Single Parenting

I started writing here what seems long ago and as life has changed and moved it is time for me to move this ongoing diary as well. With one book out, The Greatest Wish, another The Intentional Father due in August and a newly launched Charity, We Hear The Children (www.wehearthechildren.org) I am moving my ongoing diary to that site. In the continuation to reach out to people who desire to become parents and to assist them in any way that I can.

It is a scenario dreaded by most new dads. You are out, maybe enjoying a nice afternoon’s shopping with your baby and your baby chooses just this time to poop. You’ve been lucky up until now and you’ve either avoided the task entirely or only had to make the change in the baby nursery with all the accoutrements around you.

The toddler phase in a child’s life can be sharply marked by an increasing need to assert its independence. This will be a time fraught with challenges for you, as you try to support your toddlers’ impulses to explore his environment, while also safeguarding them from any harm.

Even when babies are young, their nails are quite sharp. This can easily lead to babies injuring either themselves or adults who are handling them. To avoid this, it is essential that you start trimming children’s nails from the time they are still young.

Do not attempt to cut your baby’s nails with scissors or anything else that is likely to cause injury. Instead, use clippers and scissors that are especially designed for children. They have rounded tips and prevent accidental injury from taking place.

If you are a new dad, you may often receive unsolicited advice on how to bring up your baby. Close friends or family members may typically offer this. Casual acquaintances and even total strangers may add their bit.

While it may be well meaning, a torrent of unwanted advice can be highly annoying. Parents have the first prerogative of making choices and making decisions for their baby. Exasperated parents are not to blame if they see unwanted advice as interference in their freedom to bring up their child the way they want to.

We know that exercise is important for our health as adults, but did you know that the same philosophy applies to babies? It is recommended that babies should work their muscles at least half-hour each day, although not necessarily all at once. Here are basic exercises that you can do with your baby, to stretch and tone the muscles:

Stretching

Just because you are a parent now does not mean you can't occasionally dine out without feeling guilty about leaving the baby at home. The problem is that your baby, who may not find the prospect highly exciting, could end up feeling bored or neglected.

A little forethought and planning however can ensure that eating out will be as much fun for you as for your child. Here are some valuable tips to make dining out with your baby a pleasant experience for you: