Triple The Dad

  I'm a big boy! The wife had become increasingly worried that 8-month-old Rand might never sleep in his crib.  His bassinent was only rated to 25 pounds or when he could sit up, and at 20 pounds and nearly sitting up, he was right on the verge of getting himself a ticket out of there.  Complicating matters was that Rand had, for the longest time, suffered from reflux.  The mattress was already raised to a 30 degree angle, and Zantac was tried and dismissed.  Prilosec had seemed to work, but in 3 weeks he had slept through the night only once, with a few times of sleeping until 3 a.m. or so.  So we decided that come hell or high water or baby crying, we were going to get him in his crib.  We braced ourself for the worst.  All three of our triplets sleep in the same nursery and the thought of Rand's crying waking them all at some point is not a fun thought.  Still we settled on the Ferber method .  Put him down awake, and...

Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper. Its a great product. You can keep your child safe, close to you, and if he/she wakes, you can quickly rock them back to sleep. It is like sleeping with your child in your bed, with none of the downsides. You can quickly transition them to their nursery. Just be warned... our 8 month old loves his so much we can't get him in his crib.

As a follow-up to Monday's post I'm now going to discuss what probably makes you a better Dad than me.  Here goes: You probably have better foresight than I do.  I get myself into a lot of child-related problems simply because I don't look far into the future.  Not even "far," like an hour.  I sometimes end up with crying babies simply because I haven't thought far enough ahead to make bottles in advance, or to prep their highchairs for feeding time.  If it wasn't for the planning of my dear wife, the kids would probably be sitting in one of the two pieces of clothing (dirty, of course) we had for them crying while I frantically make a bottle that is probably 20 minutes overdue. You are probably manlier than I am, and that will do you well in some instances, especially with your sons.  I'm a lot a things; especially manly isn't one of them.  Most of the time I'm OK with that, as I said in Monday's post, I'm comfortable with who I am...

"Better" is hard word to apply to parenting children.  Every child, and indeed, every situation requires its own unique touch.  Its one reason why there are 1 million + advice books, and some higher magnitude order of individual pieces of advice.  What works for you in one situation may not work in another.  Heck, what works with one kid might not work with another kids in the same circumstance, or even the same kid in that circumstances.  If you are reading this post, I most likely don't have to tell you that. Its one reason why I think strictly following or adhering to a certain formulaic parenting style is wrong.  When I hear parents say "I absolutely won't do X," I shudder a little.  We should be doing what works for our kids, not what our own beliefs are. With that in mind, I believe there are some macro-level things that can help any child in any situation.  Here are the 5 areas in which I probably excell more than most Dads.

I'm a busy dad, what with triplets and all, so to get the best idea of what its like to have triplets and work from home as a writer, follow me on twitter : @triplethedad

My goal is at least one substanative post per week, plus maybe a second of links, if nothing else. As part of that, check Monday for 5 Reasons I'm A Better Dad Than You, followed later in the week by At Least 5 Reasons Why You Are A Better Dad Than Me.

I wish I could cloak the post in black; or more appropriately, chocolate brown. King-sized Snicker's bars, a one-time favorite of mine, have become a victim of King-sized guilt about obesity. Mars LLC will now only sell candy bars coming in at sub-250 calories, making the 510-calorie King-sized version a big no no. Which is all fine and good - except for the intrusion into my life and purchasing habits and proclivities - minus the fact that now to treat my triplets, I will have to buy 3 candy bars at 250 calories a piece, rather than a single 510 calorie. Lets see: a 250 calorie treat (1 candy bar per child at 250 calories) or a 170 calorie treat (1 at 510 calories split 3 ways (510 / 3 = 170) with an added side of sharing and negotiating. I guess I'll be spending more to buy additonal, smaller treats and giving my kids more calories. Thanks.