The Adventures of a Stay-at-Home Dad of 5
The joy of having a little one is immeasurable. They teach you to love more than you ever have and through them, you find purpose and inspiration. While having a family can be one of life’s greatest gifts, it can also be life’s greatest expense. A report done by The Department of Agriculture found that…
When you're a stay-at-home dad, you rely on technology to keep yourself sane and your kids safe. These seven must-have gadgets belong in your parenting tool belt, whether you're taking care of the little ones at home or hitting the road for a day of fun. Cordless Vacuum Image via Fli ckr by Honza Soukup…
Being a parent is hard, but there are a few things you can do to make your life a bit easier. Here is a list of things you can do to simplify your life as a parent: Protect Your Valuables: This will not only save you a trip to the store, but also help you…
Kids’ sports are an awesome way for children to learn good fitness habits while socializing with their peers. However, some parents want to make sure that they stay involved in their kids’ extracurricular activities. Here is a brief list of techniques to involve yourself in your children’s sports in a positive way. Practice With Your…
Part of my job as dad is to teach my kids to talk good with proper grammar. By my last sentence, you can already tell I'm not the most qualified at this position but some things are obvious to even me. My 2 year old has been notorious for starting sentences out with "me want." Me…
I know some of you aren't going to like to hear what I have to say, but sometimes you just have to speak up and say what others won't. Sometimes you have to speak up in a world of chaos and be the voice of sound reason. I'm going to type it plain and simple:…
I've been throwing around the idea of adding more audio/video content to the site here and I've decided to try out an idea for a series called "Playground Interviews." Where I talk to my kids (ideally on the playground) about issues or topics and get their answers. The idea would be to ask them deep…
Last night after her bath, Ela started trying to "teach" me something. She was going on and on and being so serious in what she was saying. I was having a hard time not laughing. Every time I tried to do what she was doing she would tell me I was doing it wrong. I…
This post is sponsored by eKavach As if parenting wasn't already hard enough in the real world we also have to make sure we protect our kids in the digital world too. The internet has opened a whole new world of threats to our kids that we need to be aware of, such as cyber…
Before I became a parent, I had a completely different notion of what gross was compared to now. Things that I formerly would have found to be utterly disgusting I now do on a daily basis without batting an eye. I have compiled a list of a few things I no longer find repulsive. Food…
The written word can be very powerful. It can be a great way to express love, record memories and give advice. Many parents have started journals or scrapbooks for their children and many others have started blogs. I have recently come across another way to preserve messages you want to pass on to loved ones.…
Brushing teeth around here is an unpredictable event. Sometimes it's smooth; the kids hold their mouths open, keep still, spit into the sink and then brush themselves at the end. But then there are other times when it's the bane of my existence. There are certain times when, for whatever reason, the kids won't keep…
As many of you know, I have had the pleasure of being on the Dad Bros podcast twice (episode 18 & 36 ). Earlier this week I had the pleasure of also being on the Screaming Dad's podcast . As a bonus it was a video podcast so you can actually see me in my…
I have no idea who coined the term "sleep like a baby," obviously it was someone who never had a baby. Many babies have a very difficult time sleeping for extended periods of time, especially through the night. "Sleep like a teenager" is probably a significantly better term. I've seen teens go to bed at…
My 2 year old daughter has been pulling the time honored tradition of trying to delay eating certain foods at dinner time by claiming she has to go to the bathroom. We have gotten wise to her games and usually remember to make sure she goes right before dinner so when she asks again in 10 minutes…
Stay-at-Home dads are still relatively uncommon. We blend in with the crowd and look almost like any other guy but if you know the signs you can spot us from a mile away. I'm not trying to start some stereotype war , I'm just trying to have a laugh at myself. These may or may…
Well, summer as we know it officially ended this week. School started back up and my oldest (or is it eldest?) son started 1st grade. There were significantly less tears shed this year as he was getting on the bus as compared to last year. I'm talking about my tears. I thought I was ok…
I was once again invited to come on the Dad Bros Show podcast. In case you weren't aware, the Dad Bros are two brothers who are also dads who have a podcast. They chat about general parenting topics as well as general guy stuff. They are entertaining enough that I imagine even a female without…
This group of rag tag superheros is determined to fight for justice, combat evil, slide down slides, save helpless animals and have fun doing it. As long as they can get it all done before nap time. I love my kids so much. They are the most full of energy, rambunctious, sweet and crazy group…
The day started out like many other days this summer. A lazy morning around the house. The kids were playing with their toys and I was drinking coffee. I was formulating a game plan for the day. After a considerable amount of time had passed we all decided that we would head to our neighborhood…
The night started off like any other. Our routine consisted of bath time followed by dinner. We finished off with story time then brushed teeth. Prayers had been said, lights were out and heads were quietly on pillows by 7:30pm. It was as smooth of an evening as we've ever had. It had been a…
This is a post I wrote that was originally published on Mamalode.com on June 19th 2015: It was a typical afternoon in the Smith household. Our oldest son was home from school and we were all out in the backyard enjoying the heat. While the kids were playing I remembered that I needed to adjust…
If your kids are anything like mine they are always getting some random rashes. Sometimes they go away in minutes, sometimes they linger for days. I don't know if I should be putting moisturizing lotion on it or getting a prescription for an antibiotic ointment. So what do I do? Well that's easy, I ask…
There are 4 tiny little humans that live in my house with me. They are each capable of making copious amounts of noise and it seems like they constantly are. Sometimes they are just talking too loud, other times they are making bizarre noises with their mouth, and still other times they are banging on…
35 years ago today a woman went into labor at 11pm at night. By 6 am she and her husband had made their way to the hospital. After several hours, at 2:15pm on June 9, 1980 a baby boy was born to this young couple. On that day their whole world changed. The woman gave…
Like most people who have little kids will tell you, they can say the craziest things sometimes. My kids are no different. They are always making some off the wall and usually funny comment. It also seem that the crazy second child , Greyson, is the biggest culprit. I decided this past week I was going…
Road trips with little kids can be a daunting task but it's not impossible and with the proper planning and preparation it can actually be a mildly pleasant time. The key is to fend off boredom and reduce the amount of times you are asked "Are we there yet?" We have taken several road trips…
There is a song right now that's quite popular and pretty catchy. It's called Uptown Funk, it's by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars. One of the lyrics that gets repeated a bit is "uptown funk you up." If you aren't familiar with the song you can watch it below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0 There is also an old…
Nothing is more awesome than the birth of your first child. You get to experience so many things for the first time. And while parenting is difficult and sleep is hard to come by, you persevere and you become the best possible parent you can. You have read the books, you have gotten advice from…
The days are starting to blur. Tuesday is a lot like Thursday, is a lot like Saturday, is a lot like all of last March. I struggle many days to remember what day of the week it is, they all look so similar. The monotony can be so overwhelming at times, maddening at others and…
It is so easy to take things for granted. It's easy to look back on your life and see the things that you took for granted and wish you had done things differently. I just wrote a post about all The Things I Used to Take for Granted before I had kids. It was a…
Before I had kids I took so many mundane tasks for granted. Staying home and watching 4 kids has taught me a valuable lesson about appreciating the simple things in life. Below I have compiled a list of some of the things I used to take for granted. Going to bathroom Long gone are the…
I can appreciate a great name. Parents spend hours and even years discussing what they want to name their children. There are even companies popping up that will help you pick out a unique name for your baby for the low, low price of $30K. I'm not even kidding, read about it here . A…
So many misconceptions swirl around Stay-at-Home Dads. As the workplace is becoming a more even playing field for women, many couples are finding themselves in situations where having the dad stay home with the kids makes more sense. With social media at an all time frenzy, people are free to share their thoughts instantly with…
We all want our kids to be safe and there are some basic and simple steps we can take to help them be just a little more prepared should a potentially dangerous situation arise. The first thing we have to do is talk to our kids about some of these situations they may encounter. This…
It's always been interesting to me how different my kids are. They each have the same biological parents and have each been raised together but they are all just as unique as they can be. As I got to thinking about it the other day I realized they were each like a point on a…
I don't know what it is about bed time, but kids will come up with just about any excuse to delay going to sleep. In a perfect world I like to try and tire the kids out to the point they welcome the opportunity to fall asleep, but the reality is, that doesn't always happen.…
Here are a 6 practical, no frills pointers to help out any new and soon-to-be parents. Photo Storage System In about a weeks time you are going to have taken more pictures of your new baby than all the other pictures in your life combined. You will need to figure out a good way to store…
Here are a few practical, no frills pointers to help out any new and soon-to-be parents. Photo Storage System In about a weeks time you are going to have taken more pictures of your new baby than all the other pictures in your life combined. You will need to figure out a good way to…
So you are considering having a baby? Having a baby is a huge decision. One that shouldn't be made lightly. I've compiled a list of a few questions you should ponder in helping you decided if you are ready. Do I like sleep? Once you have a baby you can kiss any good sleep goodbye…
Potty training is a necessary evil in every parents life. I don't know anyone who would describe it as fun but then again changing your child's diapers for their entire life isn't going to be fun either. At some point, sooner or later (hopefully sooner) you will potty train your child. Sometimes these things go…
What's up with #2? Why is it that more often than not the second born child is crazy? That's certainly the case with our second child. I often think of him as my own personal Charles Dickens "He's the best of times, he's the worst of times" His name is Greyson and I have found…
Rules apply differently to toddlers, as anyone with a toddler can attest. They regularly say and do the most unexpected and socially unacceptable things. Often it's humorous and innocent since they are just beginning to develop their understanding of the world. As it turns out, they can get away with things that an adult simply…
Today's post is all about how a snake gave me a chance at redemption. Here's the thing though, you can't read it here. You have to venture over to Welcome to My Circus in order to read it. I am the first guest blogger in a new guest blogger series The Sideshow . So…
There will come a day when I'll have to have "The Talk" with my boys. The sex talk. The birds and the bees. The "Where do babies come from?" talk. I can't say I'm necessarily looking forward to it but I'm not overly stressing out about it either. I've got a few years before I…
With the Super Bowl just around the corner I decided to think back about all those lessons I learned playing football as a kid and see how they apply to fatherhood. Audible Sometimes what you originally had planned just isn't going to work out. Thought you were going to take your kids to the zoo…
I'm am the undefeated, 365-time reigning LRF Champion. I know the L iving R oom F loor wrestling league isn't as popular as the WWE, but in our house it's huge! The kids come from all corners of the house to take on the champ. They try to sneak attack, they try to double team,…
Growing up, nearly everyday after school my father would take me out to the back porch and proceed to beat me. He got so good at it, sometimes he would take a paddle in each hand and alternate one after another. I lost count of how many times he beat me. I was powerless to…
As a Stay-at-Home Dad of 4 little kids, I can use all the help I can get to make my life easier. One thing I lean on heavily to help me keep it together is my iPhone. With a couple million apps out there in the app store it can be a little daunting to…
Yesterday we had the pleasure of having my wife home for dinner. I was able to play outside with two of our kids and she was inside with the other two making dinner. It was a nice change of pace for me and I really enjoyed getting to play some soccer with our oldest. Once…
Have you ever lied about your age? As a kid and teenager I was always trying to look and act older. My best friend and I would regularly tell girls we would meet that we were a year or two older than we actually were. In turn we expected that girls were doing that to…
Dear Dad to-be, Congrats! Your life will never be the same. For better or worse, the birth of your first child is an event that will forever change you. So much of becoming a new parent focuses on moms. There is good reason, moms do all of the hard work for the first 9 months,…
