Parenthood for Dummies
Being a father is a wild ride. My name is Christopher & these are my observations, theories & comments on life as the dad of my two boys Ripley & Jayden. I write this to air my thoughts & update my friends & family with photos, videos and such like. For everyone else I offer hints and tips on parenting as I learn them. For legal reasons I make no direct reference to my employer or any of my colleagues.
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on with the show...
most recent posts appear first in the list, then proceeding back in time, check "archives" section on left-hand sidebar for earlier posts
Friday, April 28, 2006
Misc_: My Virtual Avatar Family
OK - I was bored after an exciting day - so I made avatars of my whole family. Here they are:
Chris (me), Penny (wife), Rick (dad), Elva (mum), Lori (step-mum), Kieron (step-dad), Tristan (bro), John (father-in-law), Belinda (mother-in-law), Louise (sister-in-law), Alistair (sister-in-law's boyfriend and jolly nice bloke, not family YET mwuhahaha).











Visit messdudes and make your own
Tags: mess dudes avatars
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Hint_: Controlled Crying - IT WORKS!
Ok - it has been a few weeks since my post about just starting "controlled crying" with Ripley. To recap, in an effort to get him sleeping better, we used the generally recommended practice of letting him cry for longer and longer periods until he falls asleep. Click here for my first post on the detail of it.
Well basically, after 2 - 3 days of trauma (mainly for us), he now sleeps soundly through the night, better still when we put him in his cot he is wide awake and doesn't make a peep - just falls quietly to sleep, BETTER STILL we had such a massive success in such a short time that we moved him into his own room (which we quickly finished decorating) and he now sleeps soundly through the night in his OWN ROOM!!! I can hardly believe it myself and nor can my wife. Ripley - for those who don't regularly read blogs - was easily the worst sleeper of all the babies we know. He had real problems, and yet after only a few days he is sleeping soundly and everyone is happier, healthier and better rested for it. Fantastic. If you have a baby that doesn't sleep - don't suffer it! Try the controlled crying method - I totally 100% recommend it.
Oh yes - while I remember - I have included a flickr badge on the right hand side column with the most recent pictures of Ripley. Alternatively you can just click here
Tags: flickr Ripley controlled crying sleep
Friday, April 21, 2006
Misc_: Ripley loves Pingu
Ripley is in love with Pingu the animated claymation Penguin. He watches no Television with the only exception being Pingu (and when I am playing a Ps2 game with racing cars in it). I understand that the above video courtesy of Google Video has been subtitled with an extremely rude translation of "pingu-speak" - it is in Swedish - so if you are Swedish look away now.. otherwise enjoy the episode
Labels: video
Friday, April 14, 2006
Diary_: 17 Months - New Things and Old Things
Over the past couple of days Ripley has developed a few favourite things and a few fears. He is deathly afraid of a small wobble executive toy that looks a little like a sea anemone, he is also VERY scared of the new shower we have just had installed in the process of getting a new bathroom in. I guess the shower looks a little too much like a snake and some form of primal instinct has kicked in from our times in the caves. As for favourite things, he really enjoys a good draw with the pastels we have, he does one drawing a day and we have kept them in chronological order, over the past couple of weeks the drawings have got more and more yellow. Now they are all yellow. I can safely say his favourite colour is yellow :)
I found this old video and uploaded it (mainly to freak out my long time friend Jason Birt as he will now have internet presence when you type his name on google video :) That'll freak him out. Anyway, it was taken MANY years ago, and I look bloody thin and bloody young, it was back in the days when I could afford sports cars, now I can't afford a paved driveway to park one on. Anyway - Ripley is better than all that material crap. Anyway - on with the video show...
Tags: google video Jason Birt mr2 yellow
Labels: video
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Misc_: Grandparenthood for Dummies
Tags: John Grassby
Photo_: TOO CUTE!
Tags: Ripley cute tired
Labels: photograph
Photo_: Sleepy Head
Tags: sleepy head
Labels: photograph
Hint_: Controlled Crying
Basically it works. It is harder for the parent than the child... but it works and I recommend it. After only a few days he is sleeping through the night and everyone is happier, here is how to do it, please note the books say that if your child has emotional problems you shouldn't do this, mind you - don't all babies have emotional problems? What consitutes an emotional problem in babies... answers on a postcard.
1) Put them to bed, say goodnight and don't make a fuss, walk out.
2) Ignore the screaming for 5 minutes (hard part)
3) Walk in and stand by the door, do not approach the baby and in particular do not kiss, cuddle, etc. Say in a loud, firm, but loving way "Go to sleep baby, Mummy and Daddy are just in the next room" or something like that.
4) Walk out slowly closing the door (should not take longer than a minute or two)
5) The screams will probably rise in level at this point.
Repeat after 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, then continue every 15 minutes.
The baby works out that crying doesn't work and the periods of time get longer, so they go to sleep. Everyone is happy. It sound cruel but believe me (and the experts in many books) it does no harm to the child, the only person it is likely to psychologically damage is you as the procedure is counter-intuative for a parent.
Tags: controlled crying