Parent Thread

Araysar said:

What things should I aim to accomplish in my first year as a father?

Click to expand...

Talk to it a lot, just talk to yourself while in the room if you have nothing to say to it. Once it can hold its head up, start reading high contrast books, flipping through the pages, tracing the lines, etc. Read a couple books at least, every day. My son was always, and is waaaay ahead of all the other kids in his preschool daycare and I’m guessing that was all we did to make the difference. We still read at least one book every night.

I have a bunch of kids book recommendations if you want them when it gets to that time.

Araysar said:

Ill take those recommendations now, thank you.

Click to expand...

For the contrast books you can just search contrast books on amazon and get a bunch that pop up. Our kid liked Hello, Bugs and Hello, Animals the most. Look Look was another one I remember.

Kids learn through repetition, so books with repeating 'choruses' are really good, and what he always requested the most. You will get fucking sick of some of the books way before your kid does. Some of these I know by heart we've read them so damn much.

These are very much built on that repetition mechanic, and some of his favorites/nightly reads:
The Little Blue Truck, and the sequels.
Old Mcdonald Had a Truck
The Pout Pout Fish, the sequels weren't as good but he liked them.
There was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight.

Other good ones when he was younger
Is That You Monster? is a good sensory book
The Color Monster is a good one about feelings
Darth Vader and Son (Or Daughter) is cute, and he still requests that one
Construction (and the other ones by Sutton - Lovelock)
Stack the Cats
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See (and other Eric Carle Books, very hungry caterpillar, head to toe, etc)


Others he liked a lot with good stories/art, probably more geared towards when they're 2+ and can understand more words
What Do you Do with an Idea / Problem
The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read
The Book With No Pictures
The Bad Seed
Dragons Love Tacos
Peanut Butter and Brains
Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups
Penguin Problems
Cat in the Hat / Green Eggs and Ham / Various other Dr. Suess books
Robo-Sauce
Clifford the Big Red Dog books
Berenstain Bears stuff
I Want My Hat Back


When he got more advanced, maybe late three or early four he started liking the more advanced Dr. Suess like Fox in Sox, Horton Hears a Who, etc. and longer Stories:
Nate the Great series
Diva and Flea
Greylegs / The Snow Cat Prince (loves Snow Cat Prince, it was nightly for like three weeks after I got it. It's more like a graphic novel for kids)
Dog Man (comic style book)
5 Minute Marvel/DC Stories (There are other books in the '5 minute' series, but I haven't tried any)

The What Should Danny Do? books were good to show him about choices and consequences once he started being a shitlord mid-four. There's a Darla version if you decide your kid is a girl.

When you start purchasing books on Amazon, it will recommend others like it. A lot of these I found through that method, just buying random 5-star books that were similar and the story sounded decent. I also bought a lot because you end up getting so sick of reading the same book night after night you need to change it up. I'm guessing we've had a few hundred books by now, and he's five. Just force yourself to read every night, once you get into a routine. And talk to them like they are adults, even now, it goes a long way. Let grandma talk to them in the stupid baby voice.

Word exposure is the number one thing you can do to raise an intelligent kid. It's the only thing we've really done beyond what other parents do and it shows. My five year old reads better than his ten year old cousin and other kids in our neighborhood that are 3-4 years older than him. He was singing his ABC's before he turned two and we know six year old's who still can't. Good luck, and have fun!

Araysar did they attempt to make your wife, or you, get a covid test when you went in?

We've got our c-section schedule three weeks from now and have heard they'll try to make you take it and we should refuse because if you pop positive even with no symptoms (always hearing about those false positives) they' ll try to keep your baby from you and I do believe I'd go on a rampage in the hospital if that happened. I assume and hope it's fakenews?

lurkingdirk said:

Yup. Speaking to kids with regular language rather than dumbing it down has a huge, positive impact. We did it, too. My kids have always thrived with language.

Click to expand...

Yeah, we’ve noticed with pretty much all advanced kids, their parents talk to them like they’re just another adult (minus the F bombs). We didn’t do it for that reason, that’s just how my family was with kids, but I’m glad we did.

Araysar said:

The whole covid thing at the birthing center was pants on the head retarded. Get ready for the most enraging several days of your life. My kid was born in Long Beach in LA County, so its peak retard over there.

I showed up with my wife for a scheduled delivery. They made me wear a mask to walk inside the hospital but didnt test me. They said I had to stay in the hospital room and couldnt even walk out into the hallways. My wife got tested instead.

If you're this concerned about covid why would you let someone into the hospital without testing them?

Here's where it gets even more retarded. So now you're locked in a hospital room 24/7, you cant even go in a hallway. You cant leave the hospital because there are no in/out privileges. Thats right, you can enter the hospital without getting tested, but if you decide to leave, you cant be allowed back in again. This only makes sense if you tested negative to prevent accidental infection, but since no one is testing, who cares if you come and go as you please?

i argued with 3 female nurses simultaneously about the illogical absurdity of this , they fell back on circular arguments, and ultimately said "thats hospital policy and thats that."

I spent 5 days in the hospital, in 1 room about the size of 200 square feet, 24/7. I brought only 1 change of clothes because I was told this would be 2 days tops. I was only let out once and that was to go the OR to hold my wife's hand while she was getting her C-section done. Once again, allowed into the OR without ever getting tested, but cant go home to get a spare change of clothes and come back.

While walking to the OR i observed a hispanic female janitor wearing her mask on her mouth but not her nose. I am pretty sure that all the staff is allowed to come and go however and whenever they choose without getting tested each time.

Fuck California.

Click to expand...

Fuck me

Yup just checked my hospital website im in jail for the duration of the visit. Cant leave the room at all.

Kiroy said:

Yup just checked my hospital website im in jail for the duration of the visit. Cant leave the room at all.

Click to expand...

That sucks. At least you can prepare for it and not be surprised I guess.

ToeMissile said:

I have 3 and 1 year old girls.

Can't remember where the wife and I heard about talking to your kids in a regular voice, but it makes sense. If kids learn to talk by listening to you, it makes sense to speak correctly.

Similarly, I'll narrate what I'm doing while holding the baby and focus on basics like directions, colors, etc. Basic sign language (milk, more, done) can be really useful as well, they can learn a few signs months before they're really talking. It can help alleviate frustration for everyone.

Click to expand...

Yep, he knew sign language for more, milk, please, done, food and a few others I forget. It was pretty cool being able to “talk” to someone who couldn’t talk.