10 things I wish someone had told me about being a dad to little kids

1. No one ever said you had to turn on Barney, go to a Wiggles concert or buy a Raffi CD. Yes, the world would be a better place if they didn’t exist, but you can make sure they don’t, in your own house.

2. Band-Aids are cheap and create pain free miracles. is there any reason not to put them on whenever you see an owie?

3. Why not buy 20 pairs of white socks and throw them in the drawer without pairing them. Little kids could not care less and it’s one less hunting session for you after the laundry.

4. You don’t have to hire a magician for a birthday party. As soon as you do, the next time you’ll have to top it with a pony. Keep birthday parties simple and cheap.

5. You can spend quality time with your kids even if that doesn’t mean going to an amusement park or museum. It’s better to go to the grocery store or empty the dishwasher with them than to do chores while they are sleeping or at school.

6. Buy toys you’ll like to play with too. Nine times out of ten, you can find a cool toy your kids will love to play with, especially if you play along. It’s far better to get something that will motivate you to play than whatever the toy industry is saying is hot this year.

7. Use a duvet and skip the top sheet. No one likes to make the bed; a duvet makes it a simple flip. There is no life lesson in squared corners.

8. Kids don’t have to hate food for it to be healthy. There are tons of resources now to hide veggies in kid-friendly food. Dinner time should not be fight time over food.

9. Don”t feel guilty about playing video games with your kids. The key thing is to do things with them. That’s why we love many of the multi-player Wii games. It lets us indulge our inner adolescent without fear that we’re turning our pre-teenagers into little zombies.

10. No child ever suffered because you told them you love them too many times in one day. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise.