As a coworker recalled the dangerously idiotic driver he encountered on his way to work this morning, I realized that my own driving habits have changed since being a dad. My response to his story about a person who raced him to the end of a drop off lane was “why don’t people just wait and get there 30 seconds later.”
My former attitude was more towards “that’s why I bought a six-speed turbo.” Although I was never a reckless driver, I now am much more careful with the little one ever present in the back of my mind or the back of the car. Our last ‘family automobile’ purchase was made squarely on safety for the little guy and I now slow down quite a bit whenever I’m behind the wheel. Neither of those things make me a grandpa driver, but it gets worse.
I now find myself considering alternate routes for risk mitigation and drive at different times with less traffic. Heck, I even use the term ‘risk mitigation’ which alone tacks on 15 years to my driving age.
I no longer see yellow lights as an opportunity to relive the chase scene from Ronin. Did I say 15 years? make that 25.
I even try and reduce the number of left-hand turns across busy streets. Did I say 25 years? Make that 40.
I now leave the house earlier when I have to be someplace at a particular time. That alone qualifies me for membership in AARP. I caught myself looking at lumbar pillows at the mall the other day, so pretty soon I may just end up taking a shuttle everywhere and transporting my son in the basket of my walker.
I don’t really care if I take on a more elderly pattern, the boy is worth it. The conversation this morning just made me realize that since my son was born I’ve changed lots of habits, and driving is one of them. How have you become more cautious since your kids were born?
For the past 23 years the 4th of July weekend has had a bit of additional activity for me and my family. While most people associate parades, hot dogs and fireworks with the 4th, it also has a very strong association with antique and classic cars for me.
Twenty three years ago my dad and some friends started the Berkshire Charity Auto Show. The show occurs every year on the Sunday after the 4th of July and is a draw for hundreds of classic and antique cars and thousands of spectators who come to enjoy pristine autos of years past. While everyone enjoys the visual aspect of the show, there is also the incredible benefit of raising money for charity. Over the past two (plus) decades he and his friends have orchestrated this massive undertaking and in the process raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities like the United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs and the American Cancer Society.
While I don’t share quite the same passion for antique and classic cars that my father does, I have to say that I am incredibly impressed by the devotion and effort he puts forth year after year to help other people. Charity is often a virtue lost in modern consumer society, but he holds on strong to that idea and continues to put tremendous effort towards helping others. I am proud of his stewardship and the manner in which he gives of himself to others. I constantly think of the values and virtues that I wish to instill in my son and hope that I can personally provide such a good example of charity to my little boy as he grows up.
Dad, you do a great job, you make a difference in people’s lives and I’m proud of you.
Hello parents and consumers. This week there were three child-related products recalled from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). If the names of any of these products sound familiar or you think you might own them, visit the link with each listing below to find pictures and/or part numbers of the items in question. If an item you own is recalled, take it away from your child immediately and visit the CPSC for details on repair, replacement or refund.
Pay special attention to the Bayside Furnishings recall as this recall was issued in conjunction with the death of a child.
This past week we stepped up to the next size car seat for the little one. Attached to the installation instructions was a product registration card, which I started to slide into the fold of the ‘how to’ booklet. I was about a half second away from forgetting I ever saw the card in the first place when I noticed big, bold print telling me why I should register my car seat.
When you register your car seat you give the manufacturer a method to contact you in case of a product recall. While you should be reading The Week in Recalls here on Inside Fatherhood, registering your car seats and other child-related products makes sure you are aware of any notices or warnings that materially effect your child’s products.
They only take a minute to fill out and are often postage paid, so when dealing with children’s products registration cards are a quick and easy way to ensure your child’s safety.
I’d like to wish all of our US readers a very happy 4th of July. I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday and enjoy the company of your friends and loved ones.
The show Baby Borrowers was a repeat this week, which gave me the opportunity to further discuss it with others. While everyone with whom I spoke felt some of the ‘contestants’ were painfully clueless and not ready to be parents, we all agreed that hopefully any teens watching the show would realize that parenthood is a difficult proposition.
From the perspective of current parents, the behavior of a few contestants was annoying, aggravating and irresponsible. However, hopefully this will illustrate to other teens that having children is neither something to be taken lightly nor a fun way to have a new little buddy. Our hope is that kids who watch Baby Borrowers will be more careful and less cavalier about becoming parents at an early age.
Oddly enough, there is no shortage of videos of babies eating lemons on YouTube. Also strange, I can’t remember how I came to find videos of babies eating lemons in the first place. Technically you’re not supposed to give citrus to a child under a year (according to our pediatrician), but if you do, have a video camera handy.
Hello parents and consumers. This week there were 5 child-related product recalls announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and listed below. As always, if you own any of the items below discontinue use immediately and follow the link to the CPSC website for full details on returns, repairs or refunds.
Our new Klean Kanteen Sippy cup arrived today and I have to say it seems pretty slick. The Klean Kanteen Sippy is a stainless steel cup with a sippy spout for kids. It’s well-built, durable and most important of all totally BPA-free and not subject to the leaching which many plastic-based sippy cups are.
If you’ll recall, there was a report published a while back which indicated that plastic-based cups, specifically those with BPA, are prone to leeching chemicals into their contents. After that we chucked our old baby bottles (which we used twice) and got BPA-free bottles (which we also used about twice).
We went stainless steel with the sippy because as the contents become more acidic (like juices) there is an increased tendency for the plastics to degrade and be ingested. A very cool design feature is that the spouts can be switched out over time to convert the bottle from a sippy cup to a regular water bottle, so it can change with your child’s needs.
They’re a little on the expensive side (about $18), but for a durable item that is healthier for my son, I think it’s well worth the few extra bucks.
Product description and image via Amazon:
The Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup is a reusable, lightweight and risk-free 12oz stainless steel bottle designed for small hands. It comes with a sippy adapter made from safe, non-leaching polypropylene (pp#5) and 2 spouts.
Features:
- Holds 12 fluid oz (355 ml)
- Fun, safe, non-leaching, toxin-free, zero BPA
- Safe alternative to plastic sippy cups
- High-quality food grade 304 L.N. stainless steel
- Durable, lightweight, reusable and 100% recyclable
- Slim design fits most cup/bottle holders
- Non-leaching & toxin-free
- No inner lining, clean tasting
- Wide mouth fits ice cubes
- Dishwasher friendly
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cup arrived today and I have to say it seems pretty slick. The 
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