We did it.

I kept track of our mission along the way…the good nights, the bad nights, and the ugly nights…and I’m going to summarize it all for you here.  I’ll also tell you what I learned along the way and give you some tips of my own, should you wish to embark on such a journey.

We followed a method that we read in a book called “Supernanny”, by Jo Frost.  The net of the method is to first get your toddler to fall asleep with you sitting on the floor beside his bed, and then each night gradually move further and further from the bed, and closer and closer to the door.  You do this until you are outside of the room.

We liked this gradual approach because cold turkey approaches just didn’t work for us.  They left us with broken hearts and a screaming young boy running after us out of his room.

We started as the book suggested, getting out of his bed after his bedtime ritual, and sitting beside his bed on the floor.  It took about two weeks before we were able to do this without any protests from him.  Even after that, we still had the occasional “call back.”  We stayed firm and on the floor, and kept conversation to a minimum.  Usually we just said, “It’s okay, sleep” or simply, “Sleep.”

One breakthrough moment that I had was when, one night, I stood up from my position on the floor and kissed him on the forehead.  He had been protesting prior to the kiss, and after, he just dozed off without another word.  I was so impressed that I kept this ritual going for awhile, and it continued to work.

By about week 5 we were at the foot of his bed and he was able to fall asleep on his own with us there.  He didn’t mind when we got out of the bed, and things were looking up.  Despite this, felt that things were moving slowly, as we were still only halfway out of the room.

We decided in week 6 to take the plunge and leave the room completely after his goodnight ritual.  Much to our pleasant surprise, it worked.

In the two weeks since we reached that milestone, we have been able to read him a story, sing him a song, give him a kiss, and leave the room.  We still leave his bedroom door open and his nightlight on, but that is fine with us.  We usually go  back into his room one or two times to check on him and give him another kiss.  Sometimes he is awake for longer and just lies in his bed awake, and sometimes he falls asleep quickly and he’s already asleep by the first time we go back in.  Either way, he doesn’t cry or complain when we leave his bed or leave the room.

After he falls asleep, we turn off his nightlight and close his bedroom door.  He sleeps through the night without waking up.

For those of you who have read this saga from the beginning, you know this is a huge step forward from where we started.  Eight weeks ago, if we even tried to leave his bed, let alone his room, there would be tears all over the place.  Now we leave the room and he lies there until he falls asleep with no issues.

Needless to say, we are happy and proud of him.  He is proud of himself too.  He still knows we are there for him, and at the same time he has more confidence at bedtime, knowing he can fall asleep without us.  He knows now that he is safe and secure in his bed even if we are not in it with him, and that is important.

My overall advice is to be patient and perseverant, and know that you will get there eventually.  Trust me; if we did, anybody can.

If you are thinking of trying this out with your toddler, go for it.  Read the whole set of updates on our progress here, and contact me if you have any questions.  This is your mission too, should you choose to accept it.  Good luck!

Check out this link to see all the articles in this series:

Mission:  Getting Toddler to Fall Asleep on His Own:  Articles

Leave a comment and let us know if you are trying this out too, or if you would try it.

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When I blog, I am like a guitar-playing busker on Granville Island on a cool autumn weekday.  I do my thing, and occasionally someone stops by to watch.  The odd person might leave a few cents in my guitar case, and sometimes I play for no one but me.  Either way, I am having fun and doing something that I enjoy.  It is also a time for me to practice and hone my skills at my hobby.

Will I ever be a rockstar, playing for a huge audience that pays $100 a ticket to see me?  It might be nice in some ways, but it is a fantasy that lies far away and seemingly out of reach.

To get into the minds of those blogging “rockstars” out there, find out how they think, what makes them tick, and how they got to where they are, I bought “Blogging Heroes,” and read it from cover to cover.

“Blogging Heroes” contains interviews with 30 of the top and most prominent “rockstars” of blogging.  It is an ideal book for the busker like me who wants to gain insights into what it takes to build a successful blog that is visited by the masses.

When asked their opinion on the secret of a successful blog, every one of the 30 blogging heroes gave a similar response.  If 30 of the web’s most successful bloggers cite the same secret of blog success, then it truly must be the ultimate secret of blog success.

What is the big secret?

In a word:  Passion.

Every single one of the 30 most successful bloggers on the web cited passion as one of the most important ingredients of a successful blog.

This means, to increase your chances of having a blog that is a success, you should find a niche in a topic area that you are absolutely passionate about, and blog away about it with consistency and passion.  If your passion for the topic shines through, people will notice, and they will come, and come again.

Going back to my guitar-playing busker analogy, if you see a busker just strumming some random chords nonchalantly, and he looks like he is only strumming there to try and make some cash, you are likely to just walk right by without a glance.  If the busker is really playing with his heart, on the other hand, and really beating out those chords with a passionate expression on his face, you might just get interested and stop and listen for awhile.

What is the ingredient of a great rock concert?  A band that puts on a great show filled with passion for playing and the music.  (How many times have you heard someone say, “The concert sucked… the band was wasted and wasn’t into it at all.” vs. “Man, they rocked, they were so into it and played all their best stuff!”)

The niche aspect is important too, because there are a lot of blogs out there and just about every topic in the world is covered (blogs about bacon notwithstanding).  The popular, broader topics are covered by many well-established blogs, making it harder to break into those areas.  If you take the example of a social media blog, a very narrow niche blog would be a blog that focuses solely on Facebook and covers all things Facebook.

The Dad Jam is about fatherhood and parenting, but it could be much more specific than that.  There are many parenting and fatherhood blogs out there, and a lot of good ones at that.  A fatherhood blog that focuses on how fathers can be more green, or one that focuses specifically on fathers raising sons, are examples of very narrow niche fatherhood blogs that could be successful.

What does this all mean to me?  I am passionate about fatherhood and being a good dad and husband, so I chose the right topic for this site (although I could have gone into a narrower niche).  I hope my passion about this topic shines through in my articles and that it gives my passersby something to stop, look at, and think about.

Whether or not I gain a huge following will be something that only time will tell, and although it would be nice, I still have my day job and I won’t hold my breath.  I am happy to just keep on strumming away at my favourite songs, enjoying the cool autumn weather, and hoping that those who do stop by to watch enjoy the show and maybe come back to visit The Dad Jam again.

Or maybe they’ll take a free CD by subscribing to my RSS feed .

Flickr photo courtesy of Steve Crane

Talking to your kids can be liking talking to a tree

I have found a solution that works nicely and is easy to apply to everyday situations.  The idea is to use keywords when requesting something from your kids.  Most bloggers or SEO specialists are familiar with the concept of using keywords on websites and blogs to get search engines to listen to them.  I am going to tell you how parents can use keywords in everyday conversation to get their kids to listen to them.

Picture this:  You are at the grocery store.  You just finished shopping and Junior is getting fussy.  He wants to leave the store now and is about to have a meltdown if you don’t.  What do you do?

Leaving the store without paying is not the answer.

In such a situation, a keyword can work wonders.  You can use a keyword such as “Pay,” to get the message across that you can’t leave yet because you still have to pay for the groceