Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris bites frost.

Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.

If you didn’t know these facts about Chuck Norris, you need to read The Truth About Chuck Norris: 400 Facts About the World’s Greatest Human. My wife bought me the book for Father’s Day but gave it to me early because she knew how funny I find all the Chuck Norris “facts” circulating the Internet.

The Truth About Chuck Norris is a collection of some of the most popular and ridiculous pseudo-facts about Chuck. The book was written by Ian Spector, the guy who started the whole Internet craze about Mr. Norris in the first place. If you’re looking for a funny, mindless read or a goofy gift for a 30-something dad in your life, this is highly recommended.

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Chuck Norris gives roundhouse kicks as Father’s Day gifts

It’s the simple story of a bunny climbing into bed and saying goodnight to everything in his surroundings. He says goodnight to pictures on the wall, kittens, a balloon and, among other things, the moon. This Margaret Wise Brown classic has a great rhythm which reads quickly and melodically. The illustrations are great and are all in primary colors, which makes them more easily visible to babies.

Our son quiets as soon as we start reading and follows along with his little eyes darting across each page. Funny enough, one of his favorite parts is the large white-on-orange circle on the back cover. One reason my wife and I like it so much is that the story is very similar to rituals we practice with him every night; saying goodnight to his stuffed animals, his turtle light, his giant Winnie the Pooh doll, the plants, etcetera before putting him down. Reading is a great way to help boost a child’s cognitive skills, establish a nighttime routine and strengthen the parent-child bond, so it’s a great things to start if you’re not doing it already. If you haven’t ever read it to your child, I strongly recommend Goodnight Moon.

* Photo via Amazon.com

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Goodnight Moon

Broken out into a variety of subjects, the free PDFs fall into categories such as general parenting tips, teen parenting, breastfeeding, family finance, child education, single parents, food and nutrition and among others, being a dad!

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Free parenting ebooks

The idea of teaching financial responsibility to a child will be difficult for me in light of rampant consumerism aimed at kids these days. I also imagine that my desire to give my child anything I possibly can will further complicate the issue. While I would like to offer the world to my kid, it flies in the face of teaching the values of hard work, persistence and monetary accountability. I don’t have all the answers on how to instill this in a child, far from it.

Ironically, in the process of moving things around to prepare the baby’s room, I came across a book that had great insight on this very question. The Millionaire Next Door analyzes the financial habits of millionaires, and in-part notes the impact of generational wealth and parental attitudes on subsequent generations. In addition to interesting social commentary, the book makes the point that when children aren’t taught to value or earn things, they become lazy and unable to manage money.

As I leafed through a few pages it became clear that I’d really have to pay attention to my personal habits if I want to be able to teach my child. I’m beginning to realize that the process of raising a child is going to require intense introspection. I highly suggest the book and have it earmarked for another read.

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Work Ethic in kids

A ‘true’ father is much more than your child’s friend. Your love, commitment to and involvement in your daughter’s life is unshakeable. Whatever happens, you will be there for her, as long as you live. So, you have to be kinder, and more forgiving, than any friend would possibly be. Also, to do your job, you have to sometimes be tougher than any friend would risk being.

There will be times when your daughter will not like what you say, or what you do or what you insist she does. A true father expects and teaches his daughter to be a cooperative member of the family, who keeps her agreements, treats others with respect, is thoughtful in any situation and pulls her weight regardless of the circumstances.

Read more…

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Being a True Father

Read the following. They are Ben Stein’s 10 Commandments of Fatherhood:

1. Time is of the essence. Spend large amounts of time with your child. Kids don’t want “quality time”… They want you to be there all the time.

2. Share your strength with your child. Be an ally, not an adversary. Share with him stories of your own fears, failings, and anxieties and how you overcame them.

3. Do not expect your child to make up for your own losses when you were a child. Let your kids pursue their own hopes and dreams.

4. Look for the good in your child and praise it. Children are nurtured by praise as plants are nurtured by water. Deny it to them at their peril and yours. Children who are told that they can succeed in fact usually do succeed.

5. Do not allow your children to be rude. Being polite is a basic foundation of human interaction, and kids will not succeed in life if they’re surly and disrespectful.

