01 Feb

Dad and Buried Posted in Fear 6 comments

Page Fright

Somehow it was easier with a baby.

Sure, we were guaranteed multiple trips into his bedroom every night, but when a baby wakes up crying you can cuddle it, feed it, rock it and lay with it until it falls back asleep. Of course that’s not exactly easy, a lot depends on the crankiness of the baby and/or any more serious issues (we escaped the dreaded colic, thank the gods), but it doesn’t require a ton of thought or effort. It’s instinct versus inconvenience.

Toddlers wake up less often but when they do, they’re able to start a conversation. Or worse: make demands.

Eye of the Toddler: Using Your Kids to Stay in Shape

Kids are stress-inducing.

Unfortunately, they’re also time-consuming, which makes it difficult to alleviate your stress, and stay healthy, via the time-tested method of exercise. If you don’t have time, you probably aren’t going to bother shelling out for a gym membership you’ll rarely use. And good luck with trying to use that treadmill you bought during his nap; if there’s a louder piece of equipment this side of the drum-kit my in-laws bought my son, I haven’t come across it.

What’s a parent to do?!

Don’t fret; I have a solution! Like Rocky in Siberia (actually, it was filmed in Krasnogourbinsk, but come on), you have to work with what you’ve got. In this case, what you’ve got are kids.

Luckily, they’re even better than a Bowflex!

25 Jan

Dad and Buried Posted in Zombie 3 comments

Zombie Post: Pain Banishment

Yesterday’s post, about teaching my son not to overreact when he’s disappointed, or startled, or gets hurt, reminded me of how far he’s come. A year ago, I wrote about how poorly the kid handled pain. He was just learning to walk then, and he was falling a lot. He’s a lot more mobile now,Read more about Zombie Post: Pain Banishment[…]

23 Jan

Dad and Buried Posted in discipline 33 comments

The Art of the Underreaction

Years ago, Mom and Buried and I learned a parenting lesson we’d never forget: keep calm and parent on!

A woman and her son were walking around Fenway Park, the little boy happily toting a Red Sox balloon. All of a sudden, the balloon popped. We steeled ourselves for a meltdown. But his quick-thinking mother defused the situation.

She responded immediately with a wide smile and a big laugh, brightly exclaiming, “Your balloon popped! Who cares, right?” In no time, her son was laughing along with her. She’d thwarted his natural inclination towards getting upset by treating the whole thing as no big deal. When he saw that Mommy didn’t care, suddenly neither did he.

Even without kids, I knew it was a brilliant move. Years later, with a two-year-old of my own, her underreaction seems just as brilliant, even more essential, and a lot harder than it looked.

17 Jan

Dad and Buried Posted in Health 7 comments

FREE SMELLS!

I have a trashcan full of shitty diapers IN MY HOUSE. The last thing I need is more smells, free or not. But thanks anyway!

Dad and Buried

Tag: Kids

Page Fright

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Eye of the Toddler: Using Your Kids to Stay in Shape

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The Art of the Underreaction

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FREE SMELLS!

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