Parents - Do you have any advice for Employee 1.1 who just became a first-time Dad?

Start a college fund now and make regular contributions with birthday/holiday gifts. Not every kid will earn a scholarship (academic or athletic) and I highly doubt that the good 'ol USA will adopt the idea of universal higher education.

It's okay to let him cry sometimes.

Start a 529 college fund now.

Stay married.

Get your priorities in line. Your hobby jogging is not that important.

rojo wrote:

While half of this messageboard is convinced that male cross country runners never have sex, the statistics show otherwise.

What words of wisdom do you have for Steve?

Sex with yourself doesn't count.

Congrats Employee 1.1!

I raised 2 boys. Be there for them every day until they are off to college. But be patient and let them choose their way (within guidelines). Teach him fairness and kindness. Keep him out of letsrun until he is 18!

Society is not progressing wrote:

It's okay to let him cry sometimes.

Start a 529 college fund now.

Stay married.

Get your priorities in line. Your hobby jogging is not that important.

Had me in 100% agreement until the end. Your hobby jogging is extremely important. Just not more important than parenting.

start the college fund, set up automatic monthly deposits. So it happens even if you forget.

put the baby on a regular schedule. Feed it the same time, change its clothes the same time, etc. Make a difference between day and night. babies need some stability and regularity.

let it roll around on the floor a lot - carrying a baby is fun and it feels right, but the critters need some time rolling around and developing some muscles.

lots of eye contact, reading to it and touching of course

Don't talk about him 24/7 and make his pic your profile pic on all your social media. And yes prioritize but maintain some of your own identity as well. Find a good reliable babysitter and depending on where you live possibly a private school.

Be attentive to your wife. He identity has now changed at least for a while. She's a milking machine. Make sure she rests, feels beautiful, and spend as much couple time as you possibly could, let others watch your child.

yea, start a college fund.... maybe after 18 years you will have saved up enough for one semester!

minong wrote:

Society is not progressing wrote:

It's okay to let him cry sometimes.

Start a 529 college fund now.

Stay married.

Get your priorities in line. Your hobby jogging is not that important.

Had me in 100% agreement until the end. Your hobby jogging is extremely important. Just not more important than parenting.

I approve of this correction.

Forget the damned college fund. It's just an excuse for your kid to become ineligible for financial aid.

I was so busy working 60 hour weeks when my kid's were young, I look back on pictures from when they were young and can't even remember them.

Start setting up a nice cozy basement for him to inevitably waste his life trolling LR in.

Enjoy it. The best years of your life.

Babies like to cry they are not always trying to tell you something eg being hungry. If possible breast feed baby. More healthy and takes much longer than bottle and comforts them for longer ie they stop crying.

Another tip you can leave baby to sleep on a pillow anyway. They can't roll for months

Get a baby bath you don't want to waste time filling regular bath.

Routine is key as someone else said.

Get practising on nursery rhymes they love them and it's good to get the them to sleep. Some good ones on YouTube as well

agip wrote:

start the college fund, set up automatic monthly deposits. So it happens even if you forget.

put the baby on a regular schedule. Feed it the same time, change its clothes the same time, etc. Make a difference between day and night. babies need some stability and regularity.

let it roll around on the floor a lot - carrying a baby is fun and it feels right, but the critters need some time rolling around and developing some muscles.

lots of eye contact, reading to it and touching of course

Yeah, do all of this. Very important. Great advice.

rojo wrote:

While half of this messageboard is convinced that male cross country runners never have sex, the statistics show otherwise. There are lots of distance running dads (DRD) out there.

DRDs (and moms), do you have any words of wisdom about the keys to being a successful parent?

Can anyone help Steve get off to a good start? I'm fearful it already may be a lost cause as Steve refused my entreaty for him to insist his wife sleep in an altitude during her pregnancy. I believe the boy also has been denied the use of an altitude tent during his first 3 days of life. Is there any hope he can overcome these disadvantages and make the 2040 US Olympic team?

What words of wisdom do you have for Steve?

I would tell him to kick you square in the balls. Your beloved conservative politics have been kicking the can to future generations...well now it's time to pay the piper. Definitely want to get be ready to run at altitude, won't be a lot of tracks near today's sea level by 2040. Though there will likely be a revolution/civil war before then so it's all moot anyways.

1. Life is now about your baby so don't expect to have any free time for yourself for years. Don't whine about it just get use to it.

2. Be the parent you wish your parents were.

3. Take your baby to restaurants and get them use to behaving and eating properly in restaurants from day 1. trust me you'll thank me in a few years.

4. Start a 529 Plan and put the maximum you can afford into it and keep contributing,

5. DON"T FORCE YOUR CHILD TO PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS THAT YOU DID OR WANT THEM TO

Savor the wonder of having this new little human being in the house;

Don't freak over the way this new little human being has just forever changed the dynamics in all your other relationships;

Spend as much time with him without neglecting your wife;

Prepare to become very, very vigilant;

Read to him as much as possible;

Don't shirk from bathing him and changing his diaper;

Overall enjoy your son, because one day you'll look back and realize how fast he grew up and that it was all a blur.

Strong correlation between success and exposure to words as an infant.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/opinionator/2013/04/10/the-power-of-talking-to-your-baby/?referer=

Ive come across statistics in multiple types of books. Psychology, sociology, legal, etc. When I have children i will probably read to them at night and then thumb through the dictionary to teach myself and them. Also at an appropriate age I will have them draw out their ideas and plans and explain it to me. My dad used to make me do book reports over the summer when i was younger. I hated it but it helped.