Yup, we're going to need some wipes.

Since our successful switch to cloth diapers the CleverFamily has been thinking about other ways to save money and reduce waste. Second only to diapers, baby wipes are one of the items we go through the most. Wiping butts, wiping noses, wiping faces, wiping hands. It’s no surprise to see a mountain of used wipes filling the garbage can by the end of the day.

I’m cheap and easy. So when I find something that saves me money it turns me into a giddy school girl. Fortunately, making your own baby wipes is cheap, easy, and quick! Follow the recipe below and in minutes you’ll find yourself scoring bonus points with the wife when she sees your nifty concoction in action.

What you’ll need:

• Cloth baby wipes or paper towels. You can use those blue shop paper towels for extra strength and masculinity. (Baby wipes? Hell no, these are for cleaning the bugs off the truck grill!)
• An airtight container. Find an old plastic baby wipe container or something with a sealable lid. If you have neither, use a Ziploc bag.
• 2 tablespoons of baby wash soap.
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• 2 drops of tea tree oil.
• 2 cups of water.

Instructions:

1. Mix ingredients well in a separate container.
2. If using paper towel, separate the sheets, fold them in half, and stack.
3. Now you have two options. You can either soak the towels/wipes directly in the container or fill a spray bottle with the mixture to apply later.
4. If you’re soaking the towels/wipes, fill your container with the mixture and toss in your towels/wipes. Keep them folded neatly or you’ll find yourself with a large soggy ball. Turn container upside down and let sit so the mixture will soak evenly.
5. If you prefer the spray bottle, fill up your container with dry wipes and keep the two together.
6. Pat yourself on the back. You’re done!

We took the presoaked cloth wipe route because we are already washing diapers so few wipes thrown in the mix didn’t matter. Not only are they cheaper, these homemade wipes are much stronger and hold up better against the nastiest diapers Little Miss can produce.

Hey – do you hear that? It’s your wallet thanking you!

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Albert Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I now know exactly what he meant.

Lately Little Miss has been purposely using her fingers to gag herself. Every chance she gets the fingers are digging at her tonsils.

This wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t gag herself to the point of blowing chunks. She’s only puked once (luckily) but we want to discourage the behavior. And seeing as how tying up your baby is frowned upon, I am stuck finding a different solution.

The hard part to figure out is the cause. Why does she feel the need to gag herself? Is she teething, sore throat? Or is it a habit while tired or a grab for attention?

After a quick search I came across a post at baby center that asked “how can I get my toddler to stop gagging himself?” Looks like we’re not alone – there are kids out there just as crazy as Little Miss.

Here are a few tidbits from the post:

• It’s an attention grabber. Ignore it.
• It’s normal for a teething child.
• To help deter, coat their fingers in lemon juice.
• It’s a new sensation and one hell of a response. From their body and us parents!

So it looks like she is normal – for now. We are going try and ignore her to see if it passes on its own. I personally don’t think the lemon juice would do the trick. Once she figures out her fingers are a lemon flavored lollipop we’ll never get them out of her mouth!

Anyone else had/have this issue? What do you suggest?

Photo courtesy of: Red Betty Black

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I started blogging before Little Miss was born. Back then I had plenty of time to spare. So much free time I would run out of things to do and actually suffer from boredom. (What the hell is that now?)

Here is a breakdown of the past few days at the Clever household. Let the battle of blog vs Little Miss commence!

Saturday

CleverMom was babysitting our friend’s children for the day leaving Little Miss and me to fend for ourselves. We were able to find nourishment by eating the leftover chips and popcorn found under the couch cushions. My blog goal was to finish up tweaking the new layout, finish the footer, and the sidebar. I’m probably stating the obvious when I say that following a 9 month old around all day is damn tiring. Blogging didn’t happen.

Little Miss: 1 – Blog: 0

Sunday

Sunday was a gong show. My sister was visiting from out of town, the wife had two photo sessions booked, and we had a barbecue to attend. The busy day ensured Little Miss was good and tired at bedtime. I put her to bed a half hour early and sprinted for the laptop. I was able to put a few finishing touches on the layout, create new subscribe buttons, and ponder the customization of the comment section. Victory!

Little Miss: 1 – Blog: 1

Monday

CleverMom had a mentoring session with a local photographer for experience. I mentioned before that she is in the process of starting up a photography business so this was an excellent opportunity. It was an evening appointment which meant that it was just me and Little Miss. My plan was to work on a few blog post ideas once she went to bed. It didn’t go as planned, Little Miss was a little more unsettled than usual. After a some dad cuddles and a bottle she was good to go, but by then it was time to pick up the wife. The blog posts get shelved for another day.

Final Score: Little Miss: 2 – Blog: 1

For those of you keeping score at home, Little Miss won. But that’s a good thing, she deserves to win. Until I become the superhuman problogger that my ego thinks I am, I’ll stick with plugging away at the keyboard while she is counting sheep.

Her childhood is too important to watch over the top of a laptop screen. It seems like people these days are always chasing that next dollar, next job, next reward, so we never stop to live in the moment. Take a step back and count your blessings, there is always time if you make the effort.

And besides, how the hell am I supposed to write about fatherhood without experiencing it to the max! Whoops, shouldn’t be yelling – don’t want to wake the sleeping monster.

Sweet dreams.

Photos courtesy of: Daftgirly & Kqedquest

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Empty threats have to be one of the useless attempts to parent a child. You see it all the time, at the mall, at the park, at school – parents pleading with their little angel to shut the hell up and behave. Occasionally it will work as the child becomes distracted for two minutes before picking up where he or she left off.

I had the pleasure of witnessing such a scenario. By the end, I felt embarrassed. I was embarrassed for the mother as her attempts to control her hooligan sounded more like a surrender to his antics.

I work for a telecommunications company and our office also includes a retail space. My desk is located around the corner of the retail space. Most days are quiet, but the odd time I get a first hand glimpse to the wonderful people of the community.

Today was one of those days. A lady came to the office with her son (about 5 years old) and immediately the little guy was bouncing off the walls. My first thought was that kids are energetic – you can’t expect them to be total drones while out in public.

As I paid closer attention, I heard the mother’s attempt at discipline:

“Time out for running inside!”

“Please stop running, that’s how you broke your arm in the first place” (say what?!)

“Inside voice, please stop!”

“I’m going to tell your dad you’re being bad!” (Classic!)

A swift “NO” from the boy then shut down the mother – she gave up wrestling this gator and let him roam free. This went on for twenty minutes until the mother was finished and left.

There is one golden rule that I try to live by. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. This goes for rewards and discipline. You wouldn’t think twice about promising a trip to the park so why not time outs? Children crave structure. Kids need to know that you will keep your word – good or bad.

Inconsistent parenting leads to children that don’t accept boundaries. They will constantly push as they try to find the line in the sand. A no yesterday is a no today and will be a no tomorrow.

So c’mon parents, step up. Say what you mean, and mean what you say.

Photos courtesy of: Bah Humbug & Grant MacDonald



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Waiting for the doctor with young children is like sitting with lit dynamite, eventually it is going to explode. You know its going to be loud, destructive, and did I mention loud?

So how do you survive the dreaded waiting room without leaving a crater of destruction in your wake? Which wire do you cut to diffuse the cute little bomb?

Distraction.

Keeping a child entertained and well behaved in boring doctor’s office is a constant game of distraction. Plan ahead – don’t leave yourself stranded with a sick child and nothing occupy them.

Doctor’s Office Survival Guide (Baby Edition)

• Food. Cheerios are a relatively healthy snack that is perfect to pack. Easy to carry, easy to eat, and easy to clean up. Avoid bringing food you or your child will end up wearing.
• Books & Toys. Pack your own books and toys. The waiting room toys are usually half eaten pieces of crap that should be burned.
• Second set of hands. Don’t go alone if at all possible. When the wait is long, it pays to have someone else to pass your child off to. The wife and I switch off entertaining Little Miss, plus it gives her a change of scenery.
• Kennel/Crate. Wait. How did this one get on the list? Nevermind…

Along with your survival gear, there are several golden rules all parents should follow should they find themselves waiting with their young child. Read them, remember them, use them.

