Author: Family Friendly Daddy Blog

Leave a comment Posted on Health, parenting

Why This Dad Despises Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

January 8, 2012 at 8:23 pm , by 

13 months.

Just for the record, I similarly loathe high-fructose corn syrup too!

Here’s a new concept: When we put any substance on or in our bodies, it is ultimately the same as digesting it.

So what about the shampoo, soap, deodorant, and toothpaste we use? What’s actually in that stuff? Check your labels and I’m pretty sure you’ll find the ever-popular and uber-mysterious ingredient known “sodium lauryl sulfate.”

Basically, it’s made by scientifically mutating the fatty acids of coconut and/or palm kernel oil. (Either I’m really smart or I went to Wikipedia for that.)

I have to be honest; I always feel uneasy when we start talking about mutating the cells of anything, because really, that’s what cancer is: mutated cells.

Well, I would be able to look past that part if it weren’t for one little thing: products with sodium lauryl sulfate always cause my skin to break out. Therefore, I have to buy most of my hygiene products at Whole Foods, where sodium lauryl sulfate will not be listed in the ingredients list.

It would be one thing if this only happened to me, along with thousands of other people who have suffered irritation, but it also has the same effect on my 13 month-old son.

My wife and I were using a popular brand-name, “organic” baby soap for him in the bath tub. After a few days, we noticed the same eczema-looking rash I used to get. I looked at the back label of the soap and sure enough, there it was:

Sodium lauryl sulfate.

Man, companies can be tricky these days, wanting to slip that stuff in all their products. I see it as the hygiene equivalent of high-fructose corn syrup; the cheap, low-grade, Frankenstein-corn-derived sweetener found in most processed foods, thanks to the folks at Monsanto, who bully corn farmers into growing their copyrighted corn. (I learned that by watching Food Inc. on Netflix. I’m one cultured dude.)

So yeah, I have to pay a little more for toiletries that are made from natural ingredients, for both my son and myself. But on the bright side, my toothpaste flavor is “tea tree oil with fennel and anise.” Seriously, how cool am I? My breath smells like anise.

Wait, that doesn’t sound right…

For more on sodium lauryl sulfate, check out the Wikipedia link I went to for further research:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_lauryl_sulfate

Image: Dental brush with tooth paste, via Shutterstock.

 

Leave a comment Posted on Health, parenting

Healthy Parents: Why We’re a Whole Milk Family

January 7, 2012 at 9:30 pm , by 

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My Kid Bit Your Kid Today at Daycare… And Liked It!

January 6, 2012 at 7:22 pm , by 

13 months.

Somewhere between an outdated Mike Tyson joke and a sarcastic reference to the Twilight series is the knowledge that today, my 13 month-old bit two other kids at his daycare.

How was I supposed to respond when my wife told me about it?

A) Oh no! Not our son! WHAT DO WE DO?!

B) Well… well… I didn’t teach him to do that? Did you?

C) Alright then, tonight when I get home I’m going to sit him down and have a serious talk with him. Plus, his punishment will be that he can’t play with our cell phones for a week!

What was my actual response? I laughed. Yeah, I’ve already established the fact that I have this unfortunate habit of encouraging my son’s bad behavior by laughing and applauding him for it. But seriously, it’s not like he bites us.

So where did he learn to bite his peers?

Maybe from them. Maybe he’s just trying out his newly received teeth?

Or maybe he’s just a baby and that’s just one of the weird things some toddlers do? That’s my vote.

Am I supposed to feel guilty that my son bit two of his friends today? Should I feel some urge to further explain or research his behavior?

Nah, he’ll be fine.

Or will he… now that he has a taste for true blood? (Insert clever Twilight reference here.)

Image: Red apple with bite, via Shutterstock.

 

Leave a comment Posted on Nostalgia, parenting, Storytelling

The Top 10 Most Popular Dadabase Articles of 2011

January 4, 2012 at 6:22 am , by 

13 months.

As a “daddy blogger” who sketches out writing topics on a nearly hourly basis, I am constantly trying to predict which topics are not only interesting enough to me, but also the ones that will resonate with the people I don’t even know.

Since my daddy blog, dad from day one, was picked up by Parents.com in May 2011 and rebooted as The Dadabase, I have been keeping a close eye on which posts became the most popular.

Ultimately, I am always “taking requests” based on what topics people tend to enjoy reading about.

Specifically, I know now that any time I mention a TV show title or the word “vegetarian” or I do some kind of countdown or list, more people are likely to read. But what else attracts readers here? Let’s find out right now, together.

#1 The Half Abortion: Only Keeping One Twin– No matter how passionate your stance on abortion, there’s definitely something unnerving about finding out you are a twin, but that your sibling was selectively aborted while you were chosen to survive.

#2 The Three Types of 30 Year Old Parents– Thirty is the new 23. I admit in this one that while I got to see more of the world in my 20′s, I am a less mature first time dad at age 30.

#3 Positively Communicating to My Seven Month Old Son– I realized my ability to truly polarize an audience when I suggested it’s uncool to jokingly offer to give your kids away to strangers. There is a 100% chance you’ll either totally love or hate this one- no in between.

#4 Gradually, Not Instantly, Falling in Love with My Son– And I believed I was weird to think this way. I love it when random strangers help make me think I’m actually normal.

#5 5 Reasons This Dad Despises MTV’s 16 and Pregnant– I could have easily given more reasons, but I try to keep my articles in the neighborhood of only 400 words. Hmm… maybe I should do a sequel?

#6 The Positive Re-branding of Fatherhood– Sure, the sitcoms of the Nineties will always hold a special place in my heart; especially thanks to their enchanting theme songs. However, there was a major downside to them- the way most of them portrayed fathers.

#7 6 Things This Dad Got Wrong During Pregnancy– Despite the fact that’s it’s sort of my job to act like I know what I’m talking about as a writer, I’m often wrong. In fact, here’s looking back at 6 particular times I missed it.

#8 7 Things This Dad Stopped Caring About– I guess sometimes in life, lowered standards are excused; especially in the name of parenthood.

#9 How Not to Be “That Mom” or “That Dad”– In order to make sure you don’t become a stereotype, you have to be able to recognize one. Takes not being one to know one, right?

#10 Little Boys Live in Their Own Little World– To be perfectly honest, I’m not exactly sure why this one made it to the Top 10; unless it’s because people get to see me back in 1991, wearing neon green suspenders? Probably not.

Tune in a year from now when I review the Top 10 of 2012. No, wait- actually, come back before that, like tomorrow.

Leave a comment Posted on parenting, Storytelling

I Am My Son’s 16 GB Memory Card

January 3, 2012 at 7:36 pm , by 

13 months.

In the midst of my wife and I dancing around Jack like giant chickens, to the musical number of his random Chinese toy we call “Robopup,” I said to her, “You know he’ll never even remember this, right?”

It’s that realization that so much of what we do as parents of a toddler is, in theory, largely forgotten. Yet all our goofy interactions will him play a vital part in the development of his social and cognitive skills.

Until he gets old enough to actually read my daily journal entries of his life, as documented here on The Dadabase, he will not vividly remember any of what actually goes on during this time.

This past weekend we took him to the Nashville Zoo and we all loved it. Yes, Jack sure did. But I know he won’t remember anything from the event, even when he does look at the pictures in a few years.

Like the importance of punching the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 24 into the computer in the hatch on Lost, these memories we make with him do actually matter, even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time.

But since he won’t be able to remember these activities and rituals, as his dad, I will serve as Jack’s 16 GB memory card until then. I will be his link to the past. Lucky for him, I’m one nostalgic guy.