Stuff Every Dad should know - Review

When I was offered to review a couple of books aimed at new fathers, I called on the bloke aka Daddy Adventure to help me out.  Here are his reviews:

Fortunately this is not a test.  This is a book review on 2 little books we were sent called 'The Art Of Roughhousing' and 'Stuff Every Dad Should Know'.  The first book is great and the second is not to my taste.

The Art Of Roughhousing

I love everything about this book.  From its pleasantly curved edges, to its nicely illustrated diagrams.   The book starts with a bit of a warning on how to rough-house safely.  Common sense unfortunately needs to be reiterated.  Then it goes on to describe in some details about what rough-housing is (it's play) and why its so important.  I liked reading this part as this is something that Dylan and I do for large parts of our time together.  I recall the midwife that visited us a few days after Dylan being born mentioning that I am very comfortable holding my baby and moving him around with enough vigour that it is in contrast to most new parents who treat their babies as if they were as delicate as a spider web.  And ever since Dylan has been flown high and low around the living room.  Being flung in to the sky and not coming back down to earth for several minutes is one of Dylan's favourite things.

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Silent Sunday 03/06/12

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Why?

I have been tagged in this great little meme by Dorky Mum.  Anyone with a toddler will have heard the word 'why' more times than they would have liked, and that is just today.  Although the little dude isn't yet saying much more than dada I know it won't be long until he is questioning anything and everything.  Before he learns the word, I have my chance to ask him a few Why's. . .

Why do you insist on chewing your own toes?  I am almost certain that they don't taste great but in all fairness, I am not about to try them just to prove a point.

Why do you think 7am is an acceptable time of day?  It is the middle of the night and always will be.  We won't even start on night feeds. . .

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Celebrating the Jubilee

Whether you are a royalist or not, you can't deny that the Jubilee is bringing the country together in a unique way.  I mean when else are street parties not only accceptable but commonplace?  Every commercial company seems to have cottoned on and it is not only your biscuit tins that are patriotic - suddenly everything from smoothies to Marmite (ma'mite) is covered in red, white and blue.

The local breast feeding support groups organised a picnic, (open to everyone no matter what your feeding choices).  Luckily the weather gods were being kind and the afternoon was beautifully warm.  The chosen park had enough trees to provide shelter for those blonde of hair and pale of skin, and enough open space for the sun worshippers.  In a show of community spirit, we had a shared picnic, with everyone bringing something along, and both parents and babies alike loved it.

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Cheeky Wipes Review

We made the decision to start using cloth nappies when Dylan was two months old, however it has taken us another seven months to get round to cloth wipes.  It seems silly that we waited so long, as we are doing the extra washing anyway, and Dylan was not immune to nappy rash.

We discovered Cheeky Wipes at the baby show but it was not until last month that we actually started using them.  The pack comes with everything you need for your first year of reusable wipes, all in a handy case. (The oils will run out after about 12 months but can be replaced very cheaply)  It consists of:

A fresh box

A mucky box

A fresh travel bag

A mucky travel bag

Oil for the fresh wipes

Oil for the mucky wipes

25 cloth wipes

A mesh bag

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Playing with a nine month old

I am always looking for ways to keep my nine month old entertained without spending too much money.  He has plenty of toys, but what he really loves, is household objects, or anything that I have used.  Nothing has ever been as interesting or as entertaining as a bus ticket after I have showed it to the driver, and he managed to spend almost an hour playing with a plastic disposable nappy bag (I know he shouldn't play with plastic but he loved it!) after a nappy change the other day too (A clean bag of course)

So I thought I would put together a list of ways we play with household items.

The Scarf

After a nappy change, I grab a scarf (I may have a little scarf shopping addiction) and run it over his body.  As soon as I start to shake it I can see the excitement building up and he loves it going over his face, feeling the tassles stroke his skin.  If you have a variety of scarfs, you can do it with different materials and tassle types.  It never fails to get him squealing and giggling.

The Bottle.

We have a random bottle which

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Review - Galt Playnest

The Galt playnest is a large rubber ring covered in a sensory material cover, forming a little nest to sit a baby in.  Suitable from very small children (partially inflated) through to toddlers, I think they are perfect for babies learning to sit unaided, to give them the extra support.

The play nest is brightly coloured with a farmyard theme, and has eight sensory areas around the outside, including a squeaker and a fluffy pigs nose.  As soon as I sat Dylan in it, he went straight for

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