming, well, a Big Brother. The party was complete with family guests, a cake, and a present from Little Brother (fortunately, Big Brother didn’t ask how Little Brother could get him a present from inside Mom-E’s belly, especially one that was dry.)

It was a great way to make Big Brother feel extra special about his new role at a time when he was experiencing a big change.

We’re excited that soon we’ll be planning another Big Brother Party for both Big Brother and Little Brother. It will be interesting to see how Big Brother explains this one to Little Brother.

I’m curious to know things you and your family have done to make older siblings feel special around the time of the arrival of a new baby. For example, my cousin and her husband have been taking their children out for their own special day (with just mommy and daddy), prior to the arrival of their new sibling.
So, don’t be shy. Share with the group.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Water Painting

1. Do your kids love to play with sidewalk chalk.....by scribbling DIRECTLY ON THE HOUSE?

2. Do your kids love to paint on just about every surface (the table, the walls, themselves).....EXCEPT FOR THE PAPER?

3. Do your kids love to play outside?

4. Do your kids like to keep cool in the summer?

If your answers are YES, YES, YES, and YES, then here's a fun activity for everyone.

Thank you to Mom-E for resurrecting this one (apparently I had a very sheltered childhood, because I'd never done this until a week ago).

I call it "Water Painting."

All you need to do is get a big bowl (preferably a plastic/nonbreakable one), fill it with water, get some old paintbrushes (the bigger the better), and tell your kids to "Go paint!"

I know you may get tired of me saying this, but one of the most wonderful things about children is their appreciation and passion for the simple things.

Both Big Brother and Little Brother absolutely LOVE this activity. They go to town painting the house and the driveway (and each other and Mom-E & I). They could care less that their medium is water.

In fact, they might actually help get rid of some of those sidewalk chalk marks still lingering on the house.

Of course, I'd NEVER start a water fight by flicking a wet-loaded brush at them. No, no, never, not me. (But if that happened, it'd be fun, not that it's ever happened).

The best part is that clean up is almost nil (though you might want to coordinate the painting before bathtime if you anticipate children getting soaked.) Little Brother usually dumps out the unused contents of the bowl, and the water paint evaporates.

Enjoy!

See you on Fatherhood Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Big Brother Explains Part 2

This week marks the second installment in our “Big Brother Explains” series, where my precocious 4 year-old gives a step-by-step “how-to” through his own eyes.

Last time, he taught us the art of “House Fishing.” This week, he’s going to teach us how to make a sweet paper airplane.

“Actually, Dad-E, it’s a glider.”

(He’s right, of course.)

“My Pa-Pa taught my Dad-E how to make one, and then you taught me.”

Alright Big Brother, you’ve got everyone’s attention, should we get started?

“Yep. I love it! It’s great!” (He said this before we even started making one for the first time.

“First, write you’re name on the paper, so you know it’s yours and not your Little Brother’s.”



“Fold the top corner over like this.”



“Unfold it, and do the same thing with the other top corner.”



(This folds an “X” into the top of the paper.)

“Fold the two sides of the paper inward…



then squish it down into the shape of a house.”



“Fold the two corners of the triangle up to the top.”



“Fold the top down about a half-inch.”



(If you’ve done it right, you’ll have two little “pockets” in the part you just folded down.)

“Tuck the two loose tabs into the ‘pockets’.”



“Fold the glider in half down the middle.”



“Fold one of the wings down.”



‘Fold the other wing down.”



“Last, fold the ends of the wings up about a quarter-inch on each side.”
“Ta-da. You’re done. Time to go outside.”





But wait Big Brother, what about Harry Potter?

You may remember that Harry Potter was injured in a duel as we were explaining "House Fishing." Sadly, he lost a limb in the duel, and as Madame Pomfrey has been on an extended vacation, he is still sans leg. Since he can't fly a broom very well, Big Brother has decided to let him ride on top of the glider.



Big Brother and I strongly suggest going outside to play with this one. If it’s a little windy and you throw it just right, it’ll “sail” pretty far. You want to throw it firmly but not too hard (in between throwing a dart and a full throw.) Just make sure you don’t aim for the roof.

