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How to Talk to a Toddler
I’ll be honest - before I became a parent, I had a hell of a time interacting with small children. Kids who were still in the midst of learning to talk, but had learned a few words and used them frequently (and, not surprisingly, sometimes incorrectly). Tell me if this situation sounds familiar…
You show up at a holiday meal, one where there are truckloads of extended family congregating from miles around. Your second cousin Todd and his lovely wife Claire arrive with their little girl, Eunice, who is 2 years old. She runs over to you and immediately takes a liking to you. She starts yammering on, mostly babble to you - though, you think you can catch the word “puppy” in there someplace. You’re constantly looking to Mom and Dad to translate for their young daughter. For some (myself included), this can be a somewhat uncomfortable situation. You don’t want to come off like an ass by trying to pawn the kid off on somebody else, but you are also genuinely interested in this child despite the “language barrier”.
So I Got a New Tattoo…
Nothing productivity-related here, kids. But I got a new tattoo last night (first one in about 10 months or so):
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Nora, for those of you who don’t know, is my little girl (almost 4 months old already - sheesh).
And if you want to see a nearly-exhaustive gallery of my tattoos, you can do so by looking at my tattoo set on flickr.
Alright, get back to work - more lifehackery to come!
Technorati Tags: tattoos
10 Ways You Will Change When You Become a Parent
My Wife and Daughter
Just about every Thursday of every week, I get together with my brother to roast coffee, drink beer and have a few laughs. We hang out his house, are accosted by his two Bassett hounds and just sorta chew the fat and hang out. We always have a good time, indeed.
But one thing I’ve recently noticed during our weekly hang-out period (as well as other social events at the homes of non-parents) is how differently I behave now that I am myself a parent. Some of them are terribly subtle, but they really shine through depending on where I am and what I’m doing. What kinds of things do I mean? Well, let’s just dive right into the list…
How to Deal with Babies (that Aren’t Yours)
Immediate after the birth of both of our two children, my wife and I would have family and friends pop by to take a gander and the new addition. The room would be billowing with “awwww”s and such, as you’d expect. But for 90% of the people visiting, the question “would you like to hold the baby?” was met with shock and extreme apprehension. The thought of “doing it wrong” or dropping the baby was enough to dissuade these fine folks from taking part in one of the most miraculous events this life has to offer.
The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of young people (who aren’t parents) are scared to death of holding and otherwise caring for infants. I would have definitely counted myself among this lot a mere 2.5 years ago, so don’t think I’m picking on anybody. The truth is, babies (while definitely fragile) aren’t as breakable as you might think.
With all that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of a few misconceptions/tips for dealing with babies:
