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Homecoming dads supercut
If you’re having a sh*t day and need some inspiration to spend time with your kids or family … watch this. Even if you’re having a great day watch it anyway especially if you’ve never seen it!
By DIYFather.com
Treat your business like a second child
Some great thoughts and a fantastic analogy between how we parents our kids and running our businesses from Gary Vaynerchuk!
-DIYFather.com
Show Affection and Appreciation
One of the greatest thing you can do for your kids is to make them feel loved and appreciated. Here’s a list of ideas (adapted with kind permission from Mark at allprodad.com)
Unconditional love
Your son’s room is a complete mess. Your daughter just got her 3rd speeding ticket and she is still 16. One brought home a poor grade in science. One snuck out of the house and didn’t get home until 2 am. Safe to say, all these things are going to make for interesting parenting. Through it all, never let your child feel as if your love for them has limits. These are the moments you let it shine the brightest. Unconditional love is the greatest gift in life.
Quantity time – not quality time
Time slips away so fast doesn’t it? One minute you are teaching your daughter to ride a bike. The next minute she’s backing down the driveway in your car. Were you there enough for all the time in between? Your child wants your attention more than any other thing you can provide them. Make it a top priority to spend as much time with your children as you can.
Tough Love
Don’t shy away from the crucial moments. The hard times. The big decisions. This is when your love is tested the most. A parent has to do the right thing. The responsible thing. Not the popular thing. The love you show now will be reflected back when they are adults. You’ll be rocking your grandchild in your arms one day and your son will tap you on the shoulder and simply say “thank you Dad.
Affection
Hard to believe, but some men have a real hard time with this one. Some dads just aren’t keen on hugging and kissing. We are raised to be tough and strong. That’s a good thing. However, your child needs your affection in the most vital of ways. Frequent demonstration of genuine affection provides children with a sense of security and harmony. And of course you could probably use a big ol’ hug yourself anyway. So knock down those walls and extend those big arms. You’ll be addicted in no time.
Special Occasion
Always celebrate the big moments in their lives. Birthdays. Recitals. First day of school. Graduation. Everything. Make a big deal out of each and every one. These are the days they feel special. The moments that honor life. Who do they want to notice more than anybody else? Dad.
Believe In Them
This is a hard one. We want to shelter them. Protect them from any and all harm at all times. However this will not do any good in the real world. They have to learn to stand on their own two feet. Teach them well. Give them the skills and values that are required for success. Then let them fly. Trust them. Believe in your child. It will mean the world to them. Also – and especially believe in them if they show interest or a liking in something that you don’t like. That’s when it really counts to support them anyway – if you hate ballet and your daughter wants to be a ballerina – be her biggest fan!
Inspired by AllProDad
21 practical alternatives to smacking
We’ve all been there – our offspring has managed to drive us up the wall. Amazingly this can happen at all ages … and we just feel like lashing out and giving them a good old smack, right? It’s a natural reaction but it’s not that great for our children – there is endless research on the negative effects (short term / long term) of using physical force to discipline children. So what else can you do instead? Here’s a list of alternatives to smacking – just handy to know there ARE alternatives and we don’t have to use the same method of disciplining that perhaps our parents have used on us. (created by Barnardos and published with kind permission here).
1. Take a deep breath and gather your thoughts
2. Show them what they can do instead of what they cant
3. Taking them outside for a run around
4. Saying lots of positive things when they are good
5. Walking away, thinking about what you are going to do, but keeping them in your sight
6. Thinking about whether they are tired and or hungry
7. Keeping your expectations and rules simple
8. Accpeting mistakes and showing them how they can fix them
9. Clapping once to get their attention, then giving them a simple explanation
10. Explaining consequences (ge if they throw a toy it might break)
11. Putting them in a quiet safe place so they can calm down
12. Getting down to their height to avoid being threatening
13. Putting precious things out of reach
14. Singing some loud songs together
15. Ringing a friend or neighbour
16. Sharing stories with other parents
17. Turning tasks into a game
18. Speaking softly
19. Being firm, fair and friendly
20. Ignoring tantrums
21. Acting as you want your child to act.
By DIYFather.com
Breastfeeding – you are doing it wrong!
Just loving this photo from one of our buddy blogs. Originally posted on icanhascheezburger (we don’t own or have created the material)
By DIYFather.com
Top 5 last minute Mother’s Day presents
Mother’s Day tends to sneak up on us every year … if you’re anything like us you probably haven’t got a present yet or thought of what to get for your good lady. Panic not … here’s our last minute list of free presents to help you out:
NB: Some of these you can also use for your own mother … you’ll know which ones
1) Make a Mother’s Day card from anything that your kids have drawn or painted on (check with your day care, pre-school or school in case you can’t find anything suitable in the house). Make sure you get your kids to write their names on it or do it for them if they are too small
2) Give your partner a few hours of extra sleep – a recent survey found that one of the things most mums wanted for Mother’s Day was to simply sleep in or sleep a few hours with no interruption. So take your babies, toddlers or kids away for a few hours and give your partner a nice break.
3) Make a TLC voucher – e.g. for a back rub, or do something for her that you know she really doesn’t like doing
4) Pick some nice family photos from your phone or camera and print out at work and use to make a Mother’s Day “post card” – write a nice message and get your kids to write on it or sign it as well (or do it on their behalf if they are too small). Go down to your post office and get it stamped so it looks like a real post card … then tell her on Sunday morning that there was a special delivery.