It’s amazing how with just a couple of these airplanes gliders, you can entertain yourself for hours. We had a great time throwing them in the yard. We even talked a little bit about how airplanes fly. Again, it was another example of “it doesn’t matter so much what you do, but the fact that you’re spending time together.” Your kids don’t care about how much money something costs, they just want your undivided attention, which is priceless.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

Great Places to Take Your Kids

Inspired by the inauguration of the “Big Brother Explains” series last Fatherhood Friday, I’ve decided to start my own series: Great Places to Take Your Kids.

While I could easily include places like the neighborhood park and the ice cream store, this series is meant more for neat family-friendly vacation ideas.

This series is also not meant to be “exhaustive.” From time to time, I plan to share places that I’ve particularly enjoyed visiting with my family. This isn’t paid advertisements—it just represents my $0.02.

And so, without further ado, today’s destination: LEGOLAND!

If you have the occasion to travel to San Diego, I’d highly recommend taking your kids to Legoland. You can check it out at www.legoland.com.

My visit to Legoland reminded me of one of my favorite things about being a dad: I get to play, have fun, and act silly while interacting with my boys—and it’s considered completely appropriate, normal, and healthy parenting.

Simply put, I have not had as much fun at an amusement park, nor found one to one that as kid-friendly, as I did Legoland. There were a nice variety of rides, playground equipment, water activities, and things to see (a Lego factory tour, every character imaginable, and cityscapes (including the Vegas strip and Daytona) made entirely of Legos, as examples).

We went on a Saturday in the spring, and the wait times for all rides were less than 45 minutes, with some as little as 5 minutes. Some of the attractions with longer waits have it set up where the kids can play (in the shade) at lego tables while mom or dad holds the place in line. This was quite nice.

Many of the rides require the kids to be active (physically or mentally), such as pedaling a car along a “light-rail”-like system, digging for fossils in a giant sand pit, or driving a fire truck to put out a fire (with a real water hose).

A few potential negatives worth mentioning:
1. Tickets are rather expensive ($60-70 per person (kids over 3)) for daily admission.
2. There’s more to do and see than can possibly be completed in one day (the park is open 7 hours). I’d give consideration to upgrading to a 2nd day ticket for $15 more per person.
3. Most of the rides require the child to be 34 or 36 inches tall to ride with a parent. Although there are a few things for kids smaller than this to ride, they will definitely have fewer options than older children. That said, Little Brother played for hours at the playground and water activities.

Both Big Brother and Little Brother had a wonderful time. The day was filled with smiles and giggles. By the time we got back to the car, they had played so hard that both boys were asleep within minutes. I’m sure Mom-E and I will look back on our day at Legoland as one of our happiest memories of having a young family. If we have the occasion to return to San Diego, we’ll definitely take the boys again.

I’d love to hear from you about some of your favorite places that you’ve taken your kids, and I’m sure other followers of the blog (have you officially signed up yet?) would, too.

Have a good week,
Busy-Dad-E

What are the Cookies Doing?

They say that English is the hardest language to learn.

Over the past couple of years, since moving beyond 2-word phrases, I've been intrigued by many a sentence that Big Brother has uttered. As he continues to "learn how to talk", his syntax and phrasing (particularly for requests) seems to reflect his personality--observant, imaginative, and reserved (well, mostly).

I'll share two of my recent favorite phrases:

1. "What is _____ doing?"

Yesterday we bought some Girl Scout cookies, and he spotted them on the kitchen counter at lunch. With a bashful grin and batting of eyelashes, he asked,

"What are the cookies doing?"

Enjoying a party in the box about which I am unaware? Trying to run away from the hand that's about to grab and eat them? Deciding which of my coronary arteries to lodge into?

Of course, this is his convoluted way of asking, "Can a cookie come out of the box and disappear into my belly?"

Nope, that's still convoluted, I mean "Can I have a cookie, please?"

He repeats this mantra for many things that he wants (but suspects that he probably won't get) or thinks about, breathing life and vigor into inanimate objects and philisophy alike.

"What's that lollipop doing?", "What's Mount Rushmore doing?", "What's evil doing?", "What's Christmas doing", "What's my birthday party when I'm 5 doing?"

Of course, each of these requires very carefully thought out answers.

2. "My Playdoh is sick with a fever. I have to play with it so that it feels better."

I guess we got a batch of Playdoh with a bad immune system?

