Category Archives: Parenting

Are We Dumb Parents With Smart-Phones?

If you’re a parent reading this, chances are you’re just as guilty as I am for staring at our smartphone with our kids around.

A recent post from Time.com shared the results of a study recording the behavior of 55 adult-child groupings at a fast food restaurant and captured how often the adult used their smartphone.

Don’t Text While Parenting — It Will Make You Cranky

A new study from Boston Medical Center reveals that parents who get absorbed by email, games or other apps have more negative interactions with their children, making them feel like they’re competing for attention with their parents’ gadgets

First off, any adult is not that smart for subjecting their kids and themselves to fast food, but that’s just how I feel. Poor nutrition aside, the interactions captured between the parent-child groups showed how damaging smartphone use can be when with your kids.

Before this was published, my wife and I had already stopped all technology use at the dinner table, but we are far from innocent when it comes to using our phones as Avery runs around our feet wanting attention. And she deserves it, poor girl, nothing is more important than giving her our love!

Since reading the article, we have become more aware of our use when Avery is around, but I know we’re still not perfect. Just look at my Instagram or aother social media accounts and it’s easy to see I have my phone practically shoved in her face A LOT! Sorry, Avery, please forgive me.

Maybe it’s different if you’re using your smartphone with your kid, but I know simply setting the tech aside and just playing is always the better option. Does this mean I’m going to stop capturing pics and videos of her? Nope, but scrolling through Facebook or Instagram feeds will be limited when our sweet girl is begging attention from now on. I mean, just look at that sweet face!

Get off your phone swing kettlebells with me!
Get off your phone swing kettlebells with me!

Are you guilty of using your phone or other device and not paying attention to your kids?

Do you have certain rules or guidelines on when/where you can use your tech devices?

10 Throwback Thursday Posts from March 2014

Looking back at just a year ago is crazy! Our little girl was, well, littler, and I was still adjusting to the stay-at-home life. Now that it’s almost the end of March, I thought I’d dig through the archives and share 10 of my favorite posts from March of last year for a little Throwback Thursday action. Enjoy!

1. Ninja Turtle Pizzas At G-Ma’s – This was our second time bringing Avery to stay the night at G-Ma’s (or anywhere), and she let us all know her distaste for not sleeping in her crib.

Avery showing her Liley lip curl with G-ma
Avery showing her Liley lip curl with G-ma

2. Our Nightly Routine and I’m Inventing a Water Swaddle – Always fun to look back at what our routine was like a year ago. She was crazy then and beyond crazy now! This also features me wearing Avery in the Baby Bjorn front facing; what I now know better NOT to do for many development reasons.

I want a Water Woombie! Whaaaa!
I want a Water Woombie! Whaaaa!

3. How to Tell Your Baby They Are Getting Shots – I made more “conversations” with Avery back then and need to work on more. It’s always fun writing these posts.

Hold me, dammit!

4. A Talk With My 4 Month Old About Teething – See? I did this a lot compared to now. Love reading them over and over, and man how she’s changed!

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5. A Walking Revelation, Darth Vader Sweat, and Avery in a Zippy – This was the month where I received our first Onya Baby baby carrier and haven’t looked back since.

The force of sweat is strong with this one - Darth Vader
The force of sweat is strong with this one – Darth Vader

6. Hanging With My Daughter in the Dad Cave – Before baby gates and toys were needed, she just laid there. But I made the most of it!

Could be a good workout!

7. Weekend Recap: Breaking Bad, She Rolled Over, 4 Month Shots Delayed, and Teething – The title says it all.

Roll over success!
Roll over success!

8. Sleeping on the Nursery Floor and Onya Outback Progress – We had our fair share of sleeping on the nursery floor, here’s one account.

Boppy's are good for more than just breast feeding!
Boppy’s are good for more than just breast feeding!

9. A Hissing Goose and An Ass Woke My Baby – Another self-explanatory title and picture. We still have the goose and ass hanging around too!

HI!!
HI!!

10. Explaining Exercise to a Baby – Seriously, I’m going to create a post to gather all of my conversations with Avery. This one should be no surprise to those that know me.

Sleeping while daddy works out in the garage

I started writing this thinking I’d only share 5, but there were too many I wanted to share in March. Maybe I’ll do 5 for April.