6. Patience is indispensable. Children’s behavioral flaws cannot be corrected by flipping a switch. It takes a long time and a lot of patience to teach positive behaviors. If you are an impatient, demanding, short-fused dad, you will get that irritable, demanding kind of kid.

7. Teach your child and let him teach you. Children will tell you what they want and need. Dads get into trouble when they do not listen to their kids and dismiss their feelings as not important. Also, your child should get the benefit of your wisdom and experience about life, so tell him what you know about the world around you. Learn from your children and let them learn from you.

8. Value your child for what he is, not for what you think he should be. I want my son to know that whatever he becomes in the future, he is prized just for being my son, right now.

9. Raising a child is a job for Mom and Dad. Children with absent fathers are wounded for the balance of their lives. Dad should and must be in there pitching along with Mom, helping out as an equal partner in the tough job of raising children. The true heroes of our generation are at home with their kids.

10. Being a Daddy is priority number one. When you decide that your kids come before your sales quota or your poker-playing schedule or your overtime to make partner, then you will find that all of the other pieces of Daddyhood fall into place – teaching and learning, patience, looking for the good and praising it. When you put your kids first, you are far less alone in this world. What’s more vital, so are they.

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10 Commandments of Fatherhood

It is called Daddy Needs a Drink: An Irreverent Look at Parenting from a Dad Who Truly Loves His Kids– Even When They’re Driving Him Nuts. Yeah I can relate to this. Though I wouldn’t get into the practice of having a few stiff drinks on the job, I can see a where I would definitely feel I “needed” one.

Speaking of needing a drink, normally I cut my hair real low. It is almost buzzed. Well I have been slacking on the clippers and let my hair grow maybe a good inch or inch and a half, which is long in my standards these days. When you got 5 kids who needs the stress of worrying about messed up hair? Its like joining the Military. Having 5 kids is like signing on to some crazy program. You get the clippers out, buzz off the hair, put your boots on, and pray you come out alive.

Well, since I have been slacking on the clippers I have gotten 3 comments in the last week about how gray my hair was getting. It’s tough for me to really see it as they keep saying it is centered on the top of my head. Like a nice patch of gray. My eyes are below my hair so its really difficult to see. But hey I trust them, after 3 comments its time to buzz the head again.

Anyway, that’s another reason daddy needs a drink. Who’s up for one with me?

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Daddy Needs a Drink

But here is a book that I want to read and haven’t yet. It is called Diary of a Mad Househusband: Musings on Life As a Stay-At-Home Dad. I think it looks hilarious. Has anybody read it and want to fill us in on how good it is?

Cover Image:

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Diary of a Mad Househusband

I haven’t read this book personally, but I have heard it is helpful for new parents. It is called Safe Baby Handling Tips.

Might be worth a read. Here is a story about how paranoid I was when we had our first child. It was a day after we had our oldest daughter we drove to the airport in Columbus, Ohio to pick up my mother inlaw. She was supposed to come out and help prior to the birth and stay with us for a couple weeks while we got settled in with the new baby and routine.

Well, my wife went 2 weeks early and her mother missed the birth so she flew in the next day. Well, we had to get the baby ready and buckle her in the nice “new” baby seat we had gotten. Of course, I was so nervous to drive because the baby just looked so fragile. I kept checking to make sure she was buckled in because any unnecessary jossling and jiggling of the baby was going to bother me.

I hit the Interstate and headed for the airport. Each little bump I slowed down and cars were rushing by me in the left lane. I was only doing 45 mph and I couldn’t bear to go any faster. My wife only rolled her eyes but I was so nervous that the baby might get hurt. Talk about insecure eh?

Anyway, we safely arrive at the airport and I go to unbuckle the baby and I realized right then and there that I had forgotten to buckle the baby seat into the car. I just about died. I had the baby buckled into the car seat but the car seat just sat there.

I let me wife drive on the way home!

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Safe Handling Tips for Your Baby

Things you can do is pick up “do-it-yourself” books. One that always comes in handy is Home Improvement 1-2-3: Expert Advice from the Home Depot. That way if you need to get parts you can toss your kid(s) in the car and head off to the Home Depot.

Sounds like a fun day at the office to me.

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Do It Yourself Dad