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stefan's blog

Moms and dads pre-birth worries compared

Many resources for new parents treat moms and dads in the same way - they speak of a generic "parent" which is essentially dealing with the same challenges of adjusting to a new life style once the baby is hear. Reality is very different of course - depending on the particular family arrangement the pre and post birth world is experienced very differently for moms and dads. Here's a list of key concerns and worries as reported back by moms and dads we work with:


Pre-birth dad worries


Pre-birth mom worries

Family finance - how to pay for all the baby stuffGiving birth - how to get that baby out of your body without too much pain or mess
Baby's looks and intelligence - will my son/daughter be the next Zuckerberg, Lady Gaga or end up on social benefitsHealth of baby - will my baby be healthy and well after birth?
Change of lifestyle - how will the baby affect our life style? The house, the car, going out, traveling, etc.Looking after the baby - what do I need to know to make sure my baby grows and develops into a healthy child and adult?
Baby gear and gadgets - what is all the baby stuff we actually need?Change of lifestyle - how will the baby affect our life style? The house, the car, going out, traveling, etc.
Bonding with the baby - what if I can't relate to the baby ... don't know what to do with a babyBack to work? - do I want to be a full time mom, return to work or ask my partner to stay at home with the baby?

And post birth:

Bully proof

What can you do to make sure your child doesn't get bullied at school? Find out about "bully proof courses" in your area! Bullying is a major issue for all school children and parents these days and it seems schools or government initiatives are relatively ineffective in dealing with this problem. So it's back to us parents to sort it out - fine. I've recently come across so called "bully proof" courses which a number of martial arts disciplines offer. The courses are based on standard entry level martial arts classes but offer a few elements of how to deal with being bullied specifically.

After attending a number of karate classes I think enrolling your child in a martial arts course will address various aspects at play when it comes to bullying at school.

Long haul air travel with toddlers

Going on a long haul trip (as in 6h+ flight time) with a child aged 18 months to 3 years is probably one of the most challenging travel experience you can have as a parent. Obviously many of us do this but the difference between wanting to fling yourself off the plane and getting a few hours of sleep is all in the preparation. Check out some essential travel secrets for long haul trips with a toddler.

Here's our long-haul survival list (in order of keeping you sane)

#1 The most essential toy for air travel is a Doodle Pad. It's the most versatile, unmessy, imaginative and inexpensive toy you'll ever buy (you can get them for about $10). It's a true life saver as you can draw stuff, erase it and draw some more for quite a while. Most importantly you can use during take off / landing and when passing through turbulent weather (unlike some electronic gadgets).

Countdown calendars

Here's a useful tip to manage motivation and excitement for the little people in your house when you are working towards a particular goal or significant changes in their lives. You can use a "countdown calendar" to count down to the day when the change happens - for example starting school, moving house or an upcoming travel adventure. Countdown calendars work in the same way a Christmas calendar works except that you just count down the number of days (rather than using the days in the month). The easiest way to create a countdown calendar is by starting with a large piece of paper or card board and drawing something relevant on it (e.g. a house, building, plane or place, etc). Make the drawing as large as possible.

Massage - the perfect gift for the whole family on Mothers Day (or any day)

A good therapeutic massage is better than having sex ... seriously, you get touched in places that you cannot reach yourself (unless you're a contortionist). If you haven't had a massage - splash out and experience it for yourself. Tell yourself that you have earned it and that with all the demands on a modern dad (or mom) you deserve a little treat. Try out relaxation, deep tissue, Thai or Swedish massages to experience the bliss of therapeutic massages.

Once you have done that and you know what it feels like to have a massage you can give massages to your kids, babies or your partner. Even if when you're not professionally trained it's still likely to be highly enjoyable for the recipient in your family. What you lack in skill you can make up in enthusiasm and devotion to looking after your family.

Free life insurance for parents

We have just received the following offer from Sovereign Life Insurance.

To take advantage of this offer you need to go to chooseprecious.co.nz and enter the code "CP125" during the registration process.

Please note: DIYFather does not endorse this company or offer in any way. Parents are encouraged to check terms and conditions of this offer before signing up.

By DIYFather.com

The million dollar mother's day tip

OK - so Mother's Day is coming up in a number of countries (either the first or second Sunday in May depending on where you live). So you need to get a present for your partner, right? So you don't know what to get, right? Well here's the million dollar trick ... go to pinterest.com find your partner's Boards (yes she will have a pinterest account and she will have created lots of boards). See what she pin'd and repin'd, pick something nice that fits with your budget for Mother's Day and get her that. This is a surefire method for getting her something that she really likes (as opposed to something that she pretends she likes).

Have a great Mother's Day!

-DIYFather.com

The dad life - happiness is ...

Happiness is:


Planes!


Being silly


Flying


Dancing with dad


Sharing food


Music


Dress ups


Having lots of balls


Bubbles!


The island of dad

(this is a collection of images I found on the web - if any of them belong to you please let us know so we can credit you or remove the image if you don't want it featured here).

-DIYFather.com

School run with Bohemian Rhapsody

Epic! Must watch ... and get your air guitar out

Enjoy,

Stef

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