The Stay at Home Dad Blog

It used to be diapering was such a hassle; mothers had no choice but to use cloth diapers, clumsy pins, and annoying covers.  Then they invented disposable diapers and most mothers thought it was a miracle.  Now, about 80% of diapered babies use disposable diapers.  But are plastic diapers really better?  Before you go grab a pack of Pampers, catch up on some of the benefits of cloth diapers.

Figure out about how many diapers you use in a week and times it by 52.  Next time you go to buy diapers, look at how much they cost.  You’ll find that it’s a lot of diapers, translating to a lot of money.  The average parent spends two to three thousand dollars diapering their child up to age three.  Now go look at the cost of cloth diapers.  Sure, they’re a little more expensive, but you don’t have to buy them every week at the grocery store.  Cloth diapers have the added expense of doing extra laundry every week, but it still doesn’t compare to the cost of disposable diapers.

Now, go back to the number of diapers you calculated earlier and times that by how many other people in the world use disposable diapers every year.  Pretty big number isn’t it?  In the U.S. alone, 18 billion diapers are thrown into landfills every year.  Not only do they take up tons of space, they don’t biodegrade.  Plus, they’re just sitting there full of hazardous waste.  Urine and feces can contain harmful bacteria; which can work their way into the environment and even your water supply.  Sure, animals go to the bathroom in the wild, but all the animals in an area don’t go in one place like used diapers.

When I was a baby, my mom used cloth diapers.  Not because they were cheaper or environmentally friendly, but because whenever she used disposables I’d break out in a horrible rash.  If you switch to cloth diapers, you may find that some of your child’s diaper rash is actually caused by the irritation from plastic diapers.  Even if your kids aren’t allergic, diapers contain toxic chemicals including Dioxin, which can cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin diseases, and genetic disorders.  And you know those absorbent crystals you see when you rip open up a diaper?  Those are the same chemicals removed from tampons because they were linked with toxic shock syndrome in women.  Sure, the chances these chemicals might harm your child is low, but why risk it?

Most moms choose disposables because they think cloth diapers are annoying and inconvenient.  What they don’t realize is that cloth diapers have changed since we were kids.  Diaper pins have been replaced with convenient snappies and Velcro-like materials (Velcro itself isn’t flexible enough).  You can also get fitted diapers to help keep out leaks.  If you don’t like those annoying plastic covers, you can get wool ones; these are especially fun because you can find them in great colors and pattern.  Wool is also more comfortable than plastic covers, but works just as well.  If you just like the convenience of disposable diapers, there are now all in one cloth diapers that require no folding, no liners, and can just be thrown straight in the wash.

So, why not save the environment, save some cash, and help your kids stay healthy by using good old, dependable cloth diapers.

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You’re on the way to the store. As you approach the first aisle, you reach in your coat pocket to find the shopping list. It’s not there. Scouring through your pockets yields no results.  Most of us typically make little notes or lists, and seem to misplace them. There is so much going on in our lives, the tendency to forget becomes a frequent occurrence.  To avoid this annoyance in the future, here are some tips on how writing effective to-do lists can save you time and stress.

Gather all of the scraps of paper from wherever you’ve placed them, and set them down on the kitchen table. By using either a yellow legal pad; date book; notebook; or anything large enough which cannot be misplaced, transfer everything you’ve written on the scraps of paper to any one of these notebooks or pads.  If you prefer, you can attach sticky notes inside items as well.

Separate the to-do list by category; shopping; appointments, and things to do today.

As each item is completed, cross it off. This will allow you to keep everything you need in one place; and save valuable time later on.

Place two large magnetic clipboards on your refrigerator; one for your grocery list and one for your daily tasks. As you run out of items, write it down. Transfer the list to your book the night before you go to the supermarket. On the daily task board, begin a to-do list for those projects, which need to be done around the house.  Assign tasks to family members as well by writing the task with their name next to it.

Use your daily calendar, which can be purchased as a monthly or weekly guide, for appointments and to-do lists. There is a telephone and address section at the back, which can be used for doctors, dentists, and important information which you can access immediately.

Try to get out of the habit of writing things down on bits of paper.  Once lost, you’ll be hard pressed to remember what you wrote down.  In addition, write clearly.  Sometimes we are in such a hurry we tend to use anagrams or codes.  Ensure what you record is readable, in case someone else has to check an item for you.

Writing effective to-do lists are vital tools which, when used properly, can allow you to accomplish tasks you have schedule for the day, remove the stress, and keep everything on track. Just as you have an address book, you can utilize several books to be used for family medical information, pet records, home projects, and anything else you require to keep your daily life sufficiently organized.

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Like most disposable baby products, diaper wipes can be expensive.  They also contain unnatural chemicals that may harm your baby.  Instead of spending all that money, why not make your own, natural, safe baby wipes at home in just a few minutes?

