Help your kid read by getting a dog!

Dear Readers,
I just read an article on ABC news on how having a dog can help your kid read! Think about when you were learning to read and how embarrassed you were reading in front of people. I know that I did not want to read in front of anyone because I was afraid of making a mistake. I did not want everyone laughing at me. If my parents would have thoughts to have me read to our dog it might have given me more of an incentive to read. In the article written by Ron Claiborne it stated

“A study this year by researchers at the University of California, Davis confirmed that children who read to Fido really do perform better. Young students who read out loud to dogs improved their reading skills by 12 percent over the course of a 10-week program, while children in the same program who didn’t read to dogs showed no improvement. Man’s best friend can do a lot more than fetch and roll over. Research now suggests that dogs can actually help children learn to read.

 Therapy Dogs Provide Comfort to Students

The positive effects of the concept are seen firsthand at the East Norwalk Library in East Norwalk, Conn. where students read to dogs as part of the “D2R2” program. The specially-trained therapy dogs are accompanied by their handlers, and the kids clearly love it. “I have somebody that listens when I read,” said Linda, one of the young participants. “If I make a mistake, there’s no one around me to laugh.”

This is a interesting study . I would not have thought to have my child read to the dog. To me this is just another reason of why people should get dogs. I know that I love our dog and know that he will be a great listener to our little girl. Are you ready to get a dog now?

Athomedadtalk logging out.

Use this link to read the full article.  http://abcnews.go.com/WN/study-dogs-children-learn-read/story?id=11428770#.UIA2AKDAGnA

Fall bucket lists for stay at home dads and their kids!

Dear Readers,

Every day and every season is another time to make memories with your children. As kids get older they don’t want to leave the house and only want to site in front of the TV! Well this fall lets change that by crossing things of the fall bucket list. Lori Garcia listed Things every kid should experience this fall at yahoo.com.

Bucket list:

1. Visit a farm stand or farmers market Enjoy the bountiful harvest of the season with the freshest and most colorful produce to be found! Your kids will love choosing farm-fresh veggies for your family’s table.

2. Visit a pumpkin patch! It is great for family photos and it is a lot of fun for the kids

3. Carve pumpkins! Since you have visited the pumpkin patch and picked the best pumpkin let your kids show their creativity and carve scary faces on your pumpkins. If you do not want the mess just use paint instead!

4. Jump in a pile of leaves. Do you remember when you were a kid and you had to help your parents rake leaves all day Saturday? If so it made it all worth it when you jumped in the huge pile once you were done. It is great fun!

5. Visit a corn maze. a lot of times these are at the pumpkin patches so you can kill to birds with one stone.

6. Pick apples! Go to an apple orchard to pick apples for a apple pie or some apple cider.

7. Family football! There is nothing wrong with a little family exercise and friendly competition. I bet you kids will always remember the fun you had playing.

8. Drink apple cider. Once you are done playing in the crisp air drink some of the apple cider to warm up from the cold.

9. Take a hike to take in the fall colors. The fall is a unique time to experience all the colors of the leaves changing as well as the weather.

10. Make some pumpkin bread! Fill the kitchen with the aromas of fall!

11. Get crafty! Have your kids make turkeys from construction paper, paint things for Thanksgiving, or what ever your favorite fall activity might be.

12. Plant flower bulbs Fall’s the perfect time to plant tulips, daffodil, and hyacinth bulbs to bloom next spring!

All of these are great ideas to help make great memories with your kids.See how many of these you can check off your list this year. Athomedadtalk logging out.

The full article is here http://shine.yahoo.com/photos/15-things-every-kid-should-experience-this-fall-slideshow/

Child Milestones from baby to age 3.

Babies grow in such unique ways: The baby who sits up weeks before her peers might be one of the last to learn how to crawl. Or the 18-month-old who’s still communicating with grunts and gestures suddenly bursts forth with prepositional phrases at 2 years. That’s why we created this series of charts.

Since babies aren’t identical — thank goodness! — the charts allow for variations in stages of development. Use them to gain insight into what you’re observing in your baby today and to preview what you can look forward to in the months ahead.

Milestones

Record the moments that matter in your baby’s amazing development.

One thing you shouldn’t use the charts for, however, is grist for the worry mill. Each chart is meant as a guide, not as a source of concern.

For information about particular milestones, click on the links below or head to the baby, toddler, or preschooler development pages.

Click on the link below to see the charts:

http://www.babycenter.com/milestone-charts-birth-to-age-3

12 Things Not To Say To A Stay-At-Home Dad

Written by Mark Greene for The Good Men Project

Lately Stay at Home Dads have been showing up on TV and at the movies. (Usually, as well-meaning simpletons who commiserate about dropping their kids in the toilet by accident.) This can only mean one thing. If Hollywood has noticed SAHDs, they must everywhere. Believe it or not, you may run into one yourself soon. And you don’t want to confront that particular produce-aisle repartee unprepared.

So we’ve put together a helpful list of conversational no-nos, should you suddenly find yourself talking with a real-live baby wearing SAHD. And one final note before we get started: always try to keep top of mind that the baby hasn’t actually been dropped in the toilet.

1. Don’t say the words “Mr.” and “Mom.” In that order. Not at all. Ever.
Men who do full time parenting are called Dads, ’cause that’s what they are.

2. Do not say, “Oh, no! Did you get laid off?” when you find out that a guy is a Stay at Home Dad.
Do ask him the story of how he became an at-home dad.

3. Do not ask if he’s “getting any” from the Moms at the PTA.
He’s not. I don’t really have to go into why, right?

4. Do not say something like, “Dude, you must be extra whipped.”
Stay at Home Dads are the new Gloria Steinems. You’re likely to get a lecture on gender issues.

5. Do not say, “I’m gonna take you out tonight and get you totally hammered.”
Not gonna happen. Kids are 6AM hangover amplifiers. Think Spinal Tap and “turn it up to eleven.”

6. Do not say, “Dude, sucks to be you.”
It doesn’t suck to be him. He’s having an eye opening, amazing, life affirming time. (Most of the time.)

7. Do not say, “God, I wish I had a easy job like that.”
It’s about a lot of wonderful things, but it ain’t about easy.

8. Do not ask, “Do you actually change dirty diapers?”
What do you think, there’s a f**king diaper fairy?

9. Do not say, “I have to call so-and-so RIGHT NOW and tell them what happened to you.”
Being a stay at home dad is a choice, not a meteor strike.

10. Do not ask, “Are you okay?”
Instead, ask yourself “why the hell would I think he’s not okay?”

11. Do not say, “Wow, so you’re baby sitting every day?”
It’s called raising children, regardless of whether you’re a man or a woman. Babysitters are people who watch your kids for a few hours, eat all your microwave popcorn, and then go home. Dads are parents.

12. In another generation or so, dump the “at-home” or “stay-at-home” thing, too.
Dads can, in fact, be found in the home and with their children. Shocking, I know.

Do say, “Man, I would so love to be doing that.”
It makes everybody smile.

Stay at home dad!

Dear Readers,

I am a stay at home dad that wants to reach out to people and share my experiences.
I also want to know more about your thoughts on being stay at home dads. Before my daughter was born my wife and I had the discussion on whether if she would stay at home or if we would put our daughter in daycare. We decided for her to work part time and take care of out daughter 4 days a week. Once our daughter was born my wife received a call from a company two states away near her family. The company was offering her enough money to cover both of our salaries but we would have to move.

I had never even considered staying at home with my daughter. I was a little timid at first. I would have to give up my promising career, family, and the only place that I had ever lived. We talked about it for a week or so and the decision was made. I would become a stay at home dad. We have now relocated and I have been a stay at home dad for a year now. I am enjoying every moment! I am hoping to share my stories, questions, my journey, and frustrations with you.

Stay at home dad logging out. I cant wait to hear what you have to say!