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Bedtime Strategies #1

Strategy # 1 – The Bell ~ From a Dad in North Carolina.

Kids don’t like surrendering control of their situations.  Since they can’t tell time you can imagine how their stomachs drop when we announce “its bedtime!”  Sure, giving them a 5-minute warning helps, but when that 5-minutes turns into 30 minutes because we got distracted then you’ve conditioned the child to understand that “5-minutes before bedtime” could be 1 more commercial break or could be an entire episode start to finish.  So when you finally try to round them up for bed they are more likely to be surprised and defiant and put up their defensive maneuvers.

SOLUTION:  If you give them an X minute warning, set a timer.  When the bell rings, that’s it.  There’s no arguing with the bell.  If YOU respect the bell ALWAYS, then THEY will respect it too.  There can never be a bell reset or you’ve undermined the authority of the bell forever.

Bedtime Strategy Intro

Bedtime Strategy 2

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Bedtime Strategies #2

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Bedtime Strategy # 2 – Order Your Attack

How often have you tried to initiate bedtime, only to be thwarted by the “I’m hungry” defense?  It’s easy to dismiss if we’re sure they ate a solid dinner, but on those nights, that dinner was light or a little early, and there’s a chance the kid is actually hungry and he/she may have a point.  Of course, we give them a bowl of cereal before bed, but you’ve just conditioned the child to get a 20-minute extension just by faking some hunger pangs.  Yes, Pangs... (I recently learned its pangs and not pains and don’t know why).

SOLUTION:  

Consider the hunger argument before you announce bedtime.  If there is a chance that they could be worthy of a nightcap, then ask before you even mention bedtime.  You’re likely to get a more genuine answer from them and they will learn that “bedtime” is bedtime with no excuses.

We invite you to share with us your strategies for getting kids more shuteye (besides Benadryl). 

Bedtime Strategy 1

Bedtime Strategy Intro

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Bedtime Strategies

The following series comes from other Dads... What works for you when trying to get your kid(s) ready for bed... I welcome your feedback, and please comment on what methods you use...

Bedtime Strategies for Dads Intro

My son suffers from a syndrome not yet recognized by the American Medical Association which I call BTB.  It stands for “belligerent time bomb” and goes like this: 

The instant my son wakes up in the morning around 6:30am, he is the most even-tempered kid you’ll meet.  Patient, kind, well mannered, he’ll even obey our instructions from the Friday night before and play quietly in his room while mom and Dad sleep in a bit.  On school days, he rolls out of his bottom bunk (top bunk is currently subleased to thirteen stuffed animals and 3 pillow/light projector things) with a smile and doesn’t even fuss if the first words he hears from me are “clean your room and meet me downstairs for breakfast”…  90% of the time I’ll get a “Yes Dad” and he’ll spring into action.  Boy, do I love that kid.

The afternoon is a different story.  He arrives from school with a deceptively similar smile to the morning but if you look closely there’s a twinkle missing from his eyes. His backpack gets dropped on the floor so fast that it blocks the front door from closing.  His shoes, if he bothers to remove them, land somewhere in the hallway next to the scuff marked wall which he kicked them into.  Manners disappear as he grunts with hunger and demands a snack from the nearest parent.  My wife and I are too familiar with the routine and carefully tiptoe around his every grunt for fear of agitating his volatile mood.  We overcompensate with too much sweetness in our tone and almost sound like June Cleaver asking if he “would like some more milk with your cookies” and “how was your day”. 

We don’t recognize this boy who appears at our door every day at 3:10pm but we know it’s our son.  We know because I used a marker to put a dot on his arm once before he left for school and I verified the dot was still there when he returned.  So it's not a different kid and I don’t believe in aliens so what is going on?  We ruled out school being the cause because he pulls the same crap on the weekends.  Mornings are fantastic, afternoons are progressively worse and bedtime is terrible.  He’s irritable, aggressive, rude, sassy and mean. If we forget to tiptoe perfectly avoiding confrontation then he’ll go toe to toe yelling at us and we end up sending him to his room out of frustration.  He stomps upstairs in his rage and he’ll throw toys while we try to regain our composure.

