Change every diaper. That’s my first piece of advice for one of my best friends, Muppus, who just had a healthy baby boy. (We call him Muppus because that was the name of his band in high school.) I’ve benefited from the advice of Muppus on so many extremely important things – like how to build the perfect fort — so I thought sharing all the things I learned as a parent of two boys might be a nice way to pay him back.
One of my favorite things about being a dad is watching my kids play and discover the world around them; their imagination is entertaining and inspiring and my wife and I do not want to stifle it. So, when it comes to our parenting style, we try to create an environment where our kids can have as much fun as possible, explore, take chances and still be safe.
Every new parent has been faced with those sleepless nights resulting in gritty eyes and pounding headaches the next morning. Finding the perfect way to get your baby to sleep through the night is just part of the journey. We know it’s tempting for some parents to take their babies to sleep in their own beds or put blankets or toys in a crib to make it seem like a cozier place.
When I was about five years old, my dad traveled to Germany on business and came back to our home in the Ukraine with some wonderful treats that I had never seen or tasted in my life. One of these treats was a carton of sweet, delicious pineapple juice. It was the most delightful thing I had ever tasted, and it didn’t take long to drink it all.
September is Baby Safety Month, which just so happens to coincide with our anxious wait for the arrival of our first child…how fitting! Leading up to September has been a fun and strange combination of gearing up while also paring down.
Was my wife, Dixie, helping me or suckering me? It’s a debate that goes on to this day, but regardless of the answer, I stand behind the following advice for every new dad: Change every diaper.