Daddy Tangents

Driving and Budgeting

Jun 052012

If you are a family man then you already know and understand the importance of managing properly managing your money. If not, hopefully, the point of the post will resonate with you. Long gone are the days of one person being in charge of the family budget. Wait, my wife handles the family finances. I don’t have a say in it. If that’s the case then your man card has been revoked, due to your lack of concern for your family. If you have any care in the world for your family then you need to be invovled the financial [. . .]

Yes, you can get hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD)

Parenting, Stress No Responses »

May 172012

Yes, you can get hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD)

You most definitely can get HFMD if you are not careful or have a compromised immune system. My 10 month old son contracted it at his daycare and dealt with it over a week of misery. I felt so bad for my little man, but could do nothing for it beyond treating the symptoms. HFMD is a virus, not a bacterial infection So, what does that mean? It means that there is nothing you can take to make it go away. No, antibiotics do not work on viruses. They must simply run their course and your immune system will do [. . .]

Do you ask your kids if you are doing a good job?

Parenting 1 Response »

May 072012

Do you ask your kids if you are doing a good job?

This morning I took a chance and asked my daughter if she thought I was a good dad. She is learning to write so she quickly got out a piece of paper and a pen and got to work detailing the flaws of my parenting. I have to admit I was getting worried the more she wrote. When it was time for the critique I was on pins and needles, but I think I got off easy. Here is what she wrote: “Spend moowr time with me. play moowr games with me and Dont fite with me and I will [. . .]

Top 10 Reasons to Lie to Your Kids

Communication, Parenting No Responses »

Apr 172012

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. There is no good reason to lie to your kids. Your kids are smart enough to see through the lies, or they soon will be. Yes, I know, we want to protect our kids and give them all they need to succeed in life. The problem here is the desire to not see them fall and when they do we catch them with a soft pillow. Sometimes they need to hit the ground. Unfortunately, a few of those may even need to hit hard. Being a parent isn’t easy and [. . .]

Does your babysitter have a plug?

Parenting No Responses »

Apr 092012

It is so easy to take care of my daughter. Anytime she doesn’t know what to do or complains of being bored I can step in and fill her every waking moment with entertainment. And while I do this I can continue to do my own thing. How do I do this? With a plugin babysitter. It’s great. No longer do I have to be involved with the moment to moment concerns of my child. Turn on the TV and hand her the remote. Boom, the babysitter is now taking care of my child. That is exactly the problem these [. . .]

Love the Mundane

Stress No Responses »

Apr 082012

Work, school and family are the things that my world revolve around and the reason for the long absence on this blog. Right now I am in the emergency room. My wife woke me earlier in the night and I took her blood pressure twice. Very high with a racing heart rate, nausea and palpitations. She is alright now, but it got me thinking. A few years ago I was heavily sought after in my field and very accomplished at my job. Then, I quit and go back to school so I can have career that keeps me home and [. . .]

Daddy Time

Parenting 2 Responses »

Feb 152012

What would you rather do, spend more time with your family or at work? This is, I hope, an easy question to answer. And, I hope, the answer is the same for everyone. More time with family. We all deal with the same limitation when it comes to time. There is only a finite amount of it. Looking back on it will not give you more in the future, but it might help you to better prioritize your time. Don’t sacrifice your time with your family, especially the kids. They grow up so fast and you can’t get that time [. . .]

Are you a committed parent?

Parenting No Responses »

Jan 302012

As a parent, what is important to you? Is it being there for your kids or getting things done so you can have time for yourself? Is it ensuring they don’t go without, but not spoiling them in the process? When should your child learn about personal responsibility? Are you more concerned about the latest gadget or keeping your family clothed and fed? How will you handle conflict in the family? If you need to change to be a better parent, can you? Do you want to be a friend or parent? Do you have the self-discipline to teach your [. . .]

10 Random Thoughts on Parenting

Miscellaneous, Parenting No Responses »

Jan 112012

1. Losing sleep is inevitable, but can be made easier if both parents work together. If you are a single parent… sorry. 2. Load testing a diaper is a losing proposition. You will usually find that max capacity has been exceeded and, well you get the picture. You will need more wipes and will be doing more laundry. 3. It is OK to criticize your child, but is it not OK to attack their character. Be critical of the behavior or action but not the child. If you want them to listen this will improve your chances of [. . .]

Make Time to be a Better Parent

Parenting No Responses »

Jan 022012

Do a search for the top 10 resolutions for the New Year. You will see that most of them include spending more time with family. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from or what you do for a living, everyone has just 168 hours to use in a week. If you say you are too busy to spend more time with your family, all I hear is I don’t want to make the time. Yes, I said it. If you really want to spend more time with your family then the time will be [. . .]

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