FODDER UP! PART X: DADDY DRESS-UP - HOW TO DRESS A BABY...DAD STYLE

Some would say the best part of being a man is the minimal amount of time it takes to get out of the house in the morning. Sure, there are those who rival their wives for the amount of time it takes to coif their hair every morning, or those who painstakingly prepare their "outfits" for the next day, but, for the most part, us guys (metrosexuals aside) are pretty much wash n' wear. Wake up, run a comb through your hair, throw on some clothes, and you're out the door. And on the weekends - t-shirt, jeans, baseball cap. We care about running shoes- we don't care about fashion. We just want to be comfortable in our gently worn baseball shirts and torn blue jeans and socks that look like they should have been thrown out months ago. We are creatures of habit that will never change, much to the chagrin of our wives, but that doesn't mean we can't put a smart looking ensemble together for our kids.

Once again, it's time to Fodder Up! This weeks installment: Daddy Dress Up- Teaching New Dads the Ins and Outs of Dressing their Infants.


Now, you may not care about your appearance - you shave when it suits you, you dress the same way you did in high school, and all your clothes look like you slept in them- but you know as well as I do dressing your kid that way will never fly with your wife. And between preparing baby bottles, the diaper bag, and running through her half hour checklist before you get to finally leave the house to go for your weekly trip to the mall to buy more "necessities" (i.e. whatever she sees) that responsibility will fall on you, so you better learn how to do it properly. True, it's not unheard of for a new dad to display a hidden talent for baby couture, but before you go off all cowboy thinking it can't be that hard to dress a baby, let's take a step away from the ledge of insanity and just go over the basics, shall we?

Glossary of Baby Clothing Terms:

Listening to a sales clerk in a baby store talk about baby clothing is the equivalent of listening to the I.T. Guy at work explaining the inner workings of your computer. So here's a list of terms you should be come acquainted with so you don't get overwhelmed:

• http://babyclothes.about.com/od/babyclothesglossary/Infant_and_Baby_Clothes_Glossary.htm

Video Tutorial: How to Dress and UnDress a Baby

For you visual learners, here's a walk through of dressing your baby from head to toe. There won't be a test at the end, but you and I both know your wife will be watching your every move and pleasing her is the only test that really matters.

i) Newborn/Infant:

More video:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aygB5ZM3Ejk&feature=related
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C74JjOkpTYY&feature=player_embedded

ii) Cold Weather:

iii) Step by Step Instruction:

• http://www.dadsadventure.com/taking-care-of-a-new-baby/dressing-your-baby/
• http://pregnancyandbaby.sheknows.com/pregnancy/baby/Step-by-step-guide--Dressing-your-baby-431.htm

Advanced Study:

Now that you've mastered the basics, you might be one of the brave and the few that thinks he can master the next step and take it upon yourself to go shopping for baby clothes. Although we warn against it, shopping for kids clothing isn't rocket science, it just takes some common sense (and your wife's blessing).  Here are just a few reasons why you wife might want to stop you though:
http://yadogg.com/pictures/why-daddys-shouldnt-buy-baby-clothes/

 i) Newborn/Infant Clothing Checklist:

• http://babyclothes.about.com/od/babyclothingbasics/tp/NewbornBabyClothes.htm
• http://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-clothes-for-the-first-six-weeks_519.bc

ii) Where to Shop:

You wife will have other ideas, but these are the stores I found to have some of the best value for your buck. You can spend a lot more in other places, but why? And these stores usually have coupon promotions or regular sales to make it easier for you to swallow your kid's clothing budget.

• http://www.oldnavy.com/products/baby-boy-clothes.jsp
• http://www.thechildrensplace.ca/?redirect=usa
• http://www.carters.com/

On the cheap:

If you're willing to take hand-me-downs from family, it's not too much of a stretch to buy gently used baby clothing from a store that carefully chooses what they sell... and washes it first.

• http://www.onceuponachild.com/

iii) Fodder 4 Fathers Awesome On-Line Shopping Picks:

I'm not saying most baby clothing is girly (I am, actually), but that doesn't mean there aren't some great websites that cater to the New Dad's need to have the coolest baby on the block.

• http://www.tshirthell.com/funny-shirts/baby-not-midget-do-not-toss
• http://www.sandboxthreads.com/bruce-springsteen-baby-onesie-toddler-t-shirt.html
• http://www.cafepress.ca/+movie+baby-bodysuits
• http://www.babysport.com/items/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/list.htm

Final Tips From Father 2 Father:

To simplify the whole dressing process, here are a few helpful hints from someone who's been there:

• Accept as many hand-me-downs as possible.
• When in doubt, text a photo to your wife before your take your kid "looking like that" out of the house
• Buy outfits. That way, there's less chance for you to "screw up"
• Babies can wear white after labour day.
• Black and Blue do go together if they're on a Batman T-shirt
• Leave all baby shoe decisions up to your wife- preferably while you are at work.
• And, hide all the bows and headbands your wife bought for your baby girl... trust me.

Enjoy!