Single dad

You are in the doctor's waiting area and your partner is back in the exam room. You feel kind of weird because you are the only guy there. After all this is a gynecologist office and there aren't many stray guys hanging out. Mercifully, the nurse calls you back to the exam room. You're happy to be moving but to the exam room?

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The key point is: Dads should not just turn to Page 1 and jump in. They should set the mood first.

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The key point is: If dads practice first before reading aloud to children, they can do a better job. Because their goal is to convince children to love reading, just like sellers need to know their products well in order to convince customers to buy them, they need to know the books they will read well in order to convince children of the joys of reading. So, if possible, dads should practice first.

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One phrase to keep in mind is "Follow in order to lead." In other words, dads need to observe and listen to children in order to better lead them to enjoy reading. One way to follow children in order to lead them is to involve them in choosing the books that you read to them. A good starting place is to consider what books the child has enjoyed in the past. Some children, such as Wan Inn's two oldest children Joanne and Julian, would read anything that they could lay their hands on, and any place was a good place to read - from the bedroom to the restroom - with books hidden strategically in the restroom and bedroom closet for reading.

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As a dad, sometimes it's hard to know what to do with a newborn, especially if when you're new to all this. Don't let the awkwardness get in the way of spending time getting close to your new little guy or girl.

Here are a few fun things dads can do that you might try:

1. Strip the baby down to nothing or a diaper and lay him or her on a white sheet or blanket. Grab your camera and set the exposure controls to the smallest aperture possible - f12 or f16. Take a good inventory of the baby body parts (with obvious exceptions). With the smallest exposure setting, only what you are directly focusing on will be in focus in the shot.

2. Take pictures of your baby naked held in the palm of your hand. The window of opportunity for this is small so does it now. If you don't, a year from now you'll be at a party and see this kind of photo hanging in someone's hallway and you'll regret the opportunity that will never come again.

3. Strip down to the waist and enjoy the sensation of a newly bathed baby lying on your chest. This is the closest we can get to what moms feel, and it's not half bad. I wouldn't do it every day, but it's not bad. You will feel closer to your child than you did moments before, if only because you literally are closer to him.

4. Go for a stroll anywhere with the baby in a baby Bjorn, and enjoy the unique feeling of being a new dad. Everyone else will know you are as well.

5. Fall asleep with baby on your chest (just make sure mom is around to remove him in case you roll around).

6. Read a book to your baby. Love for books and reading starts early with experience and role models.

And some things not to do:
1. Resist the temptation to set your newborn baby in a salad bowl or flowerpot. You'll feel very guilty about the frightened look they get when you make fun of them.

2. And seriously, never, ever leave the baby unattended on counter, changing table, or in the bath, even for just a moment.

There are many types of books. The key point when deciding what types of books to choose is: Introduce children to a variety of books. In this way, we widen their horizons. Here are some book types to consider.

Story books

When most dads think of reading aloud, they think of story books. These come in many types including folk tales, fairy tales, series about one character, adventures, mysteries, scary stories, and tales of growing up.

What about comic books? Don't say no to comics without looking at some. Many people who today are excellent readers, as well as some famous writers, started off reading comics. What is good about comics? The pictures help children understand the words, the exciting plots motivate children to want to know what comes next and the fact that most comics come in series, such as Spiderman, gives children much more to read after they finish one comic book. Wan Inn's son Julian took a big step toward learning French by reading the French version of the Astrix comic book series.

Yes, there are some junk comics, full of violence and other types of content may not want children to be reading. However, many other types of books (not to mention movies and television programs) contain the same type of content. At the same time, many educational texts can be found in comic book form.

Also, just because a book has drawings does not necessarily mean the book is easy to read. Comic books and other illustrated book can be for older children and adults. For example, the main character in Kayla & the Magical Tree is a pre-teen, and the book's themes are probably beyond the comprehension of younger children.

Wordless picture books

Who says that a book needs words? Babies, toddlers, and even older children can enjoy books with only pictures or just a few words. Talk about the pictures. Make up your own stories. Also, many picture books are made of child-proof materials, such as heavy cardboard, that little hands can't tear. Plastic picture kids books are great for reading in the bath!

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. - Arab Proverb

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What if we did not read to children before they went to elementary school? Is it too late to start? No, it is never too late to start, even if the children are in secondary school. It may be more difficult to get started with older children, but the experience is just as rewarding for them and for us. Dads should start slowly and pay careful attention to finding material that matches the children’s interests.

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Many adults, including teachers, stop reading to children after lower elementary school, sometimes even earlier. A common belief seems to be that reading aloud is the predecessor to silent reading and that once children begin to read silently, we should stop reading aloud to them. This is most unfortunate.

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This is some advice from Jim Trelease, author of the landmark Read Aloud Handbook, and others on how to read aloud to babies.

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Read aloud time can be a special time in dad’s relationship with their kids. This time spent together can build an enduring bond. When small children sit in the dad’s lap or alongside dad as they read, they all enjoy the closeness. When we read to any children, small or large, the common stories and information we share create a bond of shared experience and knowledge.

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Some parents are eager for their baby to walk. They think that a baby walker will help the process along. In fact, walkers make learning to walk a slower process. They strengthen muscles in the lower leg. But they don’t help develop muscles in the upper leg and hip—the muscles most needed in walking.

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Mother's Day is considered more of a private ritual between the missus and the kids by most dads: it slips by and they barely notice it. Moms deserve better, and there are things that only a dad can do to make Mother's Day memorable for the whole family.

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