To start out, you need to find a container to put your wipes in.  Most people use Tupperware or some other sealed container.  You can also put them in an old container of traditional baby wipes, which will give you the option of putting them in a wipe warmer.  Once you have your container, you need to get a roll of Bounty paper towels (you’ll be sad if you use another brand, I promise), cut it in half, and remove the inner tube.  This will give you two sets of rolls to use.

Once you have your other materials ready, it’s time to make your wipe solution.  Now, if I were to give you all the recipes out there for natural baby wipes that are available, it would probably take me 100 pages.  Recipes for baby wipes are similar to recipes for food: everyone has their own.  Try different recipes and see which one works best for your baby.  If you can’t find one you like, you can always come up with you own recipe.  Most recipes contain water (boil then cool for sanitary reasons), baby shampoo or baby bath, and some kind of oil, gel or lotion.  You may also find herbal ingredients that are generally for special treatments (anti-fungal wipes) or for aromatherapy.

Once you’re done making your perfect solution, you’re going to put the paper towels in the container and pour the solution over them.  Let sit for 10 minutes, then turn upside down and let sit for ten more.  If you’re using a container that leaks, make them in a sealed container then transfer them to the one you want later.  Once the 20 minutes is up, your towels should be soaked through and ready for use.  Just pull the inside towel up, seal your container, and you’re ready to go.

Take the second half of the paper towel roll and store it.  Take care not to make too many wipes at once, since homemade wipes don’t have preservatives and artificial chemicals like regular baby wipes they will get moldy and musty if left too long.  If you’re constantly having the problem of wipes going bad before you’re done with a roll, simply mix smaller batches of the solution and add them to the paper towels when you use them instead of ahead of time.  This can be done by putting it in a spray bottle and spraying some on a wipe, or by dipping the wipe in some solution just before you’re ready to use it.

After you make a batch of baby wipes, be sure to write down the recipe you used, especially if you’re trying several.  This will let you know what works best and what may be too rough for your baby’s gentle skin.  In no time, you’ll have the perfect homemade personalized baby wipes for your child.

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You can have the most elaborated back yard from the entire neighborhood, but if it isn’t functional you have built it in vain. We all want to have beautiful and flourishing gardens, but when we have a family, we must also take into consideration the needs of the other members of it. Divide the space of your yard in two or three visual spaces, one for play and relaxation, one for gardening and maybe one for pets.

An open space, covered by lawn is ideal for your children. Here you can install a table for open air lunches or for a romantic summer evening dinner.

Do you have a fireplace? Keep a portion of your garden especially for depositing fire woods, but make sure it is at a considerable distance from the house or animals that can cause damage.

How about pets? You can build for these little members of your family special spaces, in which they can play and exercise. Before you plant bushes and ornamental plants, surround the pet space. Cats and dogs tend to be attracted exactly by the things we try to keep them away from.

Keep the by-passers’ eyes away from your personal life. Before planning the scenery, you must have in sight a place for the garbage cans. It wouldn’t be very nice to have a wonderful garden right next to the garbage cans. These can be efficiently hidden in some kind of surrounded space, decorated on the sides with life fence.

Functionality is an important factor in your garden, so you have to think about children, little pets and family assets before you plant anything. Save a portion of the yard especially for you, in which you can plant whatever you want and leave for the others some space to breathe freely.
You will find it more satisfying this way, once the whole family is happy with your garden and they might even bring their personal ideas for it. It is important that personal space is respected and that is why the garden must not be very wide, taking up all available space. Build from time to time a pathway or some benches where you can just relax and admire your work.

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Saving Money is one hard task. There are lots of things to be considered, primarily on how to budget your cash on hand that would somehow, if not manage to have excess left money, be exact of what it should be used for. Budgeting is really a pain in the neck. Allocation of electric bills, water bills, phone bills, etc. is just few of the many things being considered on how to utilize your cash wisely. Food is no exception. Being the most important of all house responsibility, we prioritize on how to budget our money, reducing the money spent without sacrificing the food allocation. We mainly buy necessities in groceries. It would be of help if you list down goods you have to buy together with their prices (if possible) so as to ensure yourself that the budget allotted for food is exact or there is a shortage. If so, you could trim down your list or think of a better replacement. To furthermore avoid shopping shortages, here are some tips.

