Tips for an Expectant Father
- Thread starter Olaf the Stout
- Start date
papastebu
First Post
Congratulations!
Beware the colic.
I don't know what causes it, but for the first 8 mos or so, my boy would start screaming right around four in the evening and let up around 7 or 8. Occasionally it would happen again a few hours later. We asked doctors, nurses, older parents, and random strangers. No-one knew, though many were full of advice. He could not get the pain out of his stomach, but--and I'm sorry I don't remember the name--we tried a liquiform anti-gas, stomach-relaxer of some sort in his feed, and sanity came back into our house. As much as it ever was there, I suppose.
I warn specifically about this because this one condition made what should have been the happiest time of our lives very difficult. Couldn't overshadow all the joy, but it did put a damper on the period.
Also, do not under any circumstances allow anyone but yourself or your wife to do any "firsts" with your child, and make sure that she is there when YOU do any of them. Solid food, first steps, etc, should never belong to the in-laws, for example. Just a little heads-up from one who knows of what he speaks in this regard.
Beware the colic.
I don't know what causes it, but for the first 8 mos or so, my boy would start screaming right around four in the evening and let up around 7 or 8. Occasionally it would happen again a few hours later. We asked doctors, nurses, older parents, and random strangers. No-one knew, though many were full of advice. He could not get the pain out of his stomach, but--and I'm sorry I don't remember the name--we tried a liquiform anti-gas, stomach-relaxer of some sort in his feed, and sanity came back into our house. As much as it ever was there, I suppose.
I warn specifically about this because this one condition made what should have been the happiest time of our lives very difficult. Couldn't overshadow all the joy, but it did put a damper on the period.
Also, do not under any circumstances allow anyone but yourself or your wife to do any "firsts" with your child, and make sure that she is there when YOU do any of them. Solid food, first steps, etc, should never belong to the in-laws, for example. Just a little heads-up from one who knows of what he speaks in this regard.
Thornir Alekeg
Albatross!
It didn't really matter to me whether I saw the "first" or not, I got the same rush when I got to see it myself for the first time and didn't feel cheated by not seeing the baby's first time. If your child goes into daycare, that is something you will have to accept. I'm sure our daycare provider didn't tell us about some firsts that happened there to preserve the surprise for us, but on a couple of occasions other enthusiastic children from the daycare would tell us all about it at pick-up time.papastebu said:Also, do not under any circumstances allow anyone but yourself or your wife to do any "firsts" with your child, and make sure that she is there when YOU do any of them. Solid food, first steps, etc, should never belong to the in-laws, for example. Just a little heads-up from one who knows of what he speaks in this regard.
Just to splinter off into children's television-land:
http://pats-quinade.livejournal.com/61839.html
I may possibly have overreacted a little to a specific Bob the Builder mini-adventure.
http://pats-quinade.livejournal.com/61839.html
I may possibly have overreacted a little to a specific Bob the Builder mini-adventure.
Kahuna Burger
First Post
You should hear me reading Thomas stories and adding little editorial comments like "And then Thomas went off and did whatever he pleased, because in this episode he doesn't have a driver, even though in the one right before it, he HAD to have a driver to work his brakes...." I also yell at the Bearnstein Bears opening song....takyris said:
Edit : for extra special overthinking parent points, get annoyed when you see a picture of a starry sky where a star is shining in the center of the dark part of a cresent moon. Point it out and say "oh look, and there is where the moon people set off an H bomb...."
Simplicity
Explorer
takyris said:
Agreed. Some children shows are really, really hard to keep quiet during.
Dora, for example. She always asks, "What was YOUR favorite part of our adventure?"
And then pauses... and pauses. And I can't help but say, "The awkward silences."