Through trial and error, I pinpointed the source of the issue.  Sleep deprivation/exhaustion.  If we don’t get him to bed on time… – scratch that – …if he doesn’t fall asleep on time then he wakes up with half a tank of gas.  Sure, he’s fully functional in the morning but afternoon his energy starts to taper down with his mood tracking down with it on a perfect slope approaching zero (where zero = head spinning, knife-wielding psychopath kid which I’m required by law to love and protect).

Getting a 6-year-old more sleep is easier said than done.  I have developed some strategies which have helped us combat accomplish just that.  This series presents my strategies to cure BTB and hopefully stop the spread from reaching your household. 

We invite you to share with us your strategies for getting kids more shuteye (besides Benadryl).

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Me- when I saw someone wearing Marshall gear at the Zoo and instantly struck up a conversation, and saw them numerous times throughout the day...

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Field trip survival kit... #thatsdadstuff #fieldtrip https://www.instagram.com/p/BwJ_fLQjazH/?igshid=16e3a5fw5gz22

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Water Heater Math and Kids

Water Heater Math

That’s Dad Stuff  @thatsdadstuff

I have a 10 and a 13-year-old. They both like showers and that’s a good thing and all, but man, they take very long showers. It never fails, after they take their shower, there isn’t enough hot water for me. Now before you say, “You need a bigger water heater”, its 55 gallons and simply put it boils down to the amount of time in the shower. 

So I gave the kids a lesson in “water heater math”. 

I took the kids down to our basement and showed them what a water heater is. Then I explained what the water heater does, and how much water is in it. Next, we talked about what uses hot water and specifically focused on the showerheads. 

To make the math easy on them, I said the showerhead gave them 5 gallons of water per min. If the water heater is 55 gallons, how long would the water heater last? With wide eyes, my oldest quickly answered 11 mins. “Wow Dad, I'm sorry, I had no idea.” Then I asked what if 2 kids are taking showers at the same time? My youngest quickly answered “Even LESS!” (I was looking for minutes, but I will take that answer.) 

My oldest said she would take shorter showers now she knows this. 

I know shower heads gallons per minute are much better than 5 gallons, and there are some water-saving showerheads at decent prices on Amazon, but I wanted to really get the point across and make the math easy. 

Try Water Heater Math with your kids if you have long shower takers… let me know if you see a difference.

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You’re a Dad. Suck It Up!

You’re a Dad… Suck It Up….

That’s Dad Stuff

This weekend was my daughter's birthday party. My wife wanted to do something different for her and was really struggling with what to do for my daughter and her friends. After what I experienced this weekend, I can truly tell you that no matter what your interests are, there is a party theme or location to host your party. My wife found Kitten In Cups. It's a Cat Cafe. You read that right. A Cat Cafe. My daughter was ecstatic. I was not! At. All. I’m allergic to cats. Deathly allergic? No, but bad enough to know, I was going to be miserable. Do I skip my kid's party? No way, I couldn't do that. Do I go sit in the car? Thought about it, but no. I basically said to myself, you're a Dad. This is what Dads do. You’re a Dad… Suck it up.

A little bit about my experience. First, I doubled up on my Flonase and took a Claritin before we left. That definitely helped. I walked in and after about 15 mins I eyes were watery and itchy, blew my nose a few times… but I digress. I really didn't know what to expect. In my mind, I was thinking the worst. I was expecting hairballs everywhere, and the smell of cat pee. To my surprise, the place was clean and didn't smell. All in all, it wasn't bad. We were greeted by friendly staff, and they allowed us to ordered pizzas, the kids played with cats and I watched… from a distance but not in that creepy-far-distance-watching-kind-of-way, that would be weird. 

Would I sign up to go again, no! Will my Wife? Yes… So… I’ll be going again because I’m a Dad and I need to suck it up. 

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I Hate Public Speaking Part 2

I hate public speaking...

That’s Dad Stuff @thatsdadstuff

I think 99% of people can relate to this.  Not just presentation but even a heavy meeting or key conversation.  I get knots in my stomach when the subject matter is not in my wheelhouse. 

