Topic: Pondering fatherhood

[Anders]

Do not hold the child over an open fire in an attempt to burn away his mortality. It doesn't work.

[seamas]

I would disagree with the Television part. Yes, absolutely, going outside, interacting and all that goes first, but you can also let your baby view TV. At least once he starts moving about the house. Their attention span is usually very short, so it's not like they'll stick for hours. Everything in moderation.

For a baby?
Not everything in moderation.

I wouldn't have a kid under three watching TV any more than I would give them a sippy cup of Pepsi.
Neither will kill them of course, but junk is junk.

[Armenoid]

ASL for children.
My wife and I used Baby Signing Time

I had this long post written where I detailed all the advantages I'd seen in raising my son, and why we'll stick with it if we have another kid. Then a browser crash ate it. Instead of rewriting the whole thing I'll give bullet points.

You will be able to talk to your kid about if they're hungry, cold, thirsty, tired or in pain MONTHS before they can tell you these things verbally.

If you stick with it you can have entire conversations when everyone in the house has sore throats and can't talk.

It's pretty easy.

It gives you a secret party language.

Being able to sign makes the whole "Don't talk with your mouth full" lesson easier for kids to swallow.

Your kid ends up with a larger vocabulary by kindergarten.

My son started reading at a younger age than his peers.

Baby Signing Time provides kids music that won't drive you bonkers.

very interesting!  bigups.. 

[jaypee]

I would disagree with the Television part. Yes, absolutely, going outside, interacting and all that goes first, but you can also let your baby view TV. At least once he starts moving about the house. Their attention span is usually very short, so it's not like they'll stick for hours. Everything in moderation.

For a baby?
Not everything in moderation.

I wouldn't have a kid under three watching TV any more than I would give them a sippy cup of Pepsi.
Neither will kill them of course, but junk is junk.

Why not? Do you hate visual acuity and language development?

[amysrevenge]

Not everything in moderation.

I wouldn't have a kid under three watching TV any more than I would give them a sippy cup of Pepsi.
Neither will kill them of course, but junk is subjective.

FTFY

(My daughter isn't interested in TV at all, but she's definietly been in the room for a lot of hockey games so far.)

[jaypee]

Not everything in moderation.

I wouldn't have a kid under three watching TV any more than I would give them a sippy cup of Pepsi.
Neither will kill them of course, but junk is subjective.

FTFY

(My daughter isn't interested in TV at all, but she's definietly been in the room for a lot of hockey games so far.)

My daughter has been watching football with me since she was a newborn.

[seamas]

I would disagree with the Television part. Yes, absolutely, going outside, interacting and all that goes first, but you can also let your baby view TV. At least once he starts moving about the house. Their attention span is usually very short, so it's not like they'll stick for hours. Everything in moderation.

For a baby?
Not everything in moderation.

I wouldn't have a kid under three watching TV any more than I would give them a sippy cup of Pepsi.
Neither will kill them of course, but junk is junk.

Why not? Do you hate visual acuity and language development?

Of course not--precisely why I didn't stick my babies in front of a television.

[Halleyscomet/Wakefield]

Buy Mylicon, that will help a lot with gas pain in the first month of life.

+1
+1
+1
+1

Gripe water helps as well. Make sure you get the version with baking soda and ginger in it, which are the active ingredients. Some asshats have come out with homeopathic gripe water, which is just water and a bit of flavoring.

[lorryfach]

I've only been a mother so I'm coming from that perspective.

I wish someone had told me how boring the early days were. You can only stare into each other's eyes lovingly for so long. It's ok if you aren't jived about it all 24/7. And it's completely normal to not get that 'magical' bond immediately. Some people do. Some don't. If you don't, don't beat yourself up.

- Avoid c-section, opt for normal birth if possible.

Meh. This isn't important, really. I also kinda bristle at the words "normal birth" as there is so much variation in what goes down, regardless of which opening the baby comes out in the end. There are ups and downs to both. You've got about a 1/3 chance of getting a c/s, so it's a good idea to be prepared for that possibility.


Also, the benefits of breastfeeding tend to get overstated to the point where a lot of women feel pressured to do it even when it's driving them insane. A happy mother is more important. Seriously. Formula is fine.

[smithkhome]

"No television" was certainly not a rule for my kids. Yeah, they are 8 and 10 and have just learned to read, but it can't be related to tv, right? Actually, they are 6 and 3 and doing quite well. Of course, we've also done all the approved stuff like reading to them, etc. The truth is that television IS a great babysitter. Have a two year old and need an hour to do laundry and dishes, Elmo and Sesame Street work wonders.

Oh yeah, both of my kids had formula before they were a year old. Don't tell La Leche!

Btw...my kids are big fans of "Jamie and Adam"...aka Mythbusters.

[pandamonium]

I used to read while watching television, so I don't see the problem with letting a kid watch TV. I'm of the opinion that "TV rots the mind" is too general a statement to be useful. There are shitty television programs/movies, and there are really artful, educational, and engaging TV shows/movies. If you're plopping them down in front of Jersey Shore, you're a terrible parent. If it's The Princess Bride, Labyrinth, or Cosmos, you're the best parent ever.

eta: if we're talking about a baby, TV probably isn't engaging enough. I'm thinking of older children, toddler and older.

[smithkhome]

I used to read while watching television, so I don't see the problem with letting a kid watch TV. I'm of the opinion that "TV rots the mind" is too general a statement to be useful. There are shitty television programs/movies, and there are really artful, educational, and engaging TV shows/movies. If you're plopping them down in front of Jersey Shore, you're a terrible parent. If it's The Princess Bride, Labyrinth, or Cosmos, you're the best parent ever.

eta: if we're talking about a baby, TV probably isn't engaging enough. I'm thinking of older children, toddler and older.

+1. Exactly.

My 6 yr old daughter also loves The Princess Bride.

[pandamonium]

I nominate your daughter as the 2012 presidential candidate. she's clearly intelligent and classy.

[lorryfach]

My daughter's had her own iPod Touch since before she was 2, and she knows how to find all the most annoying YouTube videos. She's still really awesome. Seriously, she did have some speech delay, but it was not due to TV/iPod at all. It's because my husband and I are exceedingly quiet people. It takes a lot of effort for us to talk half as much as you should around kids. After starting daycare, she's kind of exploded on that front and she won't shut up now… in two languages… so it's all good.

[Jim S]

This thread is the most woo-ish sounding thread I've seen here in a while...

Seriously, she did have some speech delay, but it was not due to TV/iPod at all. It's because my husband and I are exceedingly quiet people.

You don't know that was the cause, either.  Kids vary. 

----

How good is the evidence that all the stuff mentioned actually leads to a smarter child or adult?   For some of this stuff, I think (I don't know...hasn't been an area of interest for me for about 12 years)  the evidence is pretty good, but I suspect some of the claims have little evidence backing them. 

Colic is real.
The #1 cause is acid reflux.

Really?    I had not heard that, and can't find a source in a quick search.   (Not saying you're wrong, because I really don't know, but)  Citation?