Born to fish

Loving these billboards ... totally random

BTW "Okuma" is the Okuma Fishing Tackle Corporation.

Enjoy,

stef

Dad's Guide to Pregnancy - from clueless to awesomeness

The team at DIYFather.com is proud to announce the publication "Dad's Guide to Pregnancy For Dummies". The 170-page book contains the latest information, resources and cheats to help new dads master dadhood. This book is the closest to a manual for babies you'll ever get your hands on! It's also the most compact book on pregnancy info for dads - you can easily read the entire book in less than 2h! From clueless to awesomeness in 2h ... it doesn't get much better than that! The book is available in all high street and online book stores from 1 February 2012 for only $19.95 (!)

Ladies - this is the perfect gift for you man! Wouldn't you want an involved father who knows what he's doing look after your child? Yeah - well it's a small gift for dads but a huge gift to mankind! Let's face it ... this book is probably the only credible baby related present you can get away with for Valentine's Day anyway - so go get one!

For those who want to know more - here's a quick overview

#1 parenting secret revealed for new dads

What is the #1 most important parenting rule in the world ever? Most of us experienced dads know this but some new dads might not be aware of the unwritten law of parenting. Revealed here on DIYFather.com for the first time in the history of dadkind:

NEVER GIVE ADVICE TO PARENTS WITH CHILDREN OLDER THAN YOURS

That's it ... nothing else matters. There's a few variations to this rule though (depending on your profession)

• Consultants: Don't give advice to other parents with older children unless you are getting paid for it
  
• Software Developers: If lastname(parent(B).child) = "Dotcom" exit();
  else if get_age(this.child) > get_age(parent(B).child) do dump_advice();
  
• Plastic Surgeons: Don't give advice to other parents with children prettier than yours

A dad's guide to stain removal (... yes we are serious)

If you have a toddler or an active young person then changing their clothes 3-4 times per day might seem like the norm? Well apart from putting them in dirt proof clothes you're probably also doing a lot of washing and may wonder how to get some of those damn stains out ...

Well, fear not, as usual DIYFather boldly goes where no dad has gone before ... a recent investigation into why our clothes are getting ruined and how to get rid off all sorts of nasty stains has revealed this very valuable information below. This should actually be in ALL parenting books (and yes we will put it in the 2nd edition of Call Me Dad). The stain removal tips will hopefully help you save some of the clothes for round 2 or make for a presentable item on your next clothes swap event. OK - here it goes - make sure that you treat the stains ASAP and they actually come out (I tried!!!)

Adhesive Tape

Tech dads and lullabies

If you are having issues with getting your little one to sleep why not try out some video lullabies like the one below. Set up your laptop or tablet computer in the nursery so your little one can hear the song and/or see the screen. Try it out (certainly put me to sleep ...)

There's heaps more on youtube - just search for "lullabies".

Enjoy,

Stef

A Baby Signing Story

Like many parents who sign with their baby, my initial motivation for teaching my son American Sign Language (ASL) vocabulary was to give him a way to express his wants and needs before he was able to speak. Joshua started signing at 9 months of age, and by the time he was 18 months old, he could use at least 80 words, a combination of spoken words and signs. He was able to communicate his needs and wants. He could request a cookie by signing COOKIE. He could ask for more fruit cocktail by signing FRUIT. He could even ask to have the family minivan cooled down in the middle of a heat wave by pointing to the dashboard and signing COLD WIND -- a better phrase, really, than air conditioner! Joshua's ability to make clear requests using signs delighted my husband and me.

Dog or baby - you decide

If you've ever wondered whether to have a baby or get a dog ... here's a direct comparison.

Devine

-Stef

Newborn Parenting for a New World

"If you haven't heard about "Dads The Word" check it out now! We've been working with Ross and her team for many years and her programme for new parents ("Newborn Parenting for a New World") really is one of the best around. If you've ever been frustrated about upskilling your childcare skills (or find books just way too dry) give Ross' programme a shot! Compared to many other parenting education DVDs, videos and apps "Newborn Parenting for a New World" is not only very practical but it's also pretty funny!

In 28 minutes the "Newborn Parenting for a New World" DVD shows you how to:

• Settle a crying baby
  
• Bathing a baby
  
• Step by step guide and tips on nappy changing for both baby girls and baby boys
  
• Feeding a baby
  
• Baby massage
  
• Dressing your baby
  
• And SIDS prevention

Nappy change - the radio presenter way

Matt Tilley shows how your average radio presenter changes diapers/nappies. Nice :-)

Enjoy,

Stef

Child car seat safety

The loss of a child is the single thing that scares parents the most. We often obsess over ways to keep our children safe. We buy plastic doodads to plug into electrical sockets to keep little fingers away, we put poisons and chemicals out of reach and special childproof locks on cabinets, and, of course, we put our children in child safety car seats. What we often fail to do, however, is get expert help with car seat installation. Studies from the Center for Disease Control have shown that motor vehicle injuries are the greatest public health problem for children. When correctly installed, child safety seats reduce the risk of death by more than 70 percent for infants and more than 43 percent for children aged 1 to 4!

Improving car seat safety