What do you think, do you like seeing a recap of posts from a year ago?

Do you ever have “conversations” with your baby….before they can actually speak?

Expo Adventures with Dallas Dads and Britax

Last Saturday, our Dallas Dads Group had the honor of working with Britax to hold a car seat safety workshop at the DFW Family Expo. I’m not sure why, but I enjoy going to expos even though I’m not a big fan of crowds. Even more so when the crowds have crazy kids running all over the place. Oops, that was us!

We went into the event with our crazy animal toddler safely contained in her Boba Baby Carrier nice a snug with Going Mom. Britax was setup in a prime location at the entrance for all to see and had their car seat safety workshop sign displayed for all to see. Britax is a major supporter of our nationwide City Dads Group, and it was exciting to be part of their event! DSC_2209 First, we rendezvoused with all of the dads and the Britax team who graciously provided lunch for our group, it was time to explore. DSC_2194 But, I think it was right after the picture with the abominable snow-dog that Avery could no longer be confined to staring up at and pushing Mommy’s chin. DSC_2188 With that, Kelley set Avery free into the wild, errr….expo. Avery wasted no time! DSC_2210 Even with the two of us, Kelley and I could hardly keep track of our little girl. How do those little legs get so far so fast?! Not that I ever want anything to do with Nesquick or the like, but we were thankful for their booth having these large dice. DSC_2229 Until, that is, she tried to run away with them. We took the dice away and returned them which obviously meant toddler meltdown. Using our brains, we tossed Avery in a nearby bounce house in hopes of cheering her up DSC_2267 Phew, I think it worked! DSC_2217 Silly kid had a ball dancing, clapping and even playing with other kids. Or getting pushed down by them, but she had fun and that’s what matters most! DSC_2270 The hard part was getting her back out, and then figuring out how to calm her down again. Thankfully, the force was with us when something strange caught her attention. DSC_2234 Storm Troops and Darth Vader?! Score! Obviously, we had to pose with the Dark Side, and Darth Vader was there too. 😉 DSC_2236

I wasn’t there, but some of the dads and their kids gathered for a (friendly?) group photo.

Dads with Dark Side
Pretty cool stuff, huh? Avery was getting very obnoxious and hungry, but she wasn’t nursing with Going Mom very well because so much was going on. I gave her some organic applesauce in a squeeze pouch, yes, like I once said I’d never do, which only helped for maybe 3.23 minutes.
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Then it was off on another rampant tour of the expo grounds.
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No fear, this child, no fear. It was almost time for the main event, Britax’s Car Seat Safety Workshop, so we made our way back to the front to join the rest of the crowd eager to learn about #BritaxSafety. The beautiful and kind Britax ladies, Kate and Sarah, put on an excellent workshop jam-packed with useful information.
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Did you know heavy jackets and other winter clothing should be removed before putting your kid in their car seat and that the chest clip on car seats should be at armpit level? Or that you should keep your child rear facing at least to 2 years old and longer if the weight limit of your car seat allows? Also, it’s better to tighten the straps until you think it’s good enough, and then pull some more since 60% of the harnesses are not tight enough.
When it comes to our kids and safety, Britax has us covered. We have their Boulevard ClickTight Car Seat, and Avery loves it. Not to mention we love all of it’s safety features and easy installation.
Britax, car seat, safety
Happy in her Britax Car Seat!
Unfortunately, Avery kept on getting more and more irritable, and Kelley had to put her back in the Boba and try her best to keep her calm.
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But it wasn’t long until all was lost and Going Mom gave “the look” letting me know we were already pushing our luck.
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She frantically went to the car in hopes that Avery would nurse better there, and I stayed until the workshop was over. Right after it ended, I had to bail. I know we were already pushing our luck, but I wish we could’ve stayed just a little longer since we missed out on the great group photo taken just minutes after we left.
Dads at DFW Fam Expo
Great group of dads and their families right there! Sorry we missed it, but at least we were able to get our photo with Kate from Britax. Thank you, Kate, for taking time to pose with us!

All in all, it was a wonderful experience, and despite Avery’s craziness, I’m glad she got to experience something new. Plus, she slept very good that night!

Are you part of any parenting groups?

Do you still have a kid in car seats? Do they still sit rear-facing?