He loves to ask to do this about 5 minutes before we have to leave for church. I guess Big Brother has picked up on our empathy towards him when he gets a "bug", and is "using" it against us. How could Mom-E or I refuse to let him care for a sick toy?

Again, his creativity in the way he phrases this request makes me chuckle.


And so, now I'd love to hear from YOU! Tell me about the fun ways your children have asked for or phrase things. These should be fun to share.

Gotta go for now. Time to go eat my cookie.

Cheers,
Busy-Dad-E

Car Bag

I think that most people, whether or not they have children, have heard of the following scenario:
A young child gets a present for Christmas/Birthday/Other and is more interested in playing with the box than the toy that was inside it.

Now, couple a child's intuitive response to packaging with watching new episodes of Bob The Builder, which emphasizes the environmentally-friendly theme "reduce, re-use, recycle."

And what do you get?

Big Brother's new "Car Bag."

Anyone still scratching their heads? Here's the scoop:

Big Brother is a fan of the Disney/Pixar movie Cars, and has accumulated a modest collection of die-cast vehicles from the movie. He used to carry them around in a small, Cars-themed lunch box. That lunch box went by-the-way-side after it was played with so much that the hinges broke off, rendering the box unusable.

Out of the blue, Big Brother recently transformed an empty, individual-sized bag of Baked Lays from his favorite restaurant, Subway, into a replacement for this Cars lunch box.

In Big Brother's own words, "it used to be a Chip Bag, but now it's a Car Bag."

Okay, who am I to argue with him?

For the past 10 days or so, he takes his Car Bag with him EVERYWHERE (including in the car. Should it be called just a Bag at that point?)

Granted, it's not the flashiest way to tote your cars around, but he has learned something about reducing waste and reusing things. In fact, he's quite happy and proud about his Car Bag. I don't think we could've bought him anything he'd like better.

Secretly, I know that Mom-E would like to throw away the Car Bag. (It's okay, Mom-E, I know you well and I understand you.) Even though the chips were Baked Lays, I wonder about how greasy the cars are getting in there, and all of the places in the magic Land of Home to where that grease might travel?

(Right now, Mom-E is thinking "my desire to throw away the Car Bag has nothing to do with the grease. I have a bag of Baked Lays that pretty much lives in my kitchen that I can't throw away.")

I think we're both resisting throwing it away at this point out of fear of trampling on Big Brother's ego. My guess is that he would be devastated to the point of "crocodile tears" were he to discover that it'd been throw away.

And so, yet again, I find myself amazed by my child's ability to think creatively and use his imagination. It's reminded me to think about all of the excesses in my life (the "things" we have but really don't add value to our lives), and to see possibility and utility where others see "waste." Both are good reminders during this Lenten season.

Pass me a chip--I mean car--please, Big Brother. Thanks, buddy.

Here's to a new week. Enjoy the adventure,
Busy-Dad-E

Comfy in Your Own Skin

I think it's fairly universal that young children LOVE to run around naked. Whether it's zipping around the house while still wet after a bath, or just stripping off your clothes at the dinner table right when it's time to eat (hence my motto #2)--both of which have happened at our house on more than one occasion--kids must feel free and have fun when they're in the buff. What makes it even more entertaining is that the probability of the doorbell or phone ringing, given that a child is naked in the house, is better than 50-50. All I can do is laugh (and then try to catch the child as they fly by); we'll blame it on Adam & Eve.

I've said before that parents are a child's most important teacher. No, I'm not accusing you of being a nudist or encouraging your children to be nudists. Rather, all good teachers learn from their "students." If we look at this behavior a little more closely, I think there's an important lesson here.

(Ableit in a slightly twisted sort of way,) the fact that children like to run around the house naked teaches us that we should be more comfortable with who we are as individuals. I'd bet that if you surveyed 100 adults for reasons why they don't cruise around naked, "I don't like the way I look" would be in the top 5, if not the top 3. Even more generally speaking, if you surveyed the same 100 people about what they don't like about themselves, "my appearance" would be a contender for the top spot.

Feeling self-conscious about our appearance is a learned behavior. Young children aren't preoccupied and burdened with the way they look--if they were, they wouldn't run around naked, they'd comb their hair before going outside, and we'd see advertising for children's makeup, skincare products, etc. In fact, (most) children must like the way they look--that's why babies smile and coo at themselves in the mirror.