1. List goods that should always be found in the kitchen. Examples of which are coffee, milk, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, onion, garlic. These goods are necessary, so they are always being bought.
2. Plan your weekly meals ahead of time. This would avoid you overspending on goods invaluable or missing some ingredients that are needed. This would not just clear your worries but it would also save your time.
3. Don’t buy branded goods; instead choose a product that has the same quality of those expensive goods. You’ll get the same benefit without spending more.
4. Buy goods that have dual purpose. A good example of which is mayonnaise. You can use it as a sandwich spread or make macaroni salad instead. In a way, you could enjoy eating both without spending too much.
5. Buy less expensive cuts of meat. List recipes that the cuts won’t matter. At least, you won’t be sacrificing the taste of the food and at the same time you’ll have the chance to buy a larger quantity.
6. Pay in cash. You might be tempted to buy unnecessary goods. This would avoid you from going over your card limit.
7. Try to be inventive and creative at the same time. Leftovers could be precooked in a way that it would look appealing again to your appetite.
8. Bring some snacks whenever you travel. This could be a good reliever for your hunger along the way and chances of being tempted to stop in a mini store; if not be impossible, at least be lessen.
9. Keep a list of prices of goods you always buy. At least, with those products you’re sure of how much you’ll be spending and you could do just a small amount on goods you wish to buy.
10. Shop only once or twice a month. In that way, less time will be spent on going to a grocery store and at the same time, chances of overspending will be minimized.

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If you’ve looked at the price of baby food lately, you might be surprised at how high it is.  Plus, if you want your food to be organic and not full of preservatives, you have to pay even more.  With a little time and work, you can save money by making your own baby foods.  It’s easy and simple to make delicious, nutritious meals for your baby.

What you’ll need:

A steamer.  Don’t boil baby food; it takes away nutrients from your baby’s food.  You can get an inexpensive steamer that cooks quickly and leaves all the vitamins and minerals your baby needs

A food processor.  While most people would think to use a blender to puree food for your baby, you’ll probably be sadly disappointed with the results.  Blenders not only make a mess, they also make lumpy food your child may not be fond of.

Ice cube trays, freezer bags, and lots of space.  Unless you want to cook up food for your child everyday, freezing is the way to go.  Instead of having to make new, you can just pop it in the microwave and be ready to go in no time.   Ice cube trays are a great way to store food and make convenient portion sizes.

The first step is to wash and skin fruits and vegetables then cut them up into small pieces.  This will make them easier to use later.  If skinning and peeling gets tedious, you can always use some prepared food from the grocery store, like baby carrots.  This way you just have to wash them and skip to the next step.

The next step is to cook your food.  For vegetables, use the steamer.  Once you’re done steaming, keep the water.  You can add it later to thin out your food to the right consistency.  If you’re preparing meat or pasta, just cook it on the stove as normal, but don’t add any oil or spices.

After your food is done cooking, you’re ready to start processing.  Put the foods separately into the food processor.  For pureed foods, you can leave the processor alone because it may take a while.  Later on when the food needs less processing, you may need to monitor it.  This is also the point where you would start fruits like banana that don’t require cooking.  You could also try throwing in some of last night’s leftovers.

After your food is prepared, pour it into the ice cube trays.  If you don’t have enough room in your freezer, simply put sealed food into the refrigerator until you do have room.  Once the cubes are frozen, put 4 of them into a Ziploc back and put them back into the freezer.  At first, you should keep the same kinds of foods in the same bag, but eventually you can start mixing and matching.  For example, put in two meat cubes and two pasta cubes for a mixed meal.

When you’re ready to go, just take a baggie out of the freezer and pop it into the microwave; simple as that.  If you don’t use microwaves, you can heat in hot water on the stove; just be sure not to melt the bag or cook the food more.
With just a little work, you can make great tasting, inexpensive meals for your baby.

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One of the newest trends in parenting is baby sign language. People in the deaf community have known for years that babies could communicate through sign long before their vocal cords allow them to speak, but the trend didn’t really catch on because of the false assumption that signing led to later verbal language development. We now know that not only does signing not keep a baby from talking; it actually helps them to start talking sooner and have better language skills.

By using sign, children learn how to express themselves with words, and some will even start to put words together in sentences before they turn one. Sign is also great for relieving some of the frustration you and your child face because they can tell you exactly what they want. This is especially helpful if your child is ill. Imagine a child under a year being able to tell you not only that they’re in pain, but where it hurts.

Before you start teaching your baby to sign, you should decide what signs to use. While the logical choice would be American Sign Language, some people discourage this because the signs are too complicated for developing hands and fingers. If you want to use simpler signs, there are books and videos with signs that are easier for babies to perform. Or you can make up your own signs, whatever works best for you. Just be careful with non-ASL signs. Some parent’s have unknowingly taught their children to use offensive language and been very embarrassed later on. Even if you use a sign from a baby sign book, that doesn’t mean you’re safe. It’s best to check with someone who knows ASL before teaching a new sign to your child.

Once you’ve decided what signs you are going to use, you need to take the time to learn them. If you do decide to use ASL, there are many resources online to learn from. Not only are their online ASL dictionaries; there are also specific resources that include only signs babies will need. They even have videos so you know you’re doing them right. To learn the signs, you may want to start using them even before your child is ready. This way you’ll be in practice when they are. The important part is to be consistent. Once you choose a sign, stick with it. And use it whenever the baby is in the room. That way, they think it is a normal part of communication.

