Author: Family Friendly Daddy Blog

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Spirituality

Processing The Newtown, Connecticut School Shooting As A Parent

December 14, 2012 at 8:06 pm , by 

Leave a comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting, Storytelling

Starfish Gives Birth To Dog, According To 2 Year-Old Marine Biologist

December 12, 2012 at 11:01 pm , by 

2 years.

Dear Jack,

You know who Santa is now; not because Mommy and I have told you about him, but basically because of all the inflatable yard decorations you see on the way home from daycare everyday.

I have a feeling you won’t ever need me to fill in all the magical details about Santa flying through the air in a gravity-defying sleigh, led by a red-nosed reindeer.

Something that really fascinates me about you is how you know the difference between reality and science fiction, at only 2 years old.

Not only do you have bizarre Santa stories surrounding you, but you also have your Thomas the Train TV shows that you watch; accompanied by the matching toys.

That leads you to further use your imagination to make up weird story lines for your playtime. Even in the car yesterday, out of nowhere, you proclaimed:

“Santa crashed into the train… and the birds.”

You’re good at making up grandiose stories involving characters you’re familiar with.

Observing your bath time is always a wonderfully absurd theatrical production. That is why I love being your bath director when Mommy isn’t able to do it.

Your favorite episode is when the purple starfish bath toy speaks to her daughter; a Collie named Charlie.

“It’s Charlie’s Mommy,” you squeak out in a falsetto voice.

Then you walk Charlie closer to listen to his mother, the starfish. From there, it’s pretty much high-pitched Gibberish involving the Starfish mother telling Charlie to get ready for school… I think.

Seriously, how do you separate science fiction from reality?

As hilarious as you are when you play, you still can quickly convert to being more serious; randomly updating me with realistic tidbits:

“Daddy wears the fluffy jacket.”

“I like chocolate for dinner.”

“I stink… I poop.”

Switching back from the world of your imagination to the world of your perception of actual reality is something you do so flawlessly.

I think it’s safe to say you’re going to be a lot like me: You keep your head in the clouds, but you stand on solid ground.

 

Love,

Daddy

 

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Storytelling

The Age When Bathing With A Child Becomes Inappropriate

December 9, 2012 at 9:47 pm , by 

2 years.

Dear Jack,

I know that it’s normal for parents to bathe with their kids…up to a certain age.

After all, it saves water and time; both of which should be treated as the commodities they are.

So I also assume that in most American households it’s not so unusual for a child to bathe with a sibling either…but only up to a certain age.

Honestly, I’m not really sure when that age for me was. I just know that at some point family nudity became a thing of the foggy past.

There was no official conversation, no family talk about it, no overt incident where in the likeness of the fall of Adam and Eve, I suddenly realized it was a strange thing to be naked in front of (and with) my family.

But here’s the thing…

I have no plans to bathe with you; as in, I’m in the same bath water or under the same shower nozzle as you. It’s just a personal thing I guess, but I would rather help you bathe while I’m outside of the tub, instead of in the tub with you.

Somehow that makes me feel more in control of the process; like your bath director.

There are many things in this world that I am willing to share with you as your dad, but I don’t think I want bath water to be one of them.

That may seem like a double standard because I so quickly support you coming in the bathroom to watch me use the potty standing up.

For me though, there’s a difference. One seems natural and normal while the other makes me feel uncomfortable, somehow.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll cave when and if you end up with a brother or sister and I find myself so strapped for time that I actually think it’s easier to bathe with you. I can’t know for sure.

Maybe my hesitation has to do with the fact that I perceive taking a shower as a daily ritual where I can truly zone out. Maybe I just don’t want to sacrifice one of the few times of the day where I can actually do nothing and not be responsible for about 12 minutes.

And maybe this is simply more proof that I have no desire to be a helicopter parent. Attachment parenting is just not my style, kid.

I don’t know what percentage of parents, dads in particular, bathe with their young children. Assuming that percentage is the majority, I apologize in advance for all the trauma I will cause you by not sharing bathwater with you.

 

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Storytelling

Bogarting Toys Instead Of Passing And Sharing Them With A Friend

December 9, 2012 at 2:54 pm , by 

2 years.

Dear Jack,

I’m willing to admit: Sharing is a more difficult concept than it sounds.

For the past several months now, I have noticed, and having caught on camera, you bogarting your toys.

By that, I mean that you often carry around 2 or 3 toys at a time, holding them closely to your chest like you just got released from serving time in the slammer.

This is something you do whether you’re just with me and Mommy or you’re playing alongside a friend.

Based on my observations of the way you play with others, I’m assuming your daycare teaches that if a kid is already playing with a toy, another kid can’t just come up and take it away from you; forcing you to “share.”

When you’re forced to share, you’re not really sharing; not from your heart, at least.

In time, you’ll grow to understand the importance of truly sharing; meaning you willingly sacrifice something you care about, on your own initiative, to help someone out because you recognize the personal and moral responsibility of giving to those who have less than you do.

For now, what you usually do when another kid tries to take your toy is you quickly find a different toy and hand it to them.

I like that. It promotes a peace of mind for you, knowing that you aren’t forced to share the exact toy you’re playing with whenever someone else wants it.

Another reason I like this concept is because I don’t want you thinking you can just go up to any other kid and take his toy away. That could either make you a bully or make you be bullied.

I know that right now this is a bit confusing.

After all, at daycare, all those toys are shared among the community. But at home, those toys really are yours. Hence, the popular toddler catch phrase, “MINE!”

So I get it that you want to bogart your own toys when you’re not at daycare. You want to have a sense of ownership since, most of your weekday hours, you don’t.

Sharing is a challenging thing to grasp right now, beyond the rules of your daycare. One day, though, you will choose to share from your heart, instead of because of policy.

 

Love,

Daddy

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Spirituality

Of All The Siblings Who Never Existed

December 7, 2012 at 10:48 pm , by 

2 years.

Dear Jack,

There’s the near daily discussion between Mommy and I about the possibility, in the future, at least a year from now, of us possibly trying to have another baby. Yes, that would mean a younger brother or sister for you.

We can easily think of good reasons we would want you to be an only child. We can also easily think of good reasons for you to have a sibling.

As far as why you should have a sibling, there’s one weird reason that keeps popping up in my head; one that Mommy has never mentioned.

So I guess I have to file it in the “Daddy’s Deep Thoughts” folder. Here it is:

I think about all the potential siblings who would never be born if we just stopped with you.

It just seems weird to only have one more. Why not two more? Why not five? Why not ten?

At some point for financial, logistical, and other practical reasons, that “one more kid” finally becomes one too many.

How am I supposed to know who the final little brother or sister is supposed to be?

Half of me is wired like Jim Bob Duggar, while the other half is wired like every parent in the history of the world who was content with their decision to only have one child.

I mean, to a certain degree, God leaves it up to Mommy and I to decide how many more lives to bring into the existence of this world.

Really? God is okay with my input in that decision?

No matter how many (or few!) brothers or sisters you end up having, or not having at all, much of that responsibility falls on your parents.

We have less than a decade to decide…for us, for you, and for all the siblings who will never exist.

 

Love,

Daddy