Here is a blog I did for Dad Labs about the Perplexus.

We will be giving one away at DadLabs on the live show sometime in the month of Septmeber, so check back in!

I really do dig this toy, although it is hidden right now from over use by an OCDish 7 year old.

I have come to realize that young children are not always rational. At the same time, I really believe in giving them reasons as to why I make decisions that affect them. In my opinion this sets them up to having discussions with me, and learning how to think and make decisions.

At the same time, there is something to be said for "because I said so." And yet that goes against my parenting philosophy.

Trying to decide if it is ok to say "because I said so."

On the Sept 2 live show (airing at 2 PM EST on dadlabs.com/live) we will be giving away a crazy forts kit. Check out this [img]/Gear-Daddy/how-to-build-great-couch-forts.htmlDad Labs video[/img] to see them in action.

Since some folks might find this forum and want to know more about tantrums, here is a dad labs video on the subject.

www.dadlabs.com/The-Lab/dealing-with-tantrums.html

@Funkydung

fatbet.net looks interesting. although the site recommends that the bets be something like

* Losers sing in a Karaoke bar; winners pick the songs
* Losers let facial or leg hair grow unchecked for 30 days
* Losers wash winners' cars
* Losers run naked through Seattle Center
* Losers donate to charity


I have no desire to see Brad or Clay run naked through Seattle center.

Welcome to the new giraffe!

Looking forward to the pix.

I think there is a really interesting movie to be made based on a kid being born to some metal. Awesome.

Although I tend to be more on the Nick Drake side.

Reward charts - yes. They worked in ways that surprised me. A toddlers brain works differently than mine for sure. They ate it up.

Also, just as a side note, my 2nd year old pitched a fit this weekend in public. My question is how will I carry him out of the restaurant when he is fifteen and cry/screaming.

Hey Raven,

Welcome to DadLabs.

Lots of internet buzz about Strollers in Brooklyn.

Looking forward to hearing more about your journey.

My utmost respect to single parents and single dads.

They are on the forefront of forging the new fatherhood!

Thanks for posting. Usually what happens in forums is that it takes a seed and then others will contribute.

I am sure some paired dads will benefit from hearing of your experiences both here and in other parts of the forum.

Not to make light of your situation, but I think a reality TV show is in order here. It has all of the dramatic elements.

"won't grow up to be farmers" OMG

Even if you can just go to one general one that lasted for a few hours, once, it would help. Check the hospital.

In absence of that, check out some online resources like: pregnancy.about.com/od/childbirtheduc/a/cbeclass.htm

I really do think knowing a little bit before "its time" will be helpful!

Its hard to advise, not knowing the kid.

And, this age can be really frustrating. They say "terrible twos" but I wonder if it should include threes.

A few things come to mind:

Try to find the cause of the problem. It might not just be the kid's personality.

For example: some kids behave poorly when confronted with a group care environment that their mom or dad administers. This does not help your situation, but it might point to what is going on.

Also, having gone down this path myself, a stricter punishment might not be the answer and may even turn it in the opposite direction.

Also, behavior modification takes time, so even if you experiment with something it might not have an immediate effect. Stick with it.

I remember distinctly my kid going through stages. One month I wondered how he would ever acclimate to society, and then he woke up one day and was a well behaved kid for a few months, only to find month four back on the same tough track.

Think about a parenting advisor. They are not as expensive as one would think, and they work with this type of thing on a regular basis. They can give you some advice. Sure there are parenting books, but these pros can cut to the chase.

Finally, its possible there is a diagnosable issue that needs doctors attention. I am not saying there is, but don't rule it out.

One of the hints in the article that jinky mentions is to manipulate shutter speed. Anyone who is new to SLRs or even if you have a point and shoot, learning to go manual really changes the game. I also like mess around with the shutter speed priority. Once I found that I am pretty good at holding still for up to 1/15 of a second in the right conditions, I could set shutter priority for that and get better pix in low light. Of course not always of my kids unless they were asleep.

Would love to hear more about the slowing down part, the sacrifices, the gains! Welcome back.

There a few varieties of birthing classes

LaMaze, Bradley, your hospital.

From my experience, the class was super helpful, but my wife found more value in spending weeks on the class. I feel like I could have gotten more out of a shorter course.

A few things I got out of it was how to physically comfort my wife during labor. There is some serious pain there.

Working through some issues before hand like cutting the cord, circumcision, who will be in the room during the birth, were really helpful. Some classes advocate a birth plan to this end.

Most of all, birth is an experience we are not prepared for in our sanitized culture. All sorts of smells and fluids. One of the liabilities in the delivery room is dad, who might pass out be it from the epidural needle or the blood or something else. Knowing what might happen can better prepare you.