Congratulations! If you are reading this I’m assuming you are a parent or you are expecting to become a parent.

My name is Ken. My wife, Missy and I have two children. Our oldest daughter Stella is 5. Our younger daughter Geri is 4. I’m here to share some of our thoughts on parenting with as much ease as possible.

First off, do you. Be there for your kid(s) in any and all ways shapes and forms.

You’re going to do some things wrong.

You’ll learn a lot.

Share as much of the duties, and dooties, and duedee as you can.

Here are some of the things we’ve learned over the last 5+ years as parents. Probably worthy to note that I have over 40 years of early child hood experience and development. As well as 12 years as an elementary and middle school teacher.

I know it’s not sexy or trendy but sharing all the parenting tasks with you partner is number one doable and second common sense if you think about it. My wife and I are completely different in a lot of ways. She was the youngest of two from a very traditional family. I was the second of four siblings spread out over eleven years and two marriages. I was a live in baby sitter as a teenager while she had never watched a child until our neighbors asked us to watch their two young sons while they took their third child to a doctors appointment back in 2010. I have a degree in Elementary Education and taught for twelve years before becoming a parent. Missy, has always worked in an office setting since graduating with a finance degree.

You would think that would give me solid footing, it didn’t. Once your child arrives it is as if you will quickly learn, exhausting. Other times fun. The parental feelings are inexplainable. It’s maddening. It, much like this, is always a work in progress.

Here are the cliff notes.

1.

Bottles vs. Nips

Moms, if you know for sure that you want to breast feed please skip this chapter. I’m not against breast feeding I just think feeding is something a dad should do as well.

If the milk isn’t in a bottle I can’t help. Our decision not to breast feed might have been the single greatest parenting decision Missy and I have ever made.

2.

Sleeping

Not in your room.

3.

Their spot(s)

Your child needs their own space. It starts with their own room if you have the space.

In the living room.

4.

Routine

Is Key

5.

Diapers

The best gift.

6.

You’ll get love for it, You’ll get hate for it

You’ll get nothing if you don’t own your decisions and stick to your own parenting decisions.

7.

Essentials

8.

Outings

9.

Technologically speaking

10.

Hard to kill

11.

Forgiving

12.

Unsolicited advice

Enjoy

That’s as far as I’ve gotten so far. I figured anyone reading this website is

a) probably either you my love.

All I can say at this point is thank you, and I look forward to completing this with you at some point and as we continue working through this together as always.