  One technique (when possible) is to have an expert to either call upon in the back of the room or refer people to when I feel a question is over my head. There's nothing worse than that 2.4-second hesitation before answering that lets everyone in the room know that I'm guessing!  I find it much more humble and respectful to refer the question out or promise to research and get back to them with the answer. Sadly 1 out of 10 people in the audience will try to stump you just to stump you because it somehow makes them feel superior to see you on the ropes.  That's another article altogether! Don't let them see you sweat.  Some people start off by admitting they are new to the job and not fully up to speed yet.  I find this starts the conversation from a place of weakness and dilutes the remainder of the things that comes out of their mouths.  I don't think an apology is required, especially after all the preparations that have gone into your performance.  Own what you know and embrace what you don't know.  The audience will respect that more than an apology that makes them want to run for the door for wasting their time. Another technique I find helpful is to put on a persona.  For the 60 -90 minutes of the event, I put myself in the mindset of a performer, ACTING like a social person who can command a room.  Its a subtle mindset shift but its helps me fight back the insecure voice in my head that says I'm gonna fail and grants myself permission to be someone else for 60-90 minutes...to emulate the best speakers I've seen (Ted talkers etc...).   When I do this I stand taller, my voice projects further and I show confidence where I would otherwise show a bit timid. Another technique I've found helpful is recording myself (audio is good, but a video is better).  I did this for the first time recently and listened to myself in the commute home.  It allowed me to hear myself from the recipient's point of view and I make mental notes about the pace of my words, the clarity of my message and overall tone.  For me, the biggest takeaway was realizing how much I was saying "umm".   A totally obvious rookie mistake that I was doing subconsciously and now I'm more mindful about it.   Lastly, if you have someone you trust to give you brutally honest feedback, have them sit in the audience and take notes on your performance.  This serves two purposes.  1) You'll be continuously improving your skills with objective feedback     2) You'll feel comforted knowing that there is someone else in the room who is invested in your success, and at least 1 person not judging you for missteps because they know you're in test-mode.  

I Hate Public Speaking part 1

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The Most Annoying Cartoon Character... EVER

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@thatsdadstuff All Things Dad

Anything and everything Dad. What do Dads like? We will discuss in a blog

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Reviewing my highlight of the 2018 Capital Audio Fest https://thatsdadstuff.com/vanatoo-speakers/ #thatsdadstuff #dadstuff #audiophile #hiresaudio #hifi #caf2018 #caf2019 #captialaudiofest https://www.instagram.com/p/B4vOZBLn8M9/?igshid=1rxykb1lbhuhf

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Had some fun at the Capital Audio Fest... https://thatsdadstuff.com/capital-audio-fest/ #thatsdadstuff #audiofest #audiophile #caf2019 #capitalaudiofest #music #hiresmusic #hifi https://www.instagram.com/p/B4vNqWVnIqr/?igshid=1op29ece62l8m

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Card Collecting Starts with Dad… Part 4

Thatsdadstuff.com @thatsdadstuff 

If you recall from my last collecting post, I did my first submission with PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), I got a soul-crushing grade on a Jeter SP rookie, other low grades, but did score a nice Jordan Graded 10. For more on that submission check out the post. 

After educating myself more on the grading process, what graders look for, how they grade, etc, I decided to put myself through this again and send a submission to SGC (Sportscard Guaranty Corporation). This time I submitted 20 cards to SGC. This collection consisted of this year’s baseball rookie class, several duplicates of Anthony Rizzo Rookies, and a Mike Trout 2012 Topps.

So how did I do? FANTASTIC. The six Anthony Rizzo Rookies were received some of these worse grades. I received a couple 8.5s and 9s. However, I did get a 10!. So That's a keeper!

The Trout was a 9.5...NOT BAD!

Two of the superstar rookies this year were Pete Alonso and Fernando Tatis Jr. I am happy to say, I received several 9.5s and 10s. What's really great is that I received a Pristine 10 in the 2019 Topps Tatis, and a Pristine 10 Alonso Bowman insert. 

I’m very happy with this submission. I plan on selling the duplicates and the ones that scored under 10 to help recoup some of my money. The total investment was $170. I should be able to get most of that back with the ones I plan on selling.  If you are interested in any, let me know. Check out the pics! SGCs turnaround time and customer service was very good. Bulk submission pricing is very competitive and I will definitely use them again on my next submission.

Once I sell and recoup some of my money, I will do another submission! Stay tuned. 

