Raising a child requires the patience I can only imagine the bar patrons in Cheers had for Woody. You love the guy, but if he sings that "Kelly song" again you’re going to jab a fork in your eye. I’m just a dad; just a regular guy who still craves time to himself. I would love to go wherever, whenever. I do not miss going out all of the time, but I do miss going in to renew my vehicle registration without having to explain to my oldest son why pancake mix is not something to put in your pockets whilst trying to block my youngest son from eating it off of the ground. Frustration builds over … [Read more...]
‘Happiest Baby’ Pediatrician Wants to Help Dads Calm Baby
Like nails on a chalkboard, the sound of a crying baby is one of the most irksome known to humans. Lucky for you, the latest Modern Dads Podcast features the author of The Happiest Baby on the Block, Dr. Harvey Karp, who joins us to talk about his approach to calming crying babies and the crucial role dads play. We also discuss his groundbreaking SNOO Smart Sleeper crib that took him five years to create with MIT-trained engineers and designer Yves Behar. Karp, a pediatrician who practices in Los Angeles, is on the faculty of the University of Southern California School of Medicine and a … [Read more...]
Thank You for Not Sleeping at Your Sleepover
This sleepover extravaganza left a memory that lingered like a hangover. Turns out that staying awake all night isn’t what it used to be. The cards were admittedly sloppy, competing as they were against time best spent on anything but; however, the sentiment therein was genuine and heartfelt, if not misspelled. That my youngest son, freshly turned to 11, didn’t balk for a moment when I suggested he write thank-you cards was immediately chalked as a victory in this scenario, whereas grammar and penmanship were the battles to be fought another day. We were working on gratitude in the medium … [Read more...]
High-Low-High Teaches Kids Resilience, Optimism
The Chicago Dads Group recently attended "What's Happy Got to Do With It?," a workshop with parenting expert Dr. Deborah Gilboa and sponsored by The Second City comedy group that let us find fun in how we parents deal with certain issues that come up when raising kids. One thing I got out of that workshop that I use every night with my little girl was the game of "High-Low-High." According to "Dr. G:" High-Low-High teaches kids that everyone has fun and struggles each day. Resilience is the ability to overcome a difficult experience, and this reminds them that they can, and often, and … [Read more...]
Turn Your Baby into a ‘Good Sleeper’
Getting your infant to sleep is one of the most, if not the most, important challenges for parents. Everything, from eating to a happy disposition, begins and ends with healthy sleep. This would appear to be a simple task: after all, the phrase “sleep like a baby” must comes from somewhere, right? Wrong. My wife and I are on our third baby and we still find managing sleep a difficult task. The Good Sleeper: The Essential Guide to Sleep for Your Baby -- and You by Janet Krone Kennedy proved to be an extremely useful source for parents like us who are sleep training their child. It is not … [Read more...]