More tips from SAHD Brock ... keeping it simple. Nice!

Enjoy,

Stef

If you were to catch your teen texting or typing the acronym "PBS" and you're desperately trying to work out in your head what PBS could possibly stand for ... don't worry, you are not alone. These days our children are more likely to use TXTing, tweets and short updates on Facebook than to make an actual phone call. Consequently short codes or Internet speech is used in everyday vernacular. So "PBS" stands for more than just "Public Broadcasting System" ... in this case it's most likely to mean "Parent Behind Shoulder".

We've recently come across Brock Hodkinson who puts together these great little videos from his adventures as a stay-at-home-dad (SAHD). His clips follow the perfect format for us dads - short, funny and practical. YAY! Keep up the good work Brock!

Enjoy

-stef

I always find it amazing how interested or passionate young children get about little things ... like rubber stamps. It's really easy to get young kids to do things if you promise them they'll get a stamp afterwards (preferably a stamp with an image of something they really like - e.g. a dinosaur, animal or favourite character). So if you're stuck for ideas on how to motivate your little one to eat up dinner or help tidy up the room, try out stamps! They are really cheap (around $2 - $5 and available in most toy or stationary shops.

Here's a more extreme example ...

A few weeks ago we wrote about alternatives to smacking - but is there a way to avoid any kind of punishment altogether? There my be ... mostly by adjusting your parenting style and your own behaviour as a parent. Here are a few tips what you can do to avoid pubishment altogether, based on the 6-principles of effective discipline:

• lead by example - children copy behaviour and attitudes from their parents, and it's pretty much "do as I do" not "do as I say". So don't expect your children to "not do" something that they observe you doing frequently


• have realistic expectations - give your children a break ... have the time in stressful situations they are still learning to do the right thing, so by setting your own expectations accordingly you can avoid a lot of frustration

Officially, this was my wife’s idea but the execution is definitely Dad business.

Whinging children had become a normal part of supermarket shopping in our family, the kids got bored, they wanted to be in the trolley, they wanted to walk, they wanted to be carried and they were into everything. It was becoming a nightmare, until today.

We simply drew up a shopping list for each child with pictures of what they needed to find.

Sophie, age 4, had frozen peas, coffee, butter, bananas and apples.
Joseph, age 2, had toilet paper, cat food, milk and tea.

Each kid, armed with their list was sent on a treasure hunt with Dad close behind, making sure they got the right brands and most importantly, what was on special.

Dad and kids had a ball with the excitement of the hunt and high fives all round when an item was found and Mum got to shop in peace.

With two days to go - here's a list to help you decide HOW you are going to spend YOUR day on Sunday!

The DIYFather list of top things to do on Father's Day:

• find your all time favourite song/tune - play it to your kids and explain why you like it, when you first heard it etc. If you have an instrument and can play it to them - even better!


• teach the little ones one of your "tricks" - could be a party trick, your secret method for something or a skill. If you have a young baby show them something that haven't discovered yet, e.g. how to blow raspberries, blink or stack blocks.


• plant something that grows with your kids ... like a tree or a seed, and make a wish. Watch it grow over the next few months / years


• let your kids dress you and style your hair (if you have a baby, dress them in something you usually wear and take a photo)

In my classes and parent presentations I talk a lot of about narrating your children’s day and labeling sensory experiences. Now if playing in the garden isn’t a sensory experience I don’t know what is! Remember though that for your crawling baby or walking toddler, their gardening goals may be different than yours!

BERRY: Use this sign in the garden, in the kitchen or at the grocery store … anywhere you see berries. If your baby is eating berries show her the sign BERRY before she gets one, while she’s eating and when she’s all done her snack (paired with the sign for FINISH).

How to make the sign: Your non-dominant hand mimes twisting the end off of your dominant hand’s little finger. Hint: as if pulling off a small stem from the end of a berry.

Here's the latest treat from dad and comedian Ryk Goddard (who brought us "Sneaking Off To My Shed") - his take on what NOT to say when your partner is breastfeeding. Another milestone in dad humour - laugh or weep ... it's a must read.

1. That bra’s got more strapping than a 35 gyear old prop’s knee!
Don't remind her that underwear which used to make her breasts look and feel like luxury confectionary now resembles a suspension bridge. Don't mention rugby. Or sport. Go do some hoovering.

2. Come on Daisy, I've sterilised the pump ... its milking time
Bovine reference? Bad mooooove. She may laugh. But only because her brain's working so slow she hears the sound of a joke without actually processing the words.

3. Oh god is that cheese under your boobs!! I don’t think a wine exists that would go well with that. Oh maybe that new Pinot actually ...

Here in chattering-class England, the subject of head-lice, or nits, is an ongoing saga. You see, it is considered de rigueur for boys to wear their hair middle-length, in contrast with girls who have it long. In point of fact, it is considered rather ‘low rent’ for boys to have very short hair and the reason is snobbery. That is “what the working-class do” according to those in the know, because “boys is boys, and girls is girls.”