Parenting — Miscellaneous

• Becoming A Father

  Over time, our healthy selfishness started to become stale. Going to the bookstore to look at books and magazines began to get old. All of our routines slowly became dated, and we were starting to long for something more significant and meaningful in our life. We were looking for something that was a part of us, yet wholly separate and unique.

• New Research Suggests “Self-Reliant Nuclear Family” Is A Myth

  Despite the long-cherished belief that the nuclear family is independent and self-sustaining, most families with working parents depend on a network of care to manage work and family demands, according to research by Brandeis University sociologist Karen Hansen. More than half of all U.S. households with young children have two employed parents.

• The City Parent Rules: Navigating Traffic with Young Children

  Rule #1: Stand well back from the street when waiting to cross. It’s not safe to stand right on the curb. If you talk to your local police, they’ll back us up on the frequency with which cars or buses find themselves forced up onto a sidewalk. You need to give yourself some margin of safety against that occurrence. Most safety experts recommend that pedestrians (and strollers) stand 2 feet back from the curb when waiting at an intersection. And we’ve heard of some cops who, based on what they’ve seen, think you need to stand at the building line to really be safe.

• The Top Diaper Bags For Stylish And Savvy Moms

  Forget bears and bunnies. Today’s diaper bags are all about mom and her needs: The need to be organized. The need to feel stylish. The need to have daddy lug the thing around once in awhile.

• Today’s Family Man: Breathing Lessons

  Early one week in January, I commented to my wife that little Ari—then only eight weeks old—was faring well during the cold and flu season. On the very next Saturday, he got a stuffed-up nose. The next day, he slept a lot and his breathing seemed slightly ragged. Still, being experienced parents, we thought he’d be fine with basic care.

• Advanced Parental Age

  A year-and-half ago, I wrote a column called “To Three or Not to Three.” In it, I aired out the debate my wife and I had about having a third child. Wendy felt that she wouldn’t be complete without kid number three. I was pretty much done at two and feared, among other worries, that I’d be stretched too thin if we went from “man-to-man defense” to “zone.”

• Buying Gifts For Expectant Parents

  You’ve just received a baby shower invitation from your best friend or heard that your brother and sister-in-law are expecting and your mind turns to thoughts of miniature clothing and plush soft bears. But if you want to get them something they’d actually need, along with that adorable mini twin-set, complete with pearls, there’s a few things you can keep in mind.

• Using Music To Calm Your Baby

  Music is a wonderful way for you to calm and soothe your baby, especially during the first year. How many times have your heard parents say that there was nothing that they could do with their crying, fussing baby until they tried music. This is because music does indeed soothe the savage beast, or in this case, the baby.