Golden Rules for Waiting Rooms

• Cover your child’s mouth when he or she coughs/sneezes. It’s common courtesy people, at least make the attempt.
• Clean up their mess. The receptionist is not there to clean up after your child. A good lesson to teach is to leave a room cleaner than when you entered it.
• Control your child. The waiting room is not an amusement park.

Just like a good poker hand, don’t go all in right away. Play it cool. Always have a plan, a backup plan, a backup backup plan, a… you get the idea.

Photos courtesy of: banspy & cdsessums

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Now there’s a title that paints a pretty picture. We are finally getting over a week’s worth of poop, vomit, and everything in between. And when I say we, I mean everyone that has been to our house in the past week. I swear that everyone but the mailman caught it.

So the entire CleverFamily has been making friends with the toilet for the past week. Little Miss has been giving her cloth diapers a challenge to say the least. But enough of the poop talk – not like you care about someone’s poop problems – and I don’t blame you.

Did you know that the rotavirus is the leading cause of diarrhea (sorry, more poop talk) among young children? And that by age five, almost every child in the world has been infected by the virus at least once!

Rotavirus Quick Facts

• Severity of infection generally become less sever as immunity develops. Often, infected adults have little to no symptoms.
• Rotavirus usually starts with fever, vomiting, and diarrhea. (last time I swear!) It can take up to 3 days for symptoms to appear and can last 3 to 9 days.
• Dehydration is a serious symptom, for young children keep an eye on their diaper. If the diaper has been dry for more than 6 hours you should consider seeing a doctor.
• Rotavirus is spread by infected individuals spreading the virus by touching everyday objects. Contain the spread of the virus by proper hand washing.

This is one bug you can’t kill with antibiotics. You’ll have to let it run its course.

I promised myself that I would only mention poop in this post 3 times, mission accomplished? Poop.

Cleverfather: Now rotavirus free!

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Once again, there is another children related recall. Step2’s Push Around and Whisper Ride Buggies are being recalled due to reports where the handle has become detached, causing the adult to lose control of the buggy. There are approximately 2.5 million buggies include in the recall that were sold between 1999 and 2009.

The models included in the recall are:

• 715700
• 792300
• 7923TA
• 7923OR
• 796600
• 7966TA
• 768400
• 882900
• 885700

The problem is with the yellow pin that holds the handle of the buggy can fall out causing the handle to come apart from the base. To date, there have been 28 incidents of the handle detaching. Buggies that use a bolt with a white or plastic head are not included in the recall.

If your Step2 buggy is included in the recall, stop using the buggy immediately and contact Step2 to obtain a free repair kit. For more information, Step2 can be reached at: 1-800-347-8372

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A recent email from a dad-to-be got me thinking. How much time should a father take off work after the baby arrives? Where you live and your current financial situation can play a huge roll in determine how long of paternal leave you should take.

Your situation is different from mine and everyone else, check out this great site on paternity leave to help you answer that question.

Once you figure out how much time you can take, it’s time to figure out how much you should take. Here’s a visual map of parental leave around the world.

Parental leave checklist

• What are your parental leave rights? Find out through your employer if you are entitled to any sort of paid leave and what hoops you must jump through. Parental leave can differ by country and employer so do your homework!
• Did your spouse give birth naturally or Cesarean section? Recovering from a c-section is measured in weeks where a natural birth can be only days. If your spouse has a c-section be prepared to step up and take charge. She’ll want to take it easy and rightfully so!
• Breastfeeding or bottle fed? The first week home with the baby is a crucial time for establishing a good nursing routine. Being around for moral support and looking after the house will allow your spouse to concentrate on breastfeeding.
• Do you have backup? Do you have family or friends nearby to call on? The first day back can be overwhelming for the new mom. Having someone that can help her just can make the transition that much easier.
• Rate your baby knowledge. Are you a seasoned baby veteran able to change a diaper with one hand and blindfolded? Or are you still trying to figure out which end is up?

I took a week off. Looking back I wish I took at least one more week. More time to bond, adjust and help out CleverMom. Right from the beginning she had breast feeding issues caused by a bad latch and bad information. (Another day, another rant) We both agreed that one more week of my help probably would have made he difference between 100% breastfed and supplementing.

The joys of being new parents, live and learn. The first kid is only for practice, right?

Photo courtesy of: apdk

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