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When it comes to putting babies to sleep, people often picture a mom and an infant. But nothing is more breathtaking than the sight of a father rocking their newborns to slumber. It could be the most romantic picture for mothers. After all, they will see the two greatest loves of their life bonding. Their newborns constantly up all night, and because they take turns taking care of the baby, even fathers hardly get any sleep themselves. This can especially be difficult because they have to work during the day.

The first step to ensuring that your children get to bed without much fuss is to establish a routine when it comes to bedtime. When babies sleep at the same time every single night, their body will be able to adapt to the cycle. Falling asleep will be much easier for these young ones when they know when things come. Because dads often like to engage in active play, they have to know that it helps them a lot if they restrict activities that are physically or mentally stimulating, at least a couple of hours before bedtime.

Watching TV may get them up longer, especially if the show is interesting for them. More sedate activities such as reading and drawing are so much better. Reading books, in particular, may be included in the routine. Just make sure that the songs in it are soothing. Babies need something calming to get them to sleep well.

As the adult, you need to teach your child good sleeping habits. You have to set a schedule and make sure you create consistency. The change can also be difficult for the child, and because they are still unable to express themselves, all they do is cry. Just take extra careful steps to make your child comfortable during the night. Play some soothing music and keep a favorite stuffed toy close by to comfort your baby. Also ensure that your child’s clothes are comfortable. If they are too warm or too cold, they may not calm down no matter what you do.

Once you’ve tucked your little one in bed, leave the room as quickly and as quietly as possible. It is important that you teach them the value of independence. Let your child learn to settle down and fall asleep without depending on you to be around all the time. As a father, you also need to make sure that when you cuddle your babies to sleep, you shave the stubbles on your cheek. Your child could develop an allergy, thus, making it harder for them to rest when they’ll suffer from allergies.

There may be different sleeping solutions for different babies. The secret is to implement the techniques early on. You can give your baby a warm bath before dinner. Once the baby is fed and burped, cuddling helps them wind down. Let baby’s body recognize the signs of bedtime. The training period will require a lot of effort and patience. But as months pass by, you’ll be able to see that things have actually worked to your advantage.

As usual i look forward to your comments.
Next I’m the Daddy Workshop – Torrance Marriott – Saturday, April 3rd – Write for details.

Sincerely,

Mr. Daddy

Wow!! I am so excited that Lionsgate has decided to make a movie from the book, “What to Expect, When you are Expecting”. Mrs. Daddy LOVES the book and would read it every night while she was pregnant. And she would laugh, and cry, and truly relate to what was going on in the chapters.

Now. We need to get someone in the movie to wear Daddyscrubs, or even better a cameo by Mr. Daddy himself. If you have the connections, please let me know!!

Source:Lionsgate January 14, 2010

Lionsgate announced today that it has acquired from Phoenix Pictures worldwide rights to the screen adaptation of the bestselling book “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” by Heidi Murkoff. Heather Hach (Freaky Friday, “Legally Blonde: The Musical”) will write the adapted screenplay, based on her pitch. Hach, who is nine months pregnant, was brought the book by Phoenix’s David Thwaites, who will produce alongside the company’s Mike Medavoy and Arnie Messer; Phoenix’s Doug McKay will co-produce. The announcement was jointly made today by Joe Drake, Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President, and Alli Shearmur, Lionsgate President of Motion Picture Production.

Shearmur and Lionsgate Senior Vice President of Motion Picture Production Wolfgang Hammer will oversee the project for the studio. Heidi and Erik Murkoff will executive produce alongside Murkoff’s literary representative, Alan Nevins of Renaissance Management, who brokered the deal with Phoenix. The project marks the first in the new alliance formed between Phoenix, Renaissance and Jackson-Medavoy Entertainment.

The film, described as a “wildly original romantic comedy,” follows the relationships of seven couples as they experience the thrills, terrors, surprises, aches, and pains of preparing to embark on life’s biggest journey: parenthood.

“What to Expect When You’re Expecting” was named one of the 25 most influential books of the last 25 years by USA Today. Read by 93% of expectant mothers and considered the pregnancy bible, it has sold over 20 million copies worldwide. It has been translated into over 40 languages and has remained on the New York Times bestseller list for over 440 weeks. The series, which includes “What to Expect the First Year” and “The Toddler Years,” among others, has sold over 40 million copies.

“‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ is a brand that knows no boundaries, and millions of readers can attest to the warmth, wisdom and humor of its voice,” said Shearmur. “We’re excited about this film as the first in a potential franchise with our friends at Phoenix Pictures, and working with Heather Hach positions us for a great start. Heather brings to the table very clever ideas, not to mention a terrific track record of creating comedies that are instant classics.”

Heidi Murkoff said, “If there’s one experience in life that’s universally shared, it’s pregnancy — the joy, the excitement, the trepidation, the humor, the heartburn. I’m so happy to be working with Phoenix Pictures, Lionsgate and the impressively pregnant Heather to bring my baby to life. I’m a proud mom all over again!”

Medavoy, Messer and Thwaites said, “We feel Heidi’s book provides the perfect launching point to tell a funny and poignant story and start a wonderful franchise using this iconic and beloved brand. Heather has crafted a great tale, full of rich characters, and we are all delighted to be working with Joe, Alli and Wolfgang on the film.”

Sincerely,
Mr. Daddy

Having a new family can put your family in total financial shock. It certainly did for my wife and I. Ou r son, Mr Lincoln, is a little over four months, and therefore, as his parents it is now more important than ever, for us to make prudent decisions necessary to ensure our child’s financial well being.

Here is a financial checklist that I found, that may be helpful for new parents to consider addressing before or shortly after your new bundle of joy arrives:

Life insurance – Prior to the birth of Mr. Lincoln, Mrs. Daddy insisted that we start applying for proper life insurance for both of us. We wanted to make sure that whomever is left behind can live comfortably should one or the other of us pass on. Arrangements such as day care, housing, health insurance, etc. need to be considered and a realistic budget created if one parent should die. Once this is done, you can determine the amount and types of life insurance needed.

Update your budget – In some cases the new family is going from a Dual Income, No Kids (DINK) status, to One Income New Kid (OINK) status and this can send a family into financial purgatory for a few months. Make sure you are prepared for the financial constraints of having your first child. Prior to your child’s arrival, you should set up a budget to determine if there will be some aspects of your lifestyle that will need to be cut back. The average family spends about $7,000 for a child’s first year of life and the financial impact does not end there.

College savings – With tuition at private universities at unsustainable levels, there will have to be some changes in the amounts universities are able to charge. I suspect that competitive forces in the market will create drastic changes (for the better) in the cost of higher education 20 years hence. That being said, I am also hedging my bet and starting to save now for Mr. Lincoln’s education. The earlier you start the better. By putting away about $125 / month, you should have a pretty good amount set aside when the time comes for college.

Create a will – Very few people accept their own mortality. Because of this, very few people take the time to establish a will. New parents need to make sure they set up a will and identify a guardian for their child should both parents terminate unexpectedly. Would you rather name the person(s) who will raise your child or would you prefer some drone in the probate court to make this decision? You might also consider a financial guardian to authorize the use of life insurance proceeds and other assets to raise the child.

Get a Social Security number – The need to get a Social Security number, is not so much predicated on the need to sign up for the failing trust fund (it is quite obvious this program will be completely insolvent by 2077) as it is the need for parents to ensure they can claim their child as a dependent on their tax return. Without a Social Security number, you cannot claim your child as a dependent on your individual tax return. Consequently no child tax credit or exemption can be claimed. You will also need a SSN should your child receive gifts of US Savings bonds or other financial instruments.

Open a bank account – Mrs. Daddy believes in segregating our childs financial accounts from ours. If Mr. Lincoln gets a small cash gift, then it should go into his bank account or piggy bank.

Update beneficiary information – This is so important and only takes a few minutes to do. Go over your various financial accounts and insurance policies and determine the appropriate beneficiary. If it is financially viable, consider leaving your tax deferred accounts (IRA, 401k etc.) to your child. This extends the tax deferring benefit in the accounts.

Disability insurance – Consider your need for disability insurance. A 24 year old has a 44 percent likelihood of being disabled for three months or longer prior to age 65. Very few people can endure such a financial blow. Make sure that if you are disabled in some manner, that your family’s financial future is not diminished. You can protect yourself from this type of problem with disability insurance.

Addressing all these items will not take an excessive amount of time and will help ensure your family’s financial health into the future.

As usual I look forward to your comments.
Sincerely,

Mr. Daddy