Easter Daddy

Rachel, Noah, and I just got back from a long Easter trip to Wisconsin. We visited family there and we stayed at a very nice bed and breakfast that my aunt runs. It was really relaxing having nothing on my shoulders to worry about (especially midterms!). I’ve got some pics here showing how much fun we had.

Wisconsin (Easter '08)

You could say that pretty much every day, I learn something new about being a dad.

I’ve already learned all the obvious stuff: It’s fun, tiring, and a LOT of work.

But… there are many things out there that aren’t as obvious that require Dads to think a little in order to realize what’s really going on.

What I’m Learning

1) – Kids are smarter than you think.

Many times I see Noah pointing out things on his own that I had never noticed or even prompted him to see. I think all parents should realize that their kids are smarter than we imagine and we need to give them more credit. When we realize that they are smarter, their potential to grow is far greater than before. Heck, I never thought Noah would be counting before age 2, but he counts to ten! Don’t let your preconceptions about where “they should be”, because if you get stuck on that, you’ll be holding them back.

2) – Timeouts work when you use them

I could see why many parents give up on the timeout gig. It’s frustrating because not only is your child sitting in timeout, but you are too. You have to take time to stop what your doing and put the child in the corner. It’s not enough to say, “Go to timeout!” when your child probably has no idea what they did (unless they’re older than 3). I’ve realized that when I am 100% with the timeout business, it works and he behaves much better.

3) – Relax

From the moment I knew I was going to be a Daddy, I promised myself that I was going to be the best dad ever. But we all know, no one’s perfect. I used to try everything possible to make sure Noah was being taken care just how “I” wanted it done. I forgot to take my wife’s advice into consideration, and that’s where the trouble starts. Relax a little bit. Let your kid have fun. Let them cry when they want to cry, let them play when they want to play. Don’t be so up tight about them getting dirty…. it washes off! Seriously! It makes you feel so much better and takes a huge burden of stress of your back when you just let go of the little things that bother you about your kids.

Pictures!

Noah