Will be a Dad soon...need tips from Dads...

[MikePA]

Gots to grab them legs and pin them on their shoulders! Think Wrastl'n!

Being right handed, I grabbed both of the baby's ankles with my left hand, lifted, pressed down slightly to gain the proper access to all the crevices then used my right hand to do the cleaning. We both got real good at folding the soiled wipe with one hand cuz, as you said, you never want to let go of the legs. If you do, a diaper change turns into a bath real quick.

Regarding diapers, we found the cheapest, brand name diapers were at Toys R Us, particularly if we used the coupons that always seemed to be in the Sunday paper.

 

[jmc]

We both got real good at folding the soiled wipe with one hand cuz, as you said, you never want to let go of the legs. If you do, a diaper change turns into a bath real quick.

Back when I was doing that, I had semi-conscious visions of a "baby vise". Stainless steel with foam jaws. But then again, I'm an advocate of compressed air in the kitchen.

John

 

[Spiveyman]

4. When you make a mistake disciplining, admit it and say you're sorry.

Awesome post Mike, this one really rang home with me. It'll happen, you are tired, cranky, had a bad day at work, wife is upset, kid had a break down, it all happens at once sometimes, and even the most loving of fathers can be too harsh. When you do it, take a moment to reflect so that you can hopefully not get that far next time, and do say you are sorry.

Also, when your kid is 3, realize that they won't stay 3 forever. Unlike the "they will only be 1 month, 3 months..." comment, not being 3 forever is a good thing. I saw a bumper sticker the other day:

"Grandkids are your reward for not killing your kids."

 

[BTDT]

A couple good reads: Fatherhood by Bill Cosby, and The strong willed child by Dr. James Dobson.

 

[Bird]

All this talk about the different brands of diapers makes me wonder . . . just how long ago were the throw away diapers invented? Our first three and a half years of marriage, we were assistant managers of a 104 unit apartment complex, living in an upstairs 2 bedroom apartment. No one had washer/dryers in their apartments; had to go downstairs and use the coin operated ones. So when our first youngun was born in '66, I don't recall even hearing of throw away diapers. Everyone used cloth diapers and safety pins. So instead of buying the diapers and using the coin operated washer/dryers, we used a diaper service that picked up the dirty ones and left clean ones (twice a week if I remember right). I think that was actually cheaper than owning diapers. Do such services still exist? I haven't seen any in a long time.

 

[MikePA]

Do such services still exist? I haven't seen any in a long time.

Yep, they still exist. We used a service for 3 days with our oldest in the 80s. The process worked well (pickup and delivery) but not nearly as convenient as disposables. The other problem with cloth diapers, we could never get them real snug around the legs.

 

[AlanB]

I guess my Alibi fire would be along the line of discipline, and actually relates and came more from my dad, and relationships with Step sisters, then it was reinforced and worked well with my kids.

It has been said many times here, but I really think it bears repeating.

Do what you tell your kid you are going to do.

Enforce the punishment that you said.

Be Firm, fair and consistent in punishment.

It hits home for me every now and then, hit home when someone said something about my kids listening the first time I tell them to do something and then they do it.

My step sisters, would always whine and carry on, and their mom would let them get away with it. My dad, when he said something too me, there was NO doubt that you better do it, or you knew the consequences.

I am rambling a bit, but to go along with that thought, set the levels, limits, and standards EARLY. My son wears a helmet all the time on things with wheels, no questions asked. He is easy to spot on the street, he will be the only one with one on. We set the stage early on (2 or so) and never relented, and it is second nature too him.

 

[Podunkadunk]

Again, great posting guys!

Some that hit home:

Start a list of your more interesting life experiences that might be appropriate for bed time stories. Then you don't have to think so hard when they ask. My daughter's favorites were the "bear in camp" story and any of the type she was not likely to hear from her mother. The more detail the better and poetic license is OK.

John

15. Regardless of your income, buy clothing at second hand places. Let the grandparents buy the new stuff. Kids grow out of things too fast.
13. Forget about having a house that's just a clean as it was before the baby. Keep the house presentable, but don't try to keep it spotless.
12. Crawl around on the floor to get a babies eye view and secure dangerous objects.
22. Kids bring interesting things home from school, like measles, mumps and chicken pox. You've had all these diseases, right?

Like I said guys, there are others, but I really need to get to work, so digging them out will have to wait.

JMC...I guess I can tell some of my Navy stories after I clean them up a bit. I have some funny ones, some scary ones. I'll change the names to protect the guilty (me) and use all the characters' nicknames or callsigns.

MikePA...
#15. Wife and I are already doing that. I can't see buying an oshkoshbygod jumper for 40 bucks that the kid will be in for 2-3 weeks tops...much less only wear it once during that timeframe

#13. My biggest curse/downfall/chink in armor...I am a neat freak. Heck, my tractor is spit shined at all times This will be the most difficult for me to accept, but I KNOW I HAVE TO...so that's a start.

#12. I did this on New Years morning of this year...(last time I recovered from a bender) haha

#22. I've got to call my Mother!

Oh by the way, my wife gets a kick out of some of these posts! It's that whole - female uses the other side of the brain thing - going on.

Thanks for posting...all of you!

Podunk

 

[motepoc]

I didn't put this in my first post, but I'll own up to it now. I didn't change any of my kids pooh diapers. The wet ones I can handle, but not the others. When my wife left me home alone, and one of the kids had a blowout, I would go hunt a neighbor. Didn't matter who, just so they would do it. Don't know why but two things make me deathly sick. Someone else to throw up, or pooh diapers.
To my good, I have changed a few of my grandkids nasty ones, but if I can find someone, I let them do it. While at the hospital one time with one of my daughters who was having a test done, she handed me the baby, who was about 3 months then. The nurse told her I could handle the baby, and my daughter told her the not changing story. The nurse said He can do it. I asked her if she ever saw a man holding a baby with that hangdog look and that faint smell of baby pooh in the air. Woman will flock to him and fight to be able to change the baby. She shook her head and left. Thank God that day I didn't have to use the hangdog look.
We still exchange Christmas Cards with one of the nextdoor neighbors that was a big help.
So, maqybe you need to start practicing that hangdog look.

 

[BTDT]

Just received this from my daughter (24 yr old), she got married in May of this year, and they are trying to start a family (no luck yet). Thought I'd pass it on.

PARENT - Job Description

POSITION :
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :
Long term, team players needed for challenging permanent work in an
often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational
skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include
evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping
sites on rainy weekends
and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed.
Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :
The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs
$5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go
from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the
screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small
gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of
multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of
all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the
next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap,
plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end
product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work
throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :
None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years,
without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so
that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :
None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :
Get this! You pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption
that college will help them become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.
The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually
enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition
reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this
job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional
love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

Forward this on to all the PARENTS
you know, in appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis,
letting them know they are appreciated for the fabulous job they do...
or forward with love
to anyone thinking of applying for the job.




** AND A FOOTNOTE 'THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER