Read or Better Yet, Jam with Your Kid! →

Crucially, its findings are based on situations where the child’s musical activities were informal and shared, typically with a parent – essentially a playful social experience.

Simple and fun musical activities can have enormous power in developing numeracy and literacy: try improvising a counting song, or making up new rhymes to familiar tunes.

But the true power of musical play lies in the unique blend of creativity, sound and face-to-face interaction; the learning is strengthened by its basis in a positive, empathic emotional relationship.

Let's jam. I'll host. Bring your best kitchen utensils and percussion instruments.

Rear-Facing Until 2 Years Old in California Starting 2017 →

All in the name of safety. Still don't know why it doesn't go into effect for another 15 months when January 2016 could have easily been the target date.

The bill, signed Monday, was backed by doctors and traffic safety experts. It will extend the mandated use of rear-facing seats from the current 1-year requirement when it takes effect at the start of 2017. Children taller than 40 inches or weighing more than 40 pounds will be exempt.

My wife and I, including our little Norah, favor the Diono variety. As expensive as they are, capitlize on the Amazon sale or the Toy 'R Us trade in program which is happening now!

Diono Radian RXT Convertible Car Seat, Shadow

$249.99

Diono

Buy on Amazon

PSA: Baby Jogger City Select Double Stroller on SALE for $499.99 →

I've never been this excited for a stroller ever before but as mentioned before on The Night Light, Baby Jogger's City Select is the best stroller a parent of two or more kids should buy. Now on sale at Albee Baby for $499.99 (you can also go through their Amazon store and help this site out), you end up saving over $169.95!!!

Even if you think or are contemplating that second child, this is the stroller to have and at this price, you can bet that I bought this bad boy!

Baby Jogger City Select with the second seat is the best choice based on its lightweight design, compatibility with over a dozen car seats and its ability to work for both same-age and multi-age children.

On a side note, I called up my local Nordstrom in Escondido and had the pleasure of speaking to Rosalina in Kids. She was very patient with me and price matched the stroller reaffirming, once again that Nordstrom is the epitome of awesome when it comes to customer service and satisfaction! Thanks again!

So, FYI, you can catch me rocking out at the local San Diego Zoo or Safari Park with confidence once this bad boy comes in!

When I'm Home, I'm Exactly Where I Should Be

Life with a toddler. Every one of these graphics hits the nail on the head. My daughter at two and a half years is simply too fun which makes leaving for work that much harder.

via Indicental Comics

Pumping Handsfree and Buttering Them Up

More recently, a few of our friends have been having children and this post is a way to share some necessities that my wife truly believes in.

My wife rants and raves about these two must have products for new mothers and current alike. She's been graciously blessed to be able to nurse our two children and couldn't live without the Simple Wishes Hands-Free Breastpump Bra, Pink, XS-L and Bella B Nipple Nurture Butter - 2 oz. Hand-free pumping, from what I hear, is awesome!

As always, using our Amazon referral links helps keep this site up. Thanks so much!

Cheers!

For Fathers and Daughters Out There

Why don't they play these types of commercials here in the US? Definitely award winning and tear jerking.

And for the father and sons out there, here's a short film that pulls the same strings.

Paternity Leave: Max it out!

A recent article that I've highlighted below, from the NYTimes: Upshot, covers the topic of paternity leave. Being an airline pilot, the only stigma that comes from taking extended leave is the reduction in flying hours (experience) and the potential of losing currency which would require a simple proficiency check.¹ I decided early on that my family comes first and with that, those two side effects didn't worry me. Hence, I took the full 90 days of Family Leave when our daughter was born and it was the best time of my life²; getting to learn how to care for a newborn, new mother and bond together as a new family. I loved every moment of it and would never trade it for anything.

Five months after Todd Bedrick’s daughter was born, he took some time off from his job as an accountant. The company he works for, Ernst & Young, offered paid paternity leave, and he decided to take six weeks — the maximum amount — when his wife, Sarah, went back to teaching. He learned how to lull the fitful baby to sleep on his chest and then to sit very still for an hour to avoid waking her. He developed an elaborate system for freezing and thawing his wife’s pumped breast milk. And each day at lunchtime, he drove his daughter to the elementary school where Sarah teaches so she could nurse. When she came home at the end of the day, he handed over the baby and collapsed on the couch.

“The best part was just forming the bond with her,” said Mr. Bedrick, who lives in Portland, Ore., and went back to work in June. “Had I not had that time with her, I don’t think I’d feel as close to her as I do today.”

And of course, this comes without surprise. My daughter and I are tight and I love that I can read her and “feel” her emotions. I love her and my wife so much!

Social scientists who study families and work say that men like Mr. Bedrick, who take an early hands-on role in their children’s lives, are likely to be more involved for years to come and that their children will be healthier. Even their wives could benefit, as women whose husbands take paternity leave have increased career earnings and have a decreased chance of depression in the nine months after childbirth. But researchers also have a more ominous message. Taking time off for family obligations, including paternity leave, could have long-term negative effects on a man’s career — like lower pay or being passed over for promotions.

“Part of the rationale for paternity leave is if men are able to be very involved early on in the care of their children, they’re going to be more involved ever after, and it will translate to more equal sharing and equal roles,” said Ms. Waldfogel, the professor of social work. Though men who want to be more involved fathers are probably more likely to take leave in the first place, she found that even after controlling for fathers’ commitment levels, those who took significant leaves were more likely to do hands-on child care later.

Mr. Bedrick added, “I definitely would not have done anything differently.”

I couldn’t have said it better.

Cultural messages tend to reinforce the stigma. Last spring, Daniel Murphy, a second baseman for the New York Mets, was criticized when he took the three days of paternity leave allowed by Major League Baseball. “I would have said: ‘C-section before the season starts. I need to be at opening day,’ ” Boomer Esiason, a radio talk show host and former professional football player, said on his program. (He would later apologize for the remarks.) Mike Francesa, another radio talk show host, added: “You’re a Major League Baseball player; you can hire a nurse.” Men often receive subtle or not-so-subtle messages that leave is unacceptable, even if it’s in the employee handbook.

If you remember a few months ago in April, the sports media went a little crazy about criticizing Daniel Murphy and I too was enraged. It’s all about spending as much time as you can, no matter how rich or who you are, with your new family. Period. There is no higher calling. Baseball??? Dumb that in our society, we'd put these material things above that.

There’s also quite a few articles that have touched upon this highly important topic in the last year. One of my favorites was published a few months ago in The Atlantic and there’s also the 5 Reasons Dads Should Take Paternity Leave. Read them both and if you can afford it, max out your paternity leave!

note: with my daughter in school, and with a new one on the way, finances are stretching and unfortunately, I will NOT be able to take the full time off unpaid when my son arrives around Christmas time. However, if it was a paid leave, I would be all for it.

:

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1. my leave was also unpaid. ↩
2. besides running bone dry on funds near the end of the 90 days, it was the most rewarding time of my life as we were fortunate that my wife’s company had paid leave and we have great supporting families and friends nearby. ↩

Halo 2.0

Nows the time to take advantage of the Halo 2.0 with only a few days left is a VERY successful Kickstarter campaign. I wouldn’t be posting this if I didn’t back it!

Goes great on kids too especially around Disneyland at night!

Specifically for my motorcycle friends and enthusiasts, this is a tremendous product!

http://youtu.be/kpYClk58iR0

Sesame Street Anytime, Any Place!

Hundreds of episodes of Sesame Street and Pinky Dinky Doo that can be instantly accessed from your PC, Mac, smartphone, or tablet.

Awesome timing now that my daughter is almost two! Pair it with Levar Burton's Reading Rainbow and she'll have access to my entire childhood! Wait, where's Today's Special?

via SesameGo

Does Your Cereal Look at You?

Perhaps not surprisingly, the top children’s cereals all feature a character with a downward gaze.

Every time I go grocery shopping, I'll now be well aware of what my little Norah is looking at. I'll make sure she's on my shoulders when we go through the cereal aisle!

via [FiveThirtyEight][1]

A Beautiful Pregnancy Time Lapse Music Video

With all the time lapses of pregnancies and couples, this definitely has to be THE best one yet. This definitely took dedication. I remember thinking to myself that Adelle and I would do this too but we just kept on forgetting. =( http://youtu.be/yJ7-v7xVm3I

It does kind of stink that he was still playing guitar while she was in labor… but I kid. Congrats to the proud parents!

Close to 40? Here's some advice!

When author Pamela Druckerman writes her columns, it's wise to read, digest and have a few laughs.

The modern 40s are so busy it’s hard to assess them. Researchers describe the new “rush hour of life,” when career and child-rearing peaks collide. Today’s 40ish professionals are the DITT generation: double income, toddler twins.

via NYTimes

If you haven't already and have a little one or maybe two, check out Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting. I'd read it even if you didn't have kids. It's really insightful into the difference between cultures.

Dads Who Really Do Nothing

Big City Mom recently wrote on being a mother who does nothing.

There is no greater task than the nothing you did yesterday, the nothing you are doing today, and the nothing you will do tomorrow. Caring for a baby is all about the immediate experience, yet the first two years are all about investment. It’s give, give, give, and give some more. These are hard-fought, rough-and-tumble years that can cut us down to our core and take us soaring high above the clouds, all in the space of 5 minutes. And yes, as you do the hardest work of your life, it will seem like you’re not getting anything done at all. Crazy, huh?

Our daughter was born 18 months ago and I've loved every minute of being a father. I was fortunate to take one week off prior to her birth and followed it with another 4 months. Both my wife and I were home for those crucial months and I wish everyone this opportunity. Furthermore, I wish that our society put these initial months of nurturing as a number one priority - but that's another topic. Leaving for the first time was difficult but each time after that has been equally just as hard, if not harder.

I'm blessed that my occupation enables me to dedicate 100% of my time off with our daughter. I couldn't have asked for it any other way. There are times where I would rather enjoy a stress free shower without the worry of her crying, a little gaming here and there, but singing along with her during the intro to Sofia the First, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood or even Dr. McStuffins, brings me joys that I can't even speak of. Watching her feet wiggle with happiness when I feed her or teaching her baby sign language trumps mashing buttons, reading technology news and yes, even flying.

My day usually entails changing her nighttime diaper, changing her into "outdoor" clothes, playing with her, feeding her, changing her diaper, playing some more, followed by a delicious 1.5 hour (or more!) nap, then doing the same that afternoon until my wife comes home.

I'm able to get a few things done around the house, but it's even more amazing how much my wife is able to accomplish. She cooks, cleans, does laundry and washes the dishes. She even plans big parties including writing and mailing her mother's invitations for her upcoming 60th birthday party. All this with our daughter still nursing and sometimes throwing small temper tantrums. Not to mention, the previous month where our daughter was sick almost the entire time proved to the hardest yet, but we got through it together. Compared to me, I'm beat from hanging out and literally doing nothing. I like to call it playing hard.

At the end of the day, I sometimes find myself still in pajamas! After we lay her to bed, my wife and I cuddle on the couch and reflect on the past months. Sometimes we think that we haven't done anything barely remembering the first couple of months, but we come to the realization how amazing life truly is. There's no need or want to do anything else but hold her, hang out with her and play. Sometimes I have to resist the urge to wake her up and play more!

Yes, my wife and I joyfully co-sleep with our daughter on the floor of her room. I really don't understand the need to ever sleep in separate beds, or rooms for that matter, especially during these first two years. Maybe it's me being away for days at a time that I rather be with my entire family. I have friends, some with and others without kids, that look at us like we must be in a living hell, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Our setup makes it rather lonely when I leave and stay in the bed of a hotel in a distant city. I love my family so much and the happiness from being together is truly wonderful.

Sometimes we're able to get things together and venture outside the house. When we do, the beach is usually our go to. There are a few times that I look back and really have to think about what I've done, but then my daughter gives the biggest smile and I know exactly, right there, that what I'm doing is all I need to do. Did I mention, I love my family!

Ultimately, the days go by too fast. She's growing up too quickly but I always cherish every day and every minute I get with her.