Father’s Day ideas from radio’s Ernie D

Usually, I don’t like to copy/paste reasons for doing anything from a manufacturer. However, these reasons just...

It’s almost always a good idea to shop used, especially for kid stuff, since they grow out of it so quickly. However,...

Father’s Day is this Sunday and if you’re anything like me, you’ve waited until the last minute to find a gift. Good news is we’re here to help. If you have a dad that likes to spend time outdoors, check out the following suggestions. Your local outdoor store will likely carry many of these items, or you can easily find them online with the links provided. Most retailers would be happy to ship overnight so that gear arrives in time for dad’s big day. Kelty FC 3.0 Child Carrier The Frame Carrier (FC) 3.0 is Kelty’s top of the line child carrier designed for days spent with family exploring the great outdoors. Comfy for both kids and dads,...

I’m only looking for three votes in that category. Poor Will Smith has to appeal to bigger numbers. Movie ticket selling website Fandango.com has done a poll ahead of Father’s Day (June 20 in the U.S., Canada and U.K.) of movie fans’ favorite father/son and father/daughter actors and actresses, and Will Smith comes out a winner. [From Hollywood’s most popular Dad? … Will Smith | Analysis & Opinion |]

Baby Body Signs Quiz 1. All U.S. babies at birth get an Apgar test. What does Apgar stand for? A. The name of the doctor — Virginia Apgar — who developed it. B. The American Pediatric Gross Assessment Record. C. Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration D. All of the above 2. How much more accurate is a newborn’s sense of smell than sense of taste? A. 100 times B. 1,000 times C. 10,000 times D. 100,000 times 3. A Russian company is making money by turning babies’ hair into: A. Necklaces B. Diamonds C. Paper D. Vodka 4. Which of the following is a common sign of jaundice in an infant: A. Yellow eyes B. Yellow...

But probably not, especially if it’s your first. Better chances for 12 plus hours comforting your baby before the inevitable, “PUSH!” Waterford plumber Brian Hines typically tends to toilets, but on Tuesday, he helped his wife deliver their baby boy on the bathroom floor. [From Dad delivers son on the bathroom floor | freep.com | Detroit Free Press]

Does anyone know the studies that back up these three claims? I tend to believe at least number 1, but the other two, while I’d like them to be true, aren’t as obviously true given other factors First, it’s good for your kid. As pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton says, “When men are involved with their children, the children’s I.Q. increases by the time they are six or seven.” Brazelton adds that with a father’s involvement, “the child is more likely to have a sense of humor, to develop a sort of inner excitement, to believe in himself or herself, and to be more motivated to learn.” Second, it’s good for you. Research indicates that actively involved fathers are more...

Be a good example. If you’re having chips, it’s hard to have much moral authority. Plus, kids eventually model parents’ behavior. Stick them in soup. Soups hide a multitude of sins. Slather them in butter, or stir fry. Let ‘em dip. Some kids like hummus, others like chip dip. You’ll have to decide how much bad stuff you’ll let them put on for the veggie benefit. Serve them raw. Serve lots at once and let them decide which to eat. If you make it a practice to set out vegetables 10 minutes before you give in to their demands to have other snacks, you may be surprised how much gets eaten. Get them involved in growing vegetables. Kids will eat...

Forbes has the top ten list. No. 1: Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa Cost-of-Living Rank: 21 Crime Rate Rank: 28 Commuting Rank: 3 Household Income Rank: 32 Home Ownership Rank: 8 Homeowner Costs Rank: 26 Education Rank: 4 No. 2: Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pa. Cost-of-Living Rank: 24 Crime Rate Rank: 10 Commuting Rank: 26 Household Income Rank: 40 Home Ownership Rank: 25 Homeowner Costs Rank: 15 Education Rank: 25 No. 3: Rochester, N.Y. Cost-of-Living Rank: 6 Crime Rate Rank: 18 Commuting Rank: 6 Household Income Rank: 57 Home Ownership Rank: 28 Homeowner Costs Rank: 40 Education Rank: 20 No. 4: Syracuse, N.Y. Cost-of-Living Rank: 11 Crime...

The National Academy of Sciences has good news for older adults. In a study published online May 17, the Academy Reports: … people start out at age 18 feeling pretty good about themselves, and then, apparently, life begins to throw curve balls. They feel worse and worse until they hit 50. At that point, there is a sharp reversal, and people keep getting happier as they age. By the time they are 85, they are even more satisfied with themselves than they were at 18. [From Happiness May Come With Age, Study Says - NYTimes.com]

Here are more Father’s Day gifts you might not have thought of for the upcoming festival of dads. 1. For dads who love reading about how things work. Okay, this is book for dads to read with (mostly) little boys. It’s the David McCauley series on buildings, including Pyramid, Unbuilding, Cathedral, and Arena. David MacCauley, the artist behind the The Way Things Work books and software uses beautiful pen and ink drawings to explain how different structures are created. But he doesn’t stop there. He creates fictitious stories around each to explain the buildings using stories of how and why things may have been built as they were. For example, in Castle, he explains how the...

Making it into the older dads category: The Oscar-winning director, 55, and his wife, Christine Baumgartner Costner, 36, welcomed a baby girl named Grace Avery Costner on Wednesday, the actor’s rep tells PEOPLE. This is Costner’s seventh child, his third with Christine. [From Kevin Costner Is a Dad for Seventh Time - Babies, Kevin Costner : People.com]