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Friday, 28 September 2007
Children and TV - Rmail
Did it really take a study to prove that TV is bad for young children? Apparently so.
Researchers at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Centre in Seattle found that for each hour of TV a child watches, there is a 10% increase in the risk of attention deficit disorder (ADD). Read the complete research findings here.
Wonder why? Possibly because children become accustomed to a level of stimulation watching TV that is much higher than they would experience in life. Combine this with the flashing images common in children's programming, and you've set children up to be ill-suited to deal with school, homework, concentration, reading, and real life in general. Three recent studies show that as TV viewing increases, academic performance decreases (Diller, Amen, and Armstrong). ... read more >>
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The rural father - Rmail
I grew up on my grandparents farm, my grandfather was to a certain extent my father figure, I grew up feeding out hay to cattle , by driving his land rover at the age of 3 or 4.
I went to varsity and did an agricultural degree, and met lots of guys who did "Ag" as we nicknamed it, there were 98% males varying degrees of background mostly from farms and their fathers like their grandfathers were all farmers also.
They all grew up completely different to the guys I went to school with, who were brought up in the city by "city fathers". These guys all had a very rounded life but at the same time had been given lots of life skills on at an earlier age â€" Farm children as a lot of farmers put it are "cheap /free labour sources" = therefore they grow up with dad showing them how to drive cars, trucks, tractors, working with livestock and also machinery. ... read more >>
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Thursday, 27 September 2007
Remembering Colin McRae - Rmail
Colin McRae "he flying scotsman" as he was formerly known has been found dead after a helicopter crash last Sunday, I watched this on BBC news and felt a sense of sadness of a man I never knew. He was a World Rally Champion who not only pushed the boundaries of being a rally car driver but was also a loving father to a 5 year old boy Johnny who was also killed in the accident along with another man â€" believed to be his friend and the man's son.
Ironically he had escaped death with rally driving many times but to die piloting his own helicopter seems also surreal. McRae's father Jimmy spoke about him only "being yards from the front door of his home" and that it was "unbelievable" that his son and grandson's lives had been taken "so prematurely". ... read more >>
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Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Tough Support - Rmail
I came across this Article in the New York Times, and it really inspired me, it’s a about a father who has unwavering love and support for his son, no matter how big an idiot he may look “I just want to support my son� he declares.
“Any parent in this audience knows exactly how I feel,â€� Mr. Bush said in response to a question about what it was like to have a son as president. “It’s no different. You’ve got to look at it strictly as family â€" not that anyone is a big shot, even though he’s president of the United States. It’s family. It’s the pride of a father in his son.â€�read the whole article ... read more >>
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Confessions of a stay home dad - Rmail
Hi there. My name is Chris and I am a house dad to two and a half year old, apple of my eye, James. I'm also referred to as a stay-home dad. I'm even called Mr. Mom by some of my childless friends. Its in reference to an obscure, tacky movie made about 25 years ago starring Michael Keaton as a father who - shock horror! - stays at home to raise his kids. In fact, it was the Mr Mom tag that inspired me to start writing this blog in the first place. To be honest, it got under my skin. If we're not viewed as a cheap source of comedy (Michael Keaton's character thinks it is beneath him to do the housework; laugh as he can't get his kids dressed for school, cringe as he gets third degree burns cooking d inner etc etc) then invariably house dads are seen as a bit weird, as if there is something wrong with us for not being the bacon providers. We may as well be missing a testicle. ... read more >>
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I am Dad - 4 - Rmail
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Monday, 24 September 2007
Children and chemicals in the house - Rmail
There has been a bit of publicity recently about the formaldehyde in products coming out of China. But a lot of the dangerous products are lurking in supermarket and department store aisles and we've been bringing them home for years. So Dads (and Mums), it is time to stand up to the manufacturers of cleaning and personal care products.
Here are some reasons why:
Most of the manufacturers don't give a toss about the impact of their product on the health of your family. United States data shows that of the 17,000 chemicals that appear in common household products, only 30% have been adequately tested for their negative effects on our health, and only 10% have been tested for their ability to cause nervous system disorders. Why is that? Because there is no law requiring pre-market safety testing, and manufacturers are not required to list the exact ingredients on the label. ... read more >>
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Don’t give your children the short shift - Rmail
I’m a busy person, I have a full time job as well as a casual job and I’m involved in 2 businesses as well, I’m usually doing something everyday of the week, even if it is just for an hour or so.
But I will always make time for my children, granted I don’t have custody of my children so I can afford to push myself just that little bit harder, but when I see my kids I’m all theirs.
Being a part time dad still carries the same rules as full times dads, when it comes to spending quality time with your children.
