A Better, More Sane United States of America .. for our Children

You may have noticed that it’s a somewhat scary time to bring children into the world at the moment. We recently had our second child after surviving an exhausting pandemic pregnancy, and while it’s been a blessing to grow our family, it’s also scary to think about the country and problems our kids will inevitably inherit one day.

Aside from the global pandemic, we’re facing another dozen or so major issues that have all escalated since COVID-19 started dominating our lives. If we can tackle the virus and eventually move on, we still have the real big boss of catastrophes, the climate crisis, to deal with next.

Today’s story reflects on this strange time, including the current relentless onslaught of political headline after headline driving our anxieties to ever-higher levels. With children, squishy faces, and giggles, comes hope. And it’s our job right now (as parents and citizens) to stand up for what’s right, to give our kids a chance at a better country and a better world.

As always, thanks for reading.

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A Toddler and His Cheese Stoop — A COVID Story

It’s raining, and our two-year-old son Jack is standing behind his cheese stoop, watching through a curious set of eyes as the storm pours down and rattles its drops against the asphalt. We named the stoop back in January before COVID entered into our lives, and Jack stopped going to that place he knew as “school,” where his friends and teachers surrounded him with love while his parents worked.

It was his routine ever since he was four-months-old, and ours as well. From the stoop, he’s made friends with mailmen and UPS drivers, neighbors and strangers, dogs, and city workers alike.

And since the lockdown began in March, he’s gone from scooting, standing, and walking to running and climbing. From a little tyke who giggled and squeaked to a big boy who can tell you that Cookie Monster is blue, who can dance with the best of them, and shovels down food and snacks at an alarming rate.

This is a story about a very strange time in our lives, as it has been for everyone across the globe. We have been lucky, fortunate, and privileged enough to wait out a pandemic as a family unit with food, shelter, and jobs, while many across the country and the world struggle. Our story is not one of hardship, but one that shares how lucky we were to spend a little more time watching our son grow while we did our best to work and maintain sanity.

All that being said, just what is a cheese stoop? There’s only one way to find out.

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The Mischievous Life of a Little Quarantined Toddler Tyke

We’re all locked in with nowhere to go. A virus is on the loose, and everyone is scared. And as parents of a rambunctious little toddler, my wife and I are adjusting to work-from-home life as the new program managers of our son Jack’s vigorous daycare regimen.

A quick glance at the clock shows that it’s 8:37 am. My best guess is that it’s probably a Thursday. I’ve worn the same outfit for three days, and my pants are in questionable condition. Jack is in the cupboard tossing out pots and pans like he buried a treasure chest in there years ago, and now he needs some quick cash. He smells funny, but on second thought, I’m not sure if it’s him or me. It’s been approximately one hour and thirty-seven minutes since he woke up for the day, and everyone but him is already exhausted.

Read on to find out if these two exhausted parents can keep up. And on a serious note, I'd like to say a big, ginormous thank you to all those essential workers out there keeping the world afloat during this strange time. Thanks for reading!

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Bye, Bye Binky: Our 10-Step Baby Sleep Routine (Based on Science, and Other Stuff)

With a practiced look, our old-school-cool pediatrician assures us that a baby can’t self-soothe their way back to sleep until at least six months of age. That, unfortunately, we’re not quite ready for the infamous and sometimes controversial phase of sleep training. Not yet.

“You’re almost there, I promise. Just keep doing what you’re doing,” he says, right before running out the door in his faded tennis sneakers to what I imagine is most likely either another Jimmy Buffet concert or an emergency racquetball match. Maybe both.

Together, my wife and I nod our heads respectfully, even though this piece of information runs counter to the emergency baby sleep book (there are thousands) that she bought at the recommendation of a recent Instagram post by one of her most trusted reality television celebrity friends.

Like many who have come before us, we’re seriously wondering how anyone gets a baby to sleep or stay asleep or sleep peacefully for many hours in a row.  

And so, today's story follows two sleep-deprived newbie parents, occasionally exhausted and bleary-eyed, at other times perfectly fine and filled with surprising energy. Together they find themselves right in the thick of it, learning how to navigate the changing-by-the-minute sleep schedule of a perfectly wonderful baby boy.

But what will it take for these two newbies to maintain their sanity? What percentage of their brain cells will be lost forever? And how do you put a baby down to sleep without waking them up?

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, where have all the binkies gone?

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