12 Tips for Fatherhood Awesomeness

Little Dude - Before THE Haircut

Little Dude – Before THE Haircut

Short, but sweet.

I’d like to think I have a firm grasp on the majority of these tips, but some great reminders never hurt.

12 Tips for being a radical dad [from LifeHack]…

  1. Give ’em some love.
  2. Spend time with the rug rats.
  3. Show up at the big game/recital.
  4. Show the kids things you dig.
  5. Talk to them.
  6. Reading is always cool.
  7. Be grateful. And show it.
  8. Play.
  9. Treat everyone with respect and kindness.
  10. Smile.
  11. Pursue your bliss.
  12. Never too many “I love you’s”

Can Ten Tips from a Shaolin Monk Keep the Dude Young Forever?!

I’ve told Mrs. Dude I intend to live to 137.

Not sure why 137. Or how to make that possible.

But it seems like a good idea to set big goals with life expectancy.

I’m psyched to find this sweet list of 10 tips to stay young forever from a Shaolin Monk:

  1. Don’t think too much.
  2. Don’t talk too much.
  3. Work 40 minutes, and stop for 10 minutes.
  4. Control happiness.
  5. Don’t worry or get angry.
  6.  Don’t eat too much.
  7. Take your time.
  8. Do Qigong to find balance, build patience, and develop yin.
  9. Exercise to build yang.
  10. Shaolin Gung Fu to blanance yin and yang.
I need to work on my yin. See you at 137. 

 

12 Tips for a Bueno Casa

You like that Spanglish title? I knew you would.

Last night I shared 10 Tips for Raising Little Dudes. So, it seems like a good time to keep dropping some knowledge in list form.

Tonight’s list offers some ideas for a happy home, and I’m digging these thoughts from The Happiness Project. There are some great tips here that we can put to use at the Dude casa right away.

Here are the bueno tips…with some added comments from the Dude. Enjoy.

12 tips for a Happier Home:

  1. Turn routines into games. No one likes picking up toys. Making it a game is much better.
  2. Control the level of noise. “Inside voice, quiet. Inside voice, quiet.” Yo Gabba Gabba, anyone? For real, keep the yelling to a minimum.
  3. Organize space so it’s attractive, well organized, and well lit. One of my most important Secrets of Adulthood: Outer order contributes to inner calm. – Not the Dude’s comment, but I agree. Get rid of that clutter!
  4. Plan times each day for relaxing activities. For real, relax. We’re all too stressed. Find a way to let it go and be calm.
  5. Encourage a feeling of belonging, e.g., by displaying children’s work and pictures. Love it. Having the kids art work around makes them proud and adds some awesome art to the walls.
  6. Consider children’s reactions when making an unavoidable change. It’s easy to forget how the kids feel. I tend to be the “suck it up” type, but I’m learning to think about feelings more…thanks Mrs. Dude. 😉
  7. Balance indoor and outdoor activities. Every day, outside. No exceptions. Get outside, even if it’s just a few minutes. Breathe fresh air. Remember that we’re all part of nature. Get outside.
  8. Make sure there’s plenty of time to get things done without rushing. Mrs. Dude, did you read that one? Just kidding, you’re perfect. 🙂
  9. Provide opportunities for curiosity and creativity. Same as getting outside, no exceptions. Be curious, be creative; everyday.
  10. Speak in a calm voice. Nice voice, always. Little Dude gets this reminder quite a bit…he’s at the MINE stage.
  11. Explain the behavior you’d like to see in a clear, respectful way. Not “Settle down,” but “Sit in your chair with your feet under your desk.” Not “I could use a little help around here,” but “Please unload the dishwasher so we can get the dirty dishes out of the sink.” – Not the Dude’s comment, but oooh, I dig this. Clarity is crucial….Dude is learning this too.
  12. Meet people’s basic needs. Children and adults need to eat, drink, go to the bathroom, rest, and spend time outside. That’s it. Don’t make life harder than it is. Solve the basic needs, the rest is gravy.

10 Tips for Raising Little Dudes

Did you go vote today? The votes are being tallied as I type. Who will be named the next US Pres?

The Dude’s election prediction: The Man wins again.

The good news, we can finally stop talking about voting and elections very soon. And the 24 hour news cycle will find the next tragedy to focus on. Yay!

Let’s speed up this cycle here on DKB and focus on something meaningful – the kiddos.

I’m not sure who this Susan Sontag cat is, but she’s got a sweet top 10 list of tips for raising little dudes. (Tip o’ the hat to Brain Pickings for sharing the love.)

First, a reminder of how The Man views the kiddos – yes, this is what you voted for today…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=618U-_8o31k[/youtube]

 – Thanks for sharing the love Lew.

Ms. Sontag’s 10 rules for raising super rad little dudes…

  1. Be consistent.
  2. Don’t speak about him to others (e.g., tell funny things) in his presence. (Don’t make him self-conscious.)
  3. Don’t praise him for something I wouldn’t always accept as good.
  4. Don’t reprimand him harshly for something he’s been allowed to do.
  5. Daily routine: eating, homework, bath, teeth, room, story, bed.
  6. Don’t allow him to monopolize me when I am with other people.
  7. Always speak well of his pop. (No faces, sighs, impatience, etc.)
  8. Do not discourage childish fantasies.
  9. Make him aware that there is a grown-up world that’s none of his business.
  10. Don’t assume that what I don’t like to do (bath, hairwash) he won’t like either.

Practical Tips from a Burglar

The Dude has been burglarized on a few occasions; a few cars, a couple houses, and an array of locations. I recovered some goods, lost some, but overall none of the instances were earth-shattering. I did feel a bit unlucky – karma?…not sure for what.

While my life did roll on normally, I can say that it does leave a creepy, violated feeling that lingers for a while. However, I really don’t think of it much, and I don’t view the world as a negative place with thieves around every corner. Although, I do consciously lock my doors, and I have a baseball bat next to my bed – as a dad, these precautions just make practical sense.

These anomalies to my everyday life don’t come to mind too often, but I saw a neat post on swissmiss.com, and since I can relate, I figured it was worth sharing. Some common sense ideas that we should all have lodged in our mental space.

Tips from burglars. And after reading the list, I can say that if I followed these, I probably could have avoided some of the violations.

Worth a quick read…

13 Things a Burglar Won’t Tell You