House Hunting, Simplicity, and Fun Words – Steve’s Daddy Tips (9-25-19)

Hi, I’m Steve and I’m a new Dad who has learned a lot of things over the last several months and I want to pass along some knowledge to you!

Each week I will be giving you some new tips for first-time parents and one spectacular Dad joke!  So let's get to the tips!

1. Today’s first Daddy Tip is one we learned last night when we went to go look at a house. Don’t bring your toddler to a house showing. Britt and I spent more time chasing Charlotte, telling her not to grab things and trying to get her to stop crying than actually looking at the house. So our new plan is to go see houses during our lunch hour when she is at daycare. We suggest you do the same.
2. The next Daddy Tip is for parents of toddlers who are curious about their surroundings. Don’t over complicate things when your little one points at something or asks what is that. Charlotte is in that phase where she points at everything and wants to know what it is. But I’ve noticed that sometimes I’m probably adding an extra layer of difficulty to my explanation. Like if she is pointing at her toy car, I should probably just say car, but sometimes I’ll look at exactly what she is pointing at and be like that’s the side view mirror. Then she will point again later and I’ll say car. That probably really confuses her, so lately I’ve been sticking with the more general word, and just saying car. It’s probably best to keep it simple.
3. And the final Daddy Tip of the week is to practice using funny words instead of swear words so that your toddler doesn’t repeat a bad word that you might say. I’ll give an example, instead of calling someone a @#$%& when you get cut off on the road, call them a Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins. And instead of cursing when you stub your toe just yell, Kelly Clarkson! OK, that’s not a funny word, but you get the idea. Instead of saying awww @#$%& just say awww banana shenanigans!

And now it’s time for an awesome dad joke.

Q: How does an Eskimo build its house?
A: Igloos it together