Teaching a child sign language takes a little time, but is fairly simple. If you use hand signs, you can start around 7 to 8 months; however signs involving the lips and tongue can be taught starting at birth. You can teach your child to stick out their tongue for pacifier, or purse their lips if they want milk. To teach a sign, simply make the sign or facial expression every time you use a word. To keep your child from getting confused, teach them one word at a time. Once they’re successfully using that word, add another. Since this process might go slowly, teach them the most important words first, like: milk, wet (diaper), and ow (pain). These will also be the most useful words to you.

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Teething can be a horrible time for babies. Not only does a new tooth cause pain and discomfort for your little one, it also can be scary to have something new growing inside their mouth. While there are lots of products on the market, such as baby Tylenol and teething gels, these products can be dangerous for your child. Before you go shopping at the pharmacy aisle, try some of these natural remedies to stop teething pain.

What most people don’t realize is that not all babies are in horrible pain while teething, they’re simply uncomfortable and scared. The option many people skip to cure teething pain is to distract the baby with a toy. Focusing on the pain can make it worse, so try to give them something else to think about.

Another natural cure for teething pain is giving the baby something to chew on. Pressure on their gums will not only feel good, it will distract them from the pain and discomfort by giving them something to do. Here are some ideas for what to give your baby.

• Frozen teething ring. While the cold helps numb baby’s sore gums, freezing normal rings can make them hard and uncomfortable. They now make soft teething rings that stay soft when you freeze them. Just be careful; soft rings can break open if chewed to hard. Make sure the ingredients inside wont harm your baby.
• Frozen washcloth. Just wet it down and pop it in the freezer. It has all the benefits of the teething ring, but it’s softer for more sensitive babies.
• Food. Frozen bananas can be something new and different for a baby that doesn’t want their teething ring. Plus they taste good too. Just don’t give a baby with teeth since they can break off and choke on.
• Teething Biscuits. While the teething biscuits that your mother gave you contain chemical you probably don’t want baby to have, they do make new organic biscuits you can give. Just be sure to check that they’ll dissolve in your mouth before giving them to your child so there’s no risk of choking.

If you’ve tried all these options and nothing’s working, don’t worry just yet. There are natural products and herbs you can give your baby before turning to medicines. Here are just a few that others have found helpful. Check with a doctor before giving anything to your child.

• Natural teething tablets. The best one’s to use contain Chamomilla for irritability and Belladonna for inflammation. They come in a form that dissolves in your child’s mouth so there’s no risk of choking.
• Clove oil. This is pretty potent stuff; so you want to dilute it. Just mix a few drops with 2 tablespoons of safe, edible oil and rub into baby’s gums. The rubbing action will also soothe them as well.
• Vanilla extract. Rubbing a little bit on baby’s gums not only feels warm and soothing; the vanilla also has a calming effect.

If you’ve tried all these remedies and nothing has worked, take your child to their pediatrician. A common problem is that parents may miss signs of an illness because they think the crying and fussiness is caused by teething. The most important thing to remember with a teething baby is patience. When you get upset and frustrated, you child gets upset and frustrated too.

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Nothing can be more nerve racking for a parent than the wail of a baby who can’t be comforted. You can lose a lot of sleep and at some points come close to losing your sanity. While everyone has their own ideas for raising children one of the best things you can do for your baby is calm them naturally. Here is some information to help you finally calm your baby.

Many parents and doctors will tell you to just leave your baby alone when they are crying. The philosophy is that if no one comes to help the baby, they will learn to “self soothe”. The truth is small babies don’t have the emotional capabilities to self soothe. Yes, the baby will stop crying eventually, but only because it feels it has been abandoned and has given up on seeking help. A baby who isn’t comforted when they cry believes their parents no longer care. This can destroy the parental bond and the child’s self esteem. Letting a baby “cry it out” may not always be the best option.

On the other hand, your psychological health matters too. There’s bound to be the occasional time that you can’t take it anymore and no one is around to help you. If you feel you’ve reached your breaking point, it’s all right to take a break from your child for a few minutes while you regroup. If your child knows you’re coming back eventually, they will be less likely to feel abandoned.

The best way to learn to soothe your crying baby is to get to know them. Most of the time, the child is crying because something is wrong; they’re hungry, tired, grumpy, sick, bored, or have one of a multitude of other needs, and every one of these problems has a different cry. If you spend time with your baby and listen carefully, you should be able to distinguish one cry from another. You should for other cues such as facial expressions and body language. The sooner you learn to interpret your child’s crying, the sooner you’ll be able to satisfy their needs.

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