5) Record a video of yourself (and the kids) with a special message for her (or sing a song if you dare) and upload to youtube – get your kids to give her a piece of paper (or card) on Sunday with the URL on it
Whatever you do it’s probably a good idea to go the extra mile on Mother’s Day to make sure your partner has a nice day. It also doesn’t hurt to tell her what a wonderful job she does and how cool it is to have her as the mother of your kids. Finally – don’t forgot to do something for your own mother as well!
Have a great Mother’s Day
-Stef
ps.: Don’t forget to do something special for your pregnant partner this Mother’s Day
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.
Massages are also a fantastic way to get your kids to fall asleep easily at night. You can start giving gentle massages to very young babies (literally from the day they are born). Babies rely on touch as an important form of communication … they love being touched and caressed. It also gives them a sense of security and knowing that someone is there to look after them. As your children get older you can still keep this up to relax them and take the stress out of every day life. Just because they are little doesn’t mean they don’t tense up or get stressed. There’s no better way to de-stress than getting a nice gentle massage from dad (or mom) at night.
If you want to go the extra mile get your hands on a book about therapeutic massages … you’ll be able to pick up a few basic skills in no time. If you don’t want to do the massaging yourself you can always give your partner a voucher from a day spa … a sure winner for Mother’s Day!
Enjoy
-Stef
21st century dad issues – oversharing
Parents have probably done it since Adam and Even had their first child (what was his/her name incidentally?) – we tend to tell every man and his dog about our babies and kids. Whether or not they want to know, have any idea of what we are talking about, have met us before or have just had an abortion is irrelevant … we will tell them anyway. And what with the wonder of social media and mobile communication that urge to keep everyone constantly up-to-date about our babies has increased several fold. That’s why Blair Koenig felt compelled to write a book called “STFU Parents” – based on his blogs about the bizarre and horrifying details that parents share. Pretty much a manual of “what not to do”!
The perfect Mother’s Day gift we think 
(you can get it at all online retailers and most high street book stores)
Enjoy
Stefan
Retro games
Recently a number of toy manufacturers have put out “retro versions” of class board games like snakes and ladders, ludo and the amazing robot.
If you’re into a bit of retro – check these out! (the examples below are from a brand called “Retro Range – Toys and Games”). You can find them on eBay and many other online retailers.
Enjoy – Stefan!
4 Games Dads and Kids Can Play Together
Guest post by Alex Summers
Dads and kids can spend quality time together in a virtual world. It’s true! These days, it’s becoming more common for dads and their children to enjoy the same hobbies and that includes video games. So, this Father’s Day, grab the X-Box controller or Wii remote and strap in for a day of competitive bonding with these exciting new titles.
BattleBlock Theater
Genre: Platformer
Available only in the X-Box arcade, BattleBlock Theater is brought to you by the same developers who created the award-winning platformer, Castle Crashers. Just like Castle Crashers, BattleBlock Theater is best enjoyed when played with a group. This makes it the perfect game to play with the kids, because it requires communication and has a sense of humor.
Dads and kids will find themselves in a fit of giggles, when the narrator sets the scene. The opening credits are some of the funniest game developers, Behemoth, have come up with. The hilarious narrator stays with players from beginning to end. With hilarious catch phrases and storytelling, this game is as funny as it is challenging. With hundreds of unlockables, dads and kids can waste hours bonding over this super-silly platformer.
Mario Kart Wii
Genre: Racing
Mario Kart can be played with up to four players, meaning most everyone in the family can get involved. If you have more players than controllers, then start a championship, swapping the losing players out for new players.
Even little ones can play this game, making it a great option for those families with pre-school aged children. Of course, these players may not do as well as dads and older kids, but after a while they will understand the simple concept of racing. Press down on the peddle and turn the wheel to win!
Rock Band 3
Genre: Music
Start a family band and play your way through many of dad’s favorite songs. Rock Band even teaches kids to harmonize and work together, while everyone learns to hit the right notes at the right time. The point of this game is to play your way through concerts, without failing out. This requires communication, practice, and some musically inclined kids.
The great thing about Rock Band is everyone can choose the instruments they’re best at. If you’ve got one kid who is fantastic at the drums, there’s a drum kit included. If your daughter wants to sing her heart out, she’s up for some turns on the microphone. Dad has the option of playing any of these instruments or a bass or electric guitar.
Kinect Sports: Ultimate Collection
Genre: Sports
The Kinect is an excellent way for dads to spend time with kids, because it’s fun and provides much needed exercise. Kinect Sports: Ultimate Collection features many of the world’s favorite Kinect Sports games, all conveniently bundled in one game.
Families can challenge one another in a variety of sports games. These games include: baseball, boxing, golf, snowboarding, soccer, and more! Dominating dads will have to watch out when their agile kids return a kick that knocks them out of the game. With this title, practice makes perfect and the kids may be brushing up on their skills while dads are away at work.
As Long as it’s Fun…
As long as a game is fun, it’s going to bring dads and kids closer together. These days, ratings let dads know if a game is appropriate for his little ones. Parents should look for ratings that match their kid’s ages and seek out games they know will challenge them and get the entire family working together.
By Alex Summers