The issue of appearance transcends the individual, and has important implications on cultural, racial, and gender issues. Young children are proof that racism (or sexism or whatever -ism you can think of), just like feeling self-conscious, is also a learned behavior. My boys love to play and interact with other children, whether they are boys or girls, tall or short, white or black, orange or purple. I've never heard a young child say, "I'm not going to play with Johnny because his skin is striped, he has a funny-looking birth mark, and he wears glasses." Any child who makes such comments has heard it from SOMEWHERE (their parents, tv, etc). Kids don't perceive other children as being any "different" from them. Kids are kids, and that's the only common bond they need.

And so, I challenge you to be more "comfy in your own skin." We all have "flaws" and things we don't like about ourselves, whether that be physical features or personality traits. Be yourself (so long as that's legal and moral), and strive to enact positive change for the habits that could make you a better, healthier person. Anyone who would judge you for who you are isn't a true friend. Just please don't run around the house naked, or if you do, don't tell us about it.

Have a good weekend,
Busy-Dad-E

Rate this post (1 is lowest, 5 is highest)
	1
	2
	3
	4
	5
pollcode.com free polls

Honorary Degree

I’ve long contended that an advanced degree in engineering is required to successfully assemble (and sometimes even take out of the box) many children’s toys. Some of the things I’ve encountered border on ridiculous. To name a few:

1. A play kitchen that had pieces “A” through “AT” (going from “Z” to “AA”), had over 100 screws, and took about 2.5 hours (locking myself in Big Brother's room) to assemble. (And Mom-E had to distract the boys with a movie because they really wanted to "help", aka tear up the styrofoam packaging).
2. A remote-controlled bulldozer that was held in place in the packaging by 15 SCREWS. "Dad-E, I want to play with it NOW! What's taking you so long?" (Don't teach the boys any new words, don't teach them any new words...)
3. Any toy that is held into place in the package with those darn twist ties. They are always wrapped around the wheels 97 times in 8 different directions, and you need a map to untwist them.

That said, I love my boys, and I’m willing to put in the time, effort, and frustration (though I’ve been able to restrain myself from teaching them any choice words) to make them happy.

And so, Fellow Dad-E’s and Mom-E’s, it’s time to stand up and be recognized for our efforts! I present to you an Honorary Engineering “Degree” from Busy-Dad-E Universit-E. Just print out the attached certificate above (suitable for framing) and fill in the name and date of the awardee. All that is required is that you successfully assemble a child’s toy that does not fall apart (and without swearing). There are even spaces where you can affix (up to 10) stars to recognize yourself for additional achievements in the field of child toy assembly.

Please share with your friends. Enjoy!

Busy-Dad-E

Rate this post (1 is lowest, 5 is highest)
	1
	2
	3
	4
	5
pollcode.com free polls

Date Night

While Big Brother’s transition to having a younger sibling went pretty smoothly overall, we recognize that it is still hard for him to go from only to oldest. Busy-Mom-E and I are constantly aware of the challenge of “sharing the wealth” when it comes to giving our children individual attention. This is complicated by the fact that Little Brother still likes to be carried around a lot. Coming home after a day at work, I think both of my boys would be content to have me carry them around all evening, though my hernia may disagree. Big Brother is extremely curious, and can ask enough questions to keep two parents pretty well occupied. Little Brother absolutely adores Big Brother, and wants to copy everything he is doing. They play together fairly well, except for an occasional shove because “Little Brother was trying to get my toys.” It’s tough to have a “shadow.”

And so, recently Busy-Mom-E and I came up with the idea of scheduling a periodic “Date Night” with Big Brother. This has been a big hit, with lots of memorable fun for everyone. About once a month, either Mom-E or I take Big Brother out on a “date.” This usually involves lunch or a special snack at Subway or Sonic, followed by a trip to the playground or movie theater. In turn, the other parent gets a “date” with Little Brother to play, go to the park, or catch up on housework/sleep if he naps. The undivided attention that Big Brother gets on his date goes a long way. Not to mention, he talks about the upcoming event for days in advance, his face lights up with excitement while on the date, and then he talks about it in gory detail Ω for days ç. We’ve found that it reinforces positive behavior (he’s an angel on the date), is great time to bond with and really talk to him, and is a nice way for one of us to get out of the house for a few hours doing something other than running errands, etc.