Make sure to check out the recurring Collecting Dad posts at thatsdadstuff.com.

Card Collecting Starts with Dad...Part 3

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Wannabe Audiophile

A little bit about me. I love music. I love music when it sounds good too. A good high-end stereo, with good speakers, can really open your eyes to what instruments are being used on a song. A good song on a standard stereo, on your echo dot, or in your factory car stereo may sound good enough, but once you hear your favorite artist or song on a high-end stereo, you will understand what I am talking about. In fact, you may actually find your self asking “I didn’t know there was an *insert instrument here* in this song. At that moment you will realize, just what you’ve been missing... But hey, what do I know, I’m a wannabe audiophile.

You will simply need to take my word for it; the difference between a Hi-Fi stereo system and a standard stereo is night and day. I am no way an audiophile. Being an audiophile means you have the disposable income to buy the high-end equipment. I, unfortunately, do not, but I still love listening to hi-fi systems... 

Last year my Dad and I went to the Capital Audio Fest. It was here where I rekindled my love of music. The Capital Audio Fest was in a hotel in Rockville, Maryland. It was really cool and really unique. Several hotel rooms were cleared out, and each room had a different stereo system along with a couple chairs, that's it. Just you and a stereo, in a hotel room. Really unique. Never seen anything like it. 

I’m going back this year. This coming November, same hotel, same setup. This year I am hoping to see one thing in particular, but at the same time, I seriously doubt it or they will be there. Amazon recently announced a new HD lossless streaming service, Amazon Music HD. In addition to their music service, they now have the hi-fi smart speaker, the Echo Studio. Echo Link Amp, and Echo Link. 

I am very curious about what Amazon’s effect will be on the hi-fi/hi-res market. Will true audiophiles give Amazon the time of day? With Amazon entering the market, will we see an influx of new Amazon high-end smart equipment? I truly believe that Amazon’s jump into the Hi-Res market will have a lasting impact. Will their streaming service prove to be too much for Tidal? So many questions!

Be on the lookout, I will post about my experience at this year's Capital Audio Fest. 

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My Yard Sucks...

I need some yard work help. My yard sucks. I am not remotely close to a green thumb. I need some yard work done! My neighbor's yard is like carpet; no crabgrass, no dandilons, nice and green!. They also work at it... I... well, Don’t.

This fall I am going to start giving my yard a little TLC. Who knows if it's the right time of year, but I figured I should do this now before the winter. 

I recently had a tree cut down and had the stump grinded down. That area where that tree was located is now really torn up. I cleaned up the area and raked up the leftover tree shavings/bark. I filled the area with topsoil and seeded the area. After a couple months of watering on and off, and unfortunately, we had a really dry summer; so area didn't grow squat. What did grow dried up and died in a hurry. 

I also have a spot in my backyard where my dog always went pee and poop. It is about a 4-5ft diameter area that is absolutely TOAST- Burnt, dead, dug up; there is absolutely nothing left. 

Since then, we had a little bit of rain, but now that fall is here, its cooler and there is more moisture in the air, I’m thinking I should have better results compared to what I did with the grass in the tree area. This time I wanted to use Scotts Patch and Repair… 

I have had great success in the past with  Scotts Patch and Repair… Last fall, my kids raked up a pile of leaves, then failed to bag the leaves, leaving a nice 4ft diameter dead grass circle in the middle of my back yard. In the spring, I raked up the dead grass and spread an entire 3.75lb bottle of Scotts EZ Seed Patch & Repair over the area. It's my backyard, so I really don't care how it looks for the time being, so I didn't bother throwing some straw on it. Well, I have you to know in only a matter of a few weeks, the spot was full of grass. Nice tall fescue! Even without covering the area in straw! I was really impressed.  

This past weekend I bought 2 - 10lb bags of Scotts EZ Seed Patch & Repair. Yup! Two, Ten-pound bags!... and Yes, one for each spot, the tree area, and dog area. This go around, I also covered the area in straw. It is Fall, after all, straw is pretty easy to get, especially in October. 

Let's see if it works… Stay tuned, I’ll share my success.

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Now that’s some dad shoes... #dadshoes #dadlife #thatsdadstuff #dads https://www.instagram.com/p/B3frKE8nCyM/?igshid=5nff52e2wo4s

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