FODDER OF THE WEEK: BEST PARTY PRACTICES- WHO MAKES THE V.I.P. LIST 4 YOUR CHILD’S 2ND B-DAY BASH

 

When coming up with a guest list for your 2-year-olds birthday party, you will have many important considerations to make. After all, who you invite to this party, or any party for that matter, can make or break the occasion. Of course, you will have to invite immediate family and close friends, but who you invite beyond that is really a matter of who will make the day both special for your child and you, the parent.

FODDER OF THE WEEK: FORGING AHEAD- WHAT DRIVES A NEW DAD TO BE THE BEST HE CAN BE?

“Dad?? Who… ME??

I often wonder if being a parent makes you a better person. No, I don`t mean better than other people, such as those who have never known the joy (and pain) of having children- I mean better than the other version of YOU, before you had children.  Am I a better man for having become a dad? I can’t be sure. But, I’ll tell you one thing: I wouldn’t change it for the world. 

EDUCATION VS. INTIMIDATION: WHY YOUR PARENTING PHILOSOPHY IS NOT MINE

Most people think the hardest part about becoming a new parent is finding yourself having to care for a helpless little baby. Me, I think it's having to deal with other people's bullshit. There are more schools of thought out there on parenting than there are days in the week, and frankly, I for one don't have the time or the inclination to hear them all- I'm too busy raising my own child.
 
Let's face it, for new parents, it's a minefield out there full of unsolicited parenting advice. And whenever I think of all the people accosting you with their take on how to raise YOUR children, I'm always reminded of that old scene from Airplane (1980) where the guy tries to make it from one end of the terminal to the other without having a Hare Krishna, a Rabbi, a Priest, or a Jehovah's witness stop him to tell him how he should be living his life. And, personally, I'm pretty much willing to do exactly what he did to ensure that everybody knows I won't be second guessed when it comes to how I choose to raise MY child. But I'm a pacifist...

You see, I'm a firm believer in education, not intimidation. I don't think you should walk up to a freaked out first time parent in a mall and start telling them everything you think they are doing is wrong. I think you walk up to a first time parent to congratulate them on joining the "team" and give them encouragement for doing their best with the limited experience (I dare not say knowledge) that they have. Sure, you're entitled to your opinions on breastfeeding, or sleeping arrangements, or scheduling, or circumcision, or the various disciplines on discipline, but unless someone asks you for them, why can't you just shut the hell up? Your thoughts are not so important that everybody needs to hear them out loud, so why don't you just zip it... or start a blog.

FODDER OF THE WEEK: DADS 4 FAIR PLAY- JOIN THE CAUSE OR GET OUT OF THE WAY

I'm not one to complain, but it seems no matter what we as dads do to prove ourselves to be capable and equal partners in the raising of our children someone has to come along and spit in our faces. And I'm not talking spit up from our kids, I'm talking about some media outlet or some company with some brilliant marketing campaign that just needs to come right up to us, hock a loogie and gob over everything we as dads are trying to do.

Now, I don't want to call people stupid, but if you're so daft that you don't realize that your words or commercials or corporate image not only infuriates dads but also incenses millions of moms, well you might be in need of an education of where the real world is heading.