Regression

How common is learning regression in young kids? It seems every time they move one step forward, they will take two steps backward. They'll master one thing, then seemingly forget and have to start over. In my kid's case, it is potty training and social acclimatizing (I thought I made that word up, but it made it through spell-checker). At one point in time, she was 90% potty trained. She wore underwear, she went on her own without prompting, and I was happy and relieved. Now, she'll fight when I tell her to use the potty. She's back in diapers, and the potty seems to be a strange new thing, akin to a discovery made by a Star Trek landing party. And she's wearing the Red Diaper.

Secondly, today, and yesterday, she hit another kid. She's gone weeks without getting up into someone else's grill. Now suddenly, the World is Not Enough. Is there such a thing as regression? Why does it feel like I am stuck in one of those Ground Hog day infinite loops where I gotta teach the same Sesame Street lessons every day? If I wanted to teach the same basic concepts, day after day, I would've become a high-school civics teacher.

The Routine

Get up.
Clean up.
Eat breakfast.
Stare in a zombiefied state at Nicktoons while cramming down caffeine-laced beverage(s) in a futile attempt to wake up with enough energy to chase after my cute, adorable monster.

The routine is a hard part of raising up my little girl. Especially if she is outgrowing it, or circumstances beyond your control (now referred to as cbyc) force a change. Try moving across an ocean and living in hotel rooms for two+ months while moving house. Major cbyc.
Pre-kid, I didn't thing a routine was a wise thing. Children are just like little people. When they are hungry, they'll eat. Tired-sleep. But, it seems like the routine isn't just a good idea for them, as it is a good way to keep up the sanity of the parents. In what state would I be if she didn't have 1pm nap time to look forward too at 10 am?

Sick. That apparently is the answer, as my little girl is in that stage where nap time seems optional. My health as left me while chasing her down. Now to find a routine that involves either earlier bed-time (yeah!) or enough morning activity to trigger afternoon sleepy time, barring cbyc.

What routines have you had success with?

I'm A Stay At Home Daddy!

Raising a kid, even one as cute, adorable and innocent as mine, is rough. Terribly rough. I never thought in a million years that I would stay at home to raise our munchkin. But, after nearly three years, I am still not use to it, nor am I close to the expert in all things kid.

My biggest failing is that I couldn't keep work away from home. I realized that I had a career that was all encompassing, keeping me entirely away from my family, or that any job that didn't require that kind of commitment wouldn't pay the enormous cost of daycare. Either way, I still wouldn't be around for my daughter. So, my job now is to be a Dad. It's the toughest job there is.

This blog is for all those who find themselves in similar circumstances. Raising kids is difficult, and we got to stick together and vent how we can. However, you might feel a closer kinship in being a stay-at-home dad. Afterall, there are certain challenges we face: taking your daughter to the men's restroom. Getting funny looks at Chuck E. Cheese (being the only guy there) and other socially awkward circumstances (I hate dinner parties). This blog aims to make right those trivial social injustices, and furthermore -- to make the stay-at-home dad the cool profession.

Any stories you wanna share?