"Like father, like son." That was my wife’s comment as our 20 week scan revealed the sex of our baby in a rather gratuitous fashion. The guessing game was concluded by the graphic image of our boy’s manhood dangling in between his wide-open legs while both his hands were resting casually behind his head. Yeah, that’s my boy! Now we can finally begin to think of the baby as a little boy rather than an ‘it’, and my mother in law can finally stop knitting an endless supply of pink cardigans. ... read more >>

I was recently invited to my first Bar Mitzvah ever. I had heard about these events but didn’t really know what they meant. Fortunately, I got a little briefing from my dear friend (who invited me in the first place) beforehand and the whole event was also blessed with and by a Rabbi who explained what was happening throughout the proceedings.

In the Jewish religion when children reach the age of thirteen they become responsible for their actions, and "become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah." The Bar Mitzvah ceremony is like an ordinary Sabbath service however the boy or girl attending as an adult for the first time is expected to run the service and is also called to read from the Torah. So it’s obviously a pretty special event in a teenager’s life. ... read more >>

A very happy father’s day to all father’s celebrating this day that recognises fathers.
Today DIYFather was invited to attend and be involved in a Father’s Day celebration held at Capitol E, Civic Square, Wellington.

The event was organised by Jigsaw and supported by, Capitol E!, Wellington Rugby Lions, Classic Hits and DIYFather.

Entertainment came by a one man Pirate Show, thank you Captain Fearless Fickletummy for a very entertaining morning.

Special guest Cory Jane from the Wellington Lions. ... read more >>

One of the greatest things about being a family is family meals, right? Unfortunately at times we tend to deprioritise cooking (or cooking the more fancy meals) because of all sorts of other things that are going on in our lives. How about remembering those cooking skills this Father's Day by dishing it up for the family!

Recently we've come across a website called "menumade.co.nz" - a great little site that provides meal planning and wholesome recipes for the whole family. It even tells you what to buy and you can specify any food likes / dislikes as well as dietary requirements or allergies. How Cool! In fact we liked it so much that we organised a Father's Day competition with them - check it out here. ... read more >>

Over the last few months I had to spend quite a bit of time in doctor's waiting rooms, hospitals and other public places where there was a dedicated play area or toybox for kids. First of all I think it's great that there is an area for kids and that many institutions provide toys to keep the little ones entertained. The downside of this is that many of these toys are in a really sad state - broken, filthy or downright dangerous. Some of them look like they have been there for years without ever being replaced or cleaned. ... read more >>

Being the great water sports people that we are, we decided to make sure that Pyper learnt to swim and could “hold her own” in the water so to speak!!!
Therefore we enrolled her in swimming, this became something very important especially when in NZ and Australia lots of children die as a result of being around water no matter in what capacity. Also little ones love water, so as a precursor to taking to taking her to the pools she learnt two valuable lessons which where – Dad is going to get me completely wet and it’s a matter of time until I go to learn properly since Dad taught himself to swim and not very well, so don’t learn from him. ... read more >>

A family snow holiday can mean many things to Australians; it can be a completely foreign concept, an unimagined idea, or a far off dream. For others it’s an alien and daunting prospect, but something they might want to try at least once in a lifetime. For the enthusiast, a trip to the snow can be a regular event; a fun-filled time spent with family or friends, something to give up other things for.

Whatever it means to you, there must be something special about a visit to the snow because around a million Australians visit ski resorts in this country each winter. But what is it about a snow holiday that is so appealing? ... read more >>

A number of years ago, my four-year-old daughter was starting to say our grace before dinner. “Daddy, fold your hands like this!” she shrieked. Everyone at the table was startled by the intensity of her outburst.

But if we consider the world from the standpoint of a four-year-old girl, it may make perfect sense. She wakes up in the morning and isn’t always sure if she’s going to school or not. She’s not quite sure of which clothes she should wear, and she’s not always sure who she’ll be spending time with each day. She’s not all that comfortable with the language yet, so it’s not always easy to get her point across. ... read more >>

The 32nd president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was related either by blood or by marriage to 11 former presidents. And the majority of Americans are 15th generation descendants from the Mayflower Pilgrims. It’s important for you and your children to know your ancestors. Yet very few of us can even name our great, great grandparents.

So why not assign your kids some homework this summer to find out more about your predecessors? There are many great resources on the Web. Also, have your kids ask their grandparents more about family history and write everything down for your future descendents to benefit.

For a list of questions for grandparents, click here.

Posted with permission from www.allprodad.com



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Fred started swimming lessons last week so everyday from 5:30-6 we can be found lounging out by the city’s public pool. When we first started kicking over the idea of Fred learning to swim a couple of things immediately came to mind. 1) We are talking about my son so do we really want him to learn how to swim when walking down the hall without tripping over his own feet is still a problem? I mean I’m 32 and I still fall all the time. 2) Our idea of swimming lessons involves people in red one-piece bathing suits ala Baywatch with whistles around their necks which they use to keep in the kids in order. ... read more >>