There
is a technique that you need to know. It is guaranteed to stop your
crying baby instantaneously. It is extremely easy to execute and it's
power is half Jedi Mind Trick, half Vulcan Death Grip.
Yet no one ever seems to talk about it. In fact, my wife and I would
never have known it if our kid's pediatrician didn't tell us. So why
the secrecy? Probably because no one has the balls to reveal the
secret. I am proud to announce that my balls are fully loaded. Here's
how to perform the only anti-crying maneuver you will ever need. Read the rest of this entry »
Disney World is the ultimate vacation for your family. I saw
people of every age in the park the last time I was there. Every person
seemed to be really enjoying themselves. Sure you see kids having fits,
but that's expected when there is so much excitement. I would venture
that about 80% of the under 10 crowded did not get a good night's sleep
the night before, so right around 10 AM you can see a lot of mini
meltdowns. Just another source of entertainment.
Here are some things to watch out for when you are at the park.
So
your wife is in the third trimester and both of you are counting down
the days. She may have already started dilating and may already be on
maternity leave. You, on the other hand, need to continue to go to
work, anxiously awaiting the phone call, with the words, "It's time."
on the other end.
That can be really stressful—juggling
concentration at work with concentration on your needy wife and
soon-to-be kid. Guess what? Get used to it. Because once that baby
comes, you will be stressed out about that all the time. But I digress:
that's a different article.
When
your kid is big and old enough to sleep in a real bed it can be a very
exciting time as a parent. The move out of a crib can smack you right
in the face with the realization you don't have a baby anymore. But
these new walking and talking kids can create a new series of issues.
Once these kids figure out they can get out of their bed by themselves,
they morph into little Kid Ninjas: looking to sneak around, spy on you,
and worst of all…get no sleep.
Good news? There are some things you can do to keep your kids tucked in
bed for the night. Bad news? Most involve tough love and questionable
negotiation techniques—it isn't pretty and it isn't easy. But if you
can keep a consistency of nighttime compliance, you and your wife will
be happy. Read the rest of this entry »
International Adoption often includes traveling to far off countries with upside down time tables.You know what I mean. China for instance is 12 or 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.The good people of your adoption agency understand this. Acclimation is one of the (best) reasons that they schedule a few days in Beijing before you go to your baby’s capital city. If you decide to travel to Korea, Russia, Kazakhstan, the same could easily apply.
While you are spending 2 weeks in China getting to know your new baby, the excitement builds at home.When we went, we literally had a few thousand hits to our blog while we were gone.We also had a gallery on the site and uploaded about 100 pictures while we were overseas.Then the scary thing started to happen. We
started to get emails from family and friends telling us that they were looking forward to seeing us after we got home. They were even proposing dates to do so.The excitement of the moment clearly clouded their thinking as many of these messages mentioned the week that we got home as “good” meeting times.At the
time, even my wife and I did not appreciate the magnitude of the problem.We added additional stress to our situation that we could have prevented with George-Bush-style preemptive measures.
If you are like me, you need a big ol’ cup of joe before you can do anything intelligent in the morning. I normally feel like a half-dead dad zombie until the moment the tar hits my lips. And that’s after a night when my kids sleep through! During those hellish insomnia-laden
months of infancy, I wanted to install a coffee machine right next to the changing table. Or maybe just a bag of crack. (Just kidding. “Just
say no”, kids.)
During the work week, I lumber through the morning and choose to “perk
up” on the way to work. But during the weekends, this morning ritual
includes the kids. So when my kids choose to wake up the slumbering
beast (me) early on a saturday morning, there’s nothing to do except
load them in the double stroller and walk to the local Dunkin’ Donuts. Read the rest of this entry »
Going
to zoos can be a great day trip for you and your family. Most kids
really enjoy looking at all the animals and you get a chance to spend
the day with the family. I am still currently on vacation in the San
Francisco Bay Area and in the last couple of weeks, I have gone with my
family to 3 zoos, and an aquarium.
In order to maximize your zoo experience, I have compiled a short list
of considerations. Knowing these could turn a so-so experience at the
zoo into a memorable experience. Read the rest of this entry »
One
of the best parts of going on vacations with your kids is the ability
to experience new environments, events, and cultures. But one
unfortunate byproduct to traveling afar can be the jet lag. Jet lag for
adults are a pain in the ass. But with kids, it messes up more than a
routine. It screws with their world. After all, you and your wife may
have spent months getting your kids on a consistent sleep schedule only
for it to be screwed by a 6 hour flight across 3 time zones.
Last friday, my wife and I flew from Boston, Massachusetts to Oakland,
California, with our 2 kids. The flight was 6 and a half hours long and
it wasn't too bad considering my son is at the Curious George
stage. My wife and I thought we had it made: at most, a half hour of
screaming from my son on the plane. Not too shabby. But nothing could
prepare us for the pure hell we would endure friday night. Read the rest of this entry »
Congratulations on your international adoption.You were successful with the paper chase, you
endured harsh Siberian winter-like wait and you added another member to your
family. As the noodad of an internationally adopted
child, you face similar challenges to a parent who gave birth to their
children.
There is one fundamental difference. You have a sacred duty that biological
parents do not.You are the messenger
and protector of important information about your child: Their story.
Caveats to this idea: YOU are responsible for the safety of
your children and probably would be held responsible if some other random kid
used this and got hurt.Make sure that
if you leave your area or leave for the day, you do not leave this full of water.
You need to take the shower curtain home with you.
The beach is a great place to take the kids.They love to play in the sand and splash in
the water.The only problem is that the
sand sticks to the globs of sunscreen you have caked on your pre-walker. By the
end of the day, they look like a sugar donut and even at bath time you are
still finding sand in their nooks and crannies.
There
So
When
International Adoption often includes traveling to far off countries with upside down time tables.
If you are like me, you need a big ol’ cup of joe before you can do anything intelligent in the morning. I normally feel like a half-dead dad zombie until the moment the tar hits my lips. And that’s after a night when my kids sleep through! During those hellish insomnia-laden
Going
One
Congratulations on your international adoption.