I also can't help but think of her as a mutant. Dora has telekinetic abilities (usually used when she counts). She speaks Spanish, but also can talk to animals... without even realizing it. That's Diego's whole shtick, but Dora doesn't even notice that the animals are going "ooh ooh eeh eeh". She just talks to them. Her one weakness? Totally oblivious to everything. "Do you see a mountain?" "Do you see an OCEAN?" Come on, Dora.
It doesn't help that her enemy (swiper the fox) steals things, yells "you'll never find it now!" and then tosses whatever it is over his shoulder and walks off. Not exactly the Green Goblin.
Don't even get me started about some of the books my son has.... The Little Red Caboose. The Little Red Caboose always came last. (heh. heh.) Here come two big black engines to push the little red caboose from behind! (Okay, I have to stop reading this now).
Kahuna Burger
First Post
Have you seen the "One two, Pooh Bear's coming to you" book? The first two pages totally and completely mirror the little rhyme from the Nightmare on Elm Street stories. I can barely make it through reading it, and I always feel a little creepy when I do....Simplicity said:
Simplicity
Explorer
Kahuna Burger said:You should hear me reading Thomas stories and adding little editorial comments like "And then Thomas went off and did whatever he pleased, because in this episode he doesn't have a driver, even though in the one right before it, he HAD to have a driver to work his brakes...." I also yell at the Bearnstein Bears opening song....
Edit : for extra special overthinking parent points, get annoyed when you see a picture of a starry sky where a star is shining in the center of the dark part of a cresent moon. Point it out and say "oh look, and there is where the moon people set off an H bomb...."
Nice.
But they're just like people, only moreso...There's one show I REALLY hate. It's Angelina Ballerina. It's the show that teaches you that there's nothing an emotional breakdown can't solve. Gee, Angelina's really screwing things up... Let's wait for her to cry... And now she's crying. Oh, look it was all a misunderstanding. My wife and I place bets about how many minutes into the episode she'll start crying. And sometimes we're both right because she has two breakdowns.
There's a part of me that, had I much more free time and better video-editing skills, would take massive pleasure in remixing some Thomas.
Tonight, on a very special "Thomas the Tank Engine"...
(shot of Thomas and Edward, with Thomas having the classic angry face)
As unforgivable things are said...
"Edward, you have a problem with coal!"
"Shut up, Thomas! Shut up and stay out of my life!"
...and engines go onto tracks they can't switch off...
(shot of Edward going off a broken bridge with the classic "Oh no!" face)
...Percy's mission to take down a criminal overlord gets him in over his head...
Topham Hat: "What's the matter, Percy? You're steaming like a pig."
Percy: (panic face) "Uh, nothing, Don Topham Hat, sir."
Topham Hat: "You're not wearing a wire, are you, Percy? You know what happens to engines that wear wires..."
...and it could be the end of the line...
(shot of Percy being hit by the freight-hauling crane and knocked off the tracks, again with the classic "Oh no!" face)
Tonight, on Thomas's Creek.
Tonight, on a very special "Thomas the Tank Engine"...
(shot of Thomas and Edward, with Thomas having the classic angry face)
As unforgivable things are said...
"Edward, you have a problem with coal!"
"Shut up, Thomas! Shut up and stay out of my life!"
...and engines go onto tracks they can't switch off...
(shot of Edward going off a broken bridge with the classic "Oh no!" face)
...Percy's mission to take down a criminal overlord gets him in over his head...
Topham Hat: "What's the matter, Percy? You're steaming like a pig."
Percy: (panic face) "Uh, nothing, Don Topham Hat, sir."
Topham Hat: "You're not wearing a wire, are you, Percy? You know what happens to engines that wear wires..."
...and it could be the end of the line...
(shot of Percy being hit by the freight-hauling crane and knocked off the tracks, again with the classic "Oh no!" face)
Tonight, on Thomas's Creek.
Simplicity
Explorer
takyris said:
That's a great idea...
"I can't believe you've been cheating on me!"
"I'm sorry, Thomas... I just can't help loving Ben's brand new buffers!"
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