I believe there are three key types of quality interactions our children would like to spend with us:
One-on-one interactions are vital for bonding with your child. Whether it is playing a game with a child or having a coffee with a teenager make sure you regularly spend some time with each of your children on their own. It’s easier on you too. ... read more >>
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I am Dad - 3 - Rmail
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Sunday, 23 September 2007
Of mice and men ... study confirms importance of paternal care for children's brain development - Rmail
Well I guess we've always known it but now scientists have confirmed that fathers are important for the development and stimulation of baby's brain. A research study done at the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany investigated the brain development of rodent offspring in response to maternal or paternal separation. If you do give a rats .... read the whole paper - WARNING, this is literally brain surgery!
Why this study undertaken by Wladimir Ovtscharoff Jr., et al at the Department of Zoology / Developmental Neurobiology is relevant for dads (well rodent dads anyway) is best summarised by the folling sentence in the abstract of their paper:
"Our results query the general assumption that a father has less impact on the synaptic maturation of his offspring's brain than the mother." ... read more >>
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Dads and Daughters without Dad - Rmail
A study in both US & NZ shows a very strong link that teenage girls in these countries engage in sexual activity and also get pregnant without a father present.
Studies from psychologist Bruce J. Ellis of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand and his coworkers in the May/June Child Development state "These findings may support social policies that encourage fathers to form and remain in families with their children, unless the marriage is highly [conflicted] or violent,"
Prior studies have shown early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy among girls who grow up from infancy without a father. However, scientists have generally assumed that precocious sexuality results from a mix of adverse influences, including a father's absence, divorce, poverty, and the lack of parental guidance. ... read more >>
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Amber necklaces and teething - Rmail
A friend has given me an amber necklace for our baby. No, not as a fashion item but because he has shown signs of teething. HUH? Yup ... that's whay I though but apparently amber necklaces are used by midwives and naturepaths in Europe to alleviate the pain. So I'm thinking ... probably better than a kick in the teeth ... but how can this possibly work?
The amber used for teetching necklaces is made from tree sap as opposed to fossil resin amber which is used for jewellery. The essential idea behind the amber necklace is that the baby's body heat released etheric oils contained in the little amber beads. These oils are supposed to alleviate the teething pain. ... read more >>
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Thursday, 20 September 2007
How mothers and fathers differ - Rmail
The following content has been contributed by Maurice Mok and is published on this blog with his permission.
A study of 27 pre-schoolers found that popular children are more likely to have fathers who are physically playful, affectionate and socially engaging and mothers who are highly verbal.
[Bridging the Gap: Parent-Child Play Interaction and Peer Interactive Competence, MacDonald and Parke]
"Your child's recognition of the differences between mother and father care actually enhances his development."
â€"Kyle Pruett, MD
When it comes to connecting with an infant, does a mother have an advantage over a father because the baby has heard her voice for nine months? ... read more >>
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I'm a Dad - 2 - Rmail
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In the news: Children's Commissioner sucking the joy out child birth? - Rmail
A comment on a recent article about spending $5m on a screening scheme for parents, published in the Dominion Post:
"Mandatory screening of every baby's home life is being proposed by the Children's Commissioner in a bold bid to halve New Zealand's shocking child murder rate." Read entire article here.
I think it's a good idea, not great, just good, maybe fair.
But how is it going to work?
So if I understand it right ... My wife and I have a baby, then we have to assign an authorised provider, god forbid what being referred to welfare means. I'm not in the least bit interested in knowing what that might start. ... read more >>
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Which father are YOU? - Rmail
There are many names by which a child will call their father, Dad, Pop, Pa, Daddy, Father, Papa and more. When I talk to my father I call him Dad, when I refer to him it's "the old man" (sorry dad). As there are many names we give our fathers there are several ways to classify a father. Which one are you?
The Natural Father: The dude that performed the deed that caused an offspring
The Birth Father: The dude that performed the deed that caused an offspring then is not around (much ... if at all)
The Sperm Donor: An anonymous dude that did the deed in a test tube (are they anonymous still?)
The Step-Father: The dude fathering the offspring without having to do the deed ... read more >>
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Dad's music for babies - Rmail
One of our blog readers and dad Matthias Wichtrup has told us about his solution to making babies go to sleep: compose music and play it to them. Here's his story:
I am a musician and I nave a little home recording studio. So I created for my son 10 CDs with slow moving sound collages which is the perfect way to put him to sleep. On each CD I put 80 minutes of this very relaxing music and I have to say it does work not only on babies!
Sweet Dreamy World - Soothing and calming bedtime music for babies
Listen to a samle of Sweet Dreamy World here: ... read more >>
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Tuesday, 18 September 2007
Fatherless Sons as Fathers - Rmail
I didn't have a father growing up. I don't say that with grief or sorrow, because it was probably best for many reasons. Still, as a new father, I wonder how I go about this thing called fathering, when I have never experienced it or seen it done.
I did have a wonderful maternal grandfather who took up a lot of the slack and was a friend, mentor, coach, and confidant. I guess this is fathering. Or is it grandfathering?