Silence is Golden Trouble. Watching a movie and watching kids are two totally different beasts. Silence really is desirable in a movie theater. I don't want my house to be a screaming chaotic train wreck for 18 hours a day but when the whole house is pin-drop quiet I get uneasy. Allow me to back…
As a stay at home dad, I don't get all caught up in trying to portray some manly macho image to my kids or to the world to counter act the fact that I stay home and do a traditionally female role. It honestly doesn't cross my mind 99% of the time. We have 3…
There comes a moment in every child's life when they finally figure out how to move around. Gone are the days when you could place your child in the middle of the living room with a few toys and go to the bathroom knowing that when you returned they would still be right in the…
When did birthing a child make you an expert on all things? We used to have the notion that father knows best but the media and women's liberation groups have seen to it that we no longer go around saying that. Now the catchy phrase is "mom always knows best." I saw the above flier…
Today I was letting my 3 year old watch some TV so I could pick up around the house a little without him getting in the way. I was suddenly overcome with the urge to let him know I loved him. So I walked over to where he was on the couch and said: "Greyson,…
I want my family to be able to go on a wonderful vacation. A long trip to Disney or maybe even a Disney Cruise would be a great option. A strategic road trip visiting zoos, aquariums and museums would also be lovely. Ten days is how long I would like this vacation to be, ten…
Heading home the other night we stopped at a red light and our 3 year old pipes up from the back seat: "Is that our lollipop getting place?" My wife and I looked over to see a bank drive though lit up and we just started laughing. As far as he is concerned, a bank…
Recently my youngest child hit one of those major milestones. I'm not talking about taking his first step or speaking his first word. I'm talking about being able to sit up in a grocery cart by himself. This may seem like a minor deal to the casual kid-free shopper but for someone who's hauling around…
You won't believe what I'm about to say. We've all heard the stories about the Bermuda Triangle and we're well versed with the unexplained goings-on in Area 51, but little to no attention gets paid to the unexplained supernatural paranormal activity that surrounds kids. It's a real thing happening all around us everyday. I'll discuss…
I've decided to start reviewing products that I use on a regular basis. Why? Good question. I appreciate it when others write reviews on products and I can read them before deciding to make a purchase. I hope I can help someone out there make an informed decision as well. Today I'm going to review…
When you become a parent everyone, whether you want it or not, decides they need to give you advice. You hear about how "It'll be the best part of your life" how "You'll never get any sleep" "Your life will never be the same again" "Cherish them, they'll never be little again." How-to book after…
My second born, the three-year old, is a walking soundbite. Sometimes I have a difficult time remembering all the crazy things he's said throughout the day to repeat them later. He's also so animated and has such great delivery that sometimes simply repeating his word doesn't do the situation justice. Last night at dinner he…
I was late to the coffee party. My dad drank one cup of instant black coffee every morning and my mom never touched the stuff. A few sips of my dad's coffee as a child effectively turned me off to the stuff. But then in my late 20s something happened. I had a job where…
We don't do a whole lot of arts & crafts around my house. It's not that I have some aversion to it. I actually enjoy painting and the like, but it's really challenging with little kids. It's usually super messy, set-up & clean up take 45 minutes while the project itself only lasts 10 and…
On occasion I send the kids out into the fenced-in back yard to run around and play while I get dinner ready in the kitchen and watch them through the large bay windows. I usually open one of the windows so I can keep a better ear out for anything that might be going on.…
When our first child was born all he knew was one on one time with mom or dad. When our second child was born we could still rather easily find the time to split the kids up and get some quality one on one time with each of them. When our daughter was born it…
Trips to the doctor's office are always unpredictable. Thankfully today was one of those days where my wife had off and I didn't have to take all the kids in with me. The two youngest had well-checks so I tossed some extra snacks into my bag and off we went. Both kids fell asleep in…
I consider myself to be a typical dude. I love football, I hunt, I fish, I do my own car repairs, if I need a handyman I go into the garage and get my tools, I do my own yard work, I carry a pocket knife, I love all things electronic, I shave a couple…