As always, I’d love to hear about fun/creative activities and traditions enjoyed by your family, especially ways to give special attention to individual children.

Will post again on Friday,
Busy-Dad-E

Rate this post (1 is lowest, 5 is highest)
	1
	2
	3
	4
	5
pollcode.com free polls

Hey Baby What's Your Sign?

Babies are not only cute, cuddly, precious, and good-smelling (well, at least after diaper changes), but their pretty darn SMART too. Seriously, and I'm not just talking as a proud dad. I've been amazed how babies are much more observant and communicative than we give them credit for. This communication goes beyond the "he has one cry when he's hungry, a different cry when he's tired, etc." Let me elaborate.

My wife and I have used Baby Sign Language with both of our boys, and the results have been most impressive. SHAMELESS PLUG FOR WHICH I WILL RECEIVE NO ROYALTIES: IF YOU WANT TO REDUCE FRUSTRATION LEVELS IN YOUR HOUSE, TEACH YOUR BABY TO SIGN! We bought one of the instructional DVDs to get started, and from there we were off to the races (though this is a marathon and not a sprint). Baby sign language is essentially a modified version of American sign language. The premise is simple: babies can learn to sign (and make multiple signs) MUCH faster/earlier than they acquire spoken language. Through signing, your baby can communicate his/her needs more easily = less frustration for baby = happier Busy Dad-E and/or Busy Mom-E.

"So when do I start?" The generic answer is "when your baby is ready." We started with our boys at about 6 months, but anywhere between 6-12 months is typical, usually when the child can make some good and (briefly) sustained eye contact. You first introduce to your baby (up to) 3 signs: milk, eat, and more. At first, teaching a baby to sign is like a bad relationship: it's very one-sided. You will make the milk sign HUNDREDS of times, and your baby will either ignore you or think "what the heck is Dad-E doing?" You'll get nothing in return, and you'll begin to wonder if Busy-Dad-E was playing a big joke on you. But remember, babies are pretty darn smart. THE SECRET OF SUCCESS IS CONSTANCY OF PURPOSE. BE PERSISTENT!

Then, one day (for us it was at about age 12 months), almost out of the blue, you'll make the milk sign (not even realizing your still doing it), and your munchkin will make the sign back. PLEASE ALLOW ME TO CLOSE YOUR JAW. The two of you will share in that moment, and you'll be blown away, at least I was. THERE REALLY IS A HAMPSTER RUNNING THE WHEEL INSIDE THE HEAD OF THAT SWEET LITTLE CRY/POOP MACHINE, AND HE/SHE CAN TALK TO ME. WOW!

From there, the learning curve is exponential. Babies start picking up signs like they've always known them. Teach her the sign for puppy once, and never again will she look at the dog without making the sign, to let you know "HEY DAD-E, THAT'S A PUPPY!" Within two months of his first sign (milk), my boys added signs like eat, puppy, more, apple, shoes, diaper change, tree, etc.

And it's not just about object recognition. The two-way street is now OPEN. Your baby will use their signs to really communicate with you. Imagine the following scenario: Your baby is sitting in his high chair eating and he starts to cry. Without Baby Signs, you give him milk (he throws it on the floor, it spills, the dog tries to lick it up, and you slip getting up to shoo away the dog), you give him food (and now you're cleaning the walls), you give him a toy (which also ends up on the floor), etc. With Baby Signs, he makes the "diaper change" sign to tell you "HEY I DON'T WANT TO EAT BECAUSE I'M SITTING HERE IN MY OWN POOP!" and two minutes later he's smiling and eating again, and everyone's happy.

"But won't that delay my child's speech." All of the research we found indicates that this is false. Signing with your baby. In fact, many children will use signs and speech simultaneously up to about age 3.

Your baby is immensely curious and observant about the world around them. Baby Signs give them an amazing tool to communicate and share that with you. It's helped me see the world through my boys' eyes, gain insight into their personality and likes, and bond with my children.

In summary:
1. Babies are pretty darn smart.
2. Your child, even little babies, are always watching (and imitating) you and their environment.
3. Give Baby Signs a shot. I hope you'll be amazed.

Rate this post (1 is lowest, 5 is highest)
	1
	2
	3
	4
	5
pollcode.com free polls