I also take comfort from the fact that I didn't see it done badly. I really am a blank slate, which is why I am here on DIYfather.com and trying to get in touch with other fathers to find out how they are doing it. ... read more >>
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Cartooning Dad William Mastin on DIYFather.com - Rmail
As of this week we will feature some of William's "I'm a Dad" cartoons on diyfather.com. He's a dad of 4 (soon to be 5) kids and creates his own comic stories for them. Very cool we think - so along the lines of "if it's not fun it's not worth doing" - here's the first installment of "I'm a Dad"!
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Monday, 17 September 2007
In the news "Hi my name is ... Pumpkin" - Rmail
Qian Xun Xue, a little Asian girl nick named "Pumpkin" because of the Pumpkin Patch vest that she was wearing was picked up at a Melbourne railway station after being found wondering around by herself.
So who would leave a little girl in a station all by herself? HER FATHER did and then boarded a flight to the USA. Did he forget her?? He boarded the plane and thought ok I've got my cabin luggage â€" missing anything else â€" um NO â€" Bollocks.
As a father you don't just forget your little 3 year old â€" most of our brain make up is done in the first 3-5 years of life, so do you think she is going to forget all about this, I wouldn't think so.
My little girl is the first and last thing on my mind every day, I wouldn't just forget about her ever! I wouldn't like to be called a father if this was my child!
-Scott
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Product Review for ITZBEEN - Rmail
When Pyper was first born we thought about monitoring her progress, i.e. dates, weight, bowel motions, sleeping times and anything else so that we could keep an eye on her at every interval within the regime of sleeping and eating day and night. We just used the good old trusty notepad, and didn't think much more of it.
So when I found out about a new product called "ITZBEEN" (as in "it's been" two hours since a nappy change) I needed to find out the history behind it.
It was developed by Greg Sheldon, an engineer turned stay-at-home-dad. He decided that there had to be something more effective than scribbling on a notepad at 2:30 in the morning to keep track of his new baby's feeding, sleeping and nappy changing times. So he invented the ITZBEENâ„¢ Baby Care Timerâ„¢. ... read more >>
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Sunday, 16 September 2007
When babies are sick who do you trust? - Rmail
The diarrhoea started approx 10 days ago, I didn't think much of it, but I should have, as babies tell you everything good and bad through their body fluids and functions.
Renee took Pyper to the doctor to get her checked out, thinking that her bowel motions where a little runny, the doctor took a sample sent it away and was told in 2 days time there was no sign of bugs/virus so on the Thursday of that same week we had her 6 weeks jabs for immunisation she basically came back home and was grizzly. We put her to bed at 8pm thinking she would be up soon, well she didn't wake up until around 3am, and then at 6am she was great, maybe the tranquilisers had knocked her out for a few hours.
The next day as smart as I am proceeded to be Friday, we did the filming for TV3 she was great and then that afternoon the "shit hit the fan" literally. She vomited and then had diarrhoea. Saturday was much of the same and we kept an eye on her and hoped she would get better. ... read more >>
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Saturday, 15 September 2007
No shit ... our baby is constipated - Rmail
We've just gone through 7 days of nappies without poo from our 4 month-old. On day 5 we called some baby helplines and spoke to a midwife. Apparently it is normal for breastfed babies to not pass any bowel motion for up to 10 days. Our midwife said that the longest she had ever seen was 21 days without bowel motion. Imagine that.
A bit of research revealed that it is very unusual for breast-fed babies to get constipated. However just in case we were given some advice on what to do. So I'd like to "pass it on": ... read more >>
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Friday, 14 September 2007
Supporting your partner during THE birth - what the heck is that supposed to mean? - Rmail
Our first child was a fortnight late and when he finally made an appearance he was ugly - I mean like one of the bad guys out of Peter Jackson's imagination. Grey and wizened with hands like talons. I obligingly pointed this out to the assembled maternity staff. "Oh you poor, ugly little bugger," I believe were my words. Next thing you know I was clubbed to the ground by a clutch of midwives and nurses who all had black belts in frowning. ... read more >>
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My Wonderful Baby - Rmail
Well after avoiding the baby thing for 20 years (im 36) I'm a dad.
My daughter was born on the 2 sept 06 and I have to admit its the
best thing that's happened to me in a long time. Her name is Caiya.
My partner already has 3 boys and this is my first.
At first I was a bit worried that I would not be a good dad (only
child that I am) and that she would not love me ... DAMM was I wrong!!! I'm the first person that she comes to when she is upset or crying. When I walk in the door after I finish work she crawls to me and pulls herself up, using my pants leg, to stand. She looks at me with those beautiful blue eyes, waiting for me to pick her up. The way she snuggles herself on to my shoulder and rests her head by my neck makes me melt.
Caiya is half European and half Maori and she is my angel ... even when she's crying her eyes out cause I have to put her down to get out of my work clothes. ... read more >>
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