Single dad

As children's reading ability improves, they may want to read aloud with us, starting off with just saying a word or two that they recognize. Even children who cannot read at all can sometimes read along, either because you have read them the book so many times that they have memorized many of the sentences or because in a predictable book, certain phrases or sentences are repeated many times.

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Now that you've established an allowance for your little darling, you may consider developing a list of chores for your child.

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You probably have never given much thought to your young child’s credit history and rating. However, the increase in identity theft means dads have to be more vigilant about protecting their kids from thieves who will take their financial identity, often not to be discovered for many years. As crises go, this one isn’t earth shattering, but the Federal Trade Commission, the federal agency that tracks identity complaints, says that 11,600 complaints for victims under 18 were filed in 2005. This is roughly double the number filed in 2003. Many of these are fraud cases involving relatives, but some involve real theft too.

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Most modern day dads and especially new dads would love to spend time with their kids. However, the work schedule usually prevents dads from balancing life and work. Time flies and before they know it, most dads find that their kids have already grown up. Their desire to make time for those magic years never materialized.

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A new baby in the house means a whole lot of fun. On the flipside, it also means a whole lot of work. In the case of twins, this means not just double the fun but also double the work.

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By now, you are enjoying your baby’s smile. You can help your baby have a beautiful smile by taking care of his mouth before he gets his baby teeth. Even though his baby teeth will fall out, it is important to keep them healthy. Healthy baby teeth lead to healthy permanent teeth.

Before you can even see your baby’s teeth, they need care. Clean your baby’s mouth every day. Wipe it out with a soft clean cloth. This will help remove germs and keep his mouth healthy.

Protect your baby from the pain of “baby bottle tooth decay.” Always hold your baby when feeding him. Never put your baby to sleep with a bottle. Formula or juice that stays in his mouth while he sleeps can harm his baby teeth. When his baby teeth appear, continue to gently wash them with a soft cloth. Do not use toothpaste until he is about three years old and able to spit it out.

When he is about one year old, you can start to brush gently your baby’s teeth with a soft, baby-size toothbrush.

Your baby should get his first dental checkup when he is one year old. You may have questions about how to protect your baby’s teeth. If you have questions, ask your doctor or dentist.

Do you think that your baby is too young for you to enjoy interacting with him? Think again. There is a lot you can do that will be fun for both of you. Additionally, it will also have a beneficial effect on your baby's development.

• Talk to your baby. Identify the different sounds and gestures particular to your baby. Try to interpret these gestures to understand what your baby is telling you. You may want to research sign language training for you and your baby if you’re interested in this mode of communication.
• Smile and coo at your baby. Your baby will soon learn to smile and coo back at you. This is not just a game—it will teach your baby about a two-way conversation.
• While changing, bathing, or feeding, tell the baby what you are doing. This way your baby will learn to associate your speech with the action you are performing.
• Give your baby different things to hold in his hand, like a rattle, a wad of cotton, a handkerchief, or a piece of paper. Infants enjoy finding out the properties of different objects. For instance, they learn to shake a rattle to produce sound, or crumple a piece of paper and straighten it out again.
• Encourage your baby to look at you and imitate what you are doing. This way, your baby will soon learn to put on a cap, pull off socks, open a book, and turn the pages one by one.

Babies, and children younger than two years of age, often express preference for the mom over the dad. However, this changes between the ages of two and four when children start to look upon the dad as a partner in play. Young boys, especially, look upon their dads as heroes and try to imitate the way they talk, dress, and act.

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Young infants develop a strong attachment towards the mom. At this age, they are completely dependent upon her for their needs, such as being fed or being put to bed. It is only when they start growing older those children starting accepting the dad as a parent. Little boys, as they become aware of their common gender, begin to look upon the dad as a role model. However, little girls too form equally deep bonds with their fathers.
 
Here are some of the factors responsible for the close bond that daughters share with their fathers:

• First man in their life: The father is usually the first man in a little girl's life. Girls usually develop their idea of 'maleness' from their fathers, and this influences the way they will view other men in their lives. Fathers, thus, lay the groundwork for the type of relationship that their daughters will share with men later in their life.
• Self-evaluation: Young girls usually depend on their mothers to help them form their definition of 'womanhood'. However, a loving father is important to help a young girl develop self-esteem. His appreciation of her defines how she evaluates herself as a woman.
• Security: Fathers provide daughters with a sense of security. A warm and trusting relationship with her father makes a girl feel 'wanted,' and reassures her that she will always be protected from harm.

1. Set a good example. Read for pleasure and show and share that pleasure.

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