Nurturing: Dada Style

Topic of the week starts here and without further delay, let’s get into it.

It takes a village to raise a child, but most times, you only have a household which consist of two different adults to contribute to the upbringing of a child. In my case, I’m co parenting so that means it’s just me raising two toddler boys in my home (Send help. S.O.S. Page 911).

This means I have to learn to be more than a provider. It’s been a bumpy road, but I’m here to share what I learned to help the rest of you Daddy-Os out that may be facing a similar situation.

1. Patience is everything. You have to remember that while they are human, they were just born (almost yesterday) and they need you to teach them EVERYTHING. Breathe before reacting to any accidental spills and don’t fault them for not knowing pennies are not edible.
2. Adopting a softer side is necessary. You can’t tell them to go get hugs from their mom when she lives elsewhere. They need that loving touch when they ask for it and even sometimes when they don’t ask. Reminding yourself to lovingly touch them throughout the day is idea.
3. Discipline them like children and not like soldiers. While I think of my boys as my little soldiers, they are just toddlers curious to all things. Even to how we,as parents, react to them when they stand up to us. Be stern and consistent, but always let go of your anger and discipline from a place of love.
4. Make sure they eat the proper foods. I’ve learned they are not yet ready for dads eccentric meals so I have to keep it simple for them. They can be picky, but I hated staring at that unforgiving pile of black eye peas and being forced to eat them.
5. Google is your friend. Any questions on how to deal with any life situations can be easily found on the web. Use it to your advantage when challenged with any kind of new infancy/toddler behavior.

Ultimately, our generation is forming a new wave of parenting. It’s important to pay close attention to what we do as papas and to ensure they are getting the best of both worlds from us regardless of what mom is doing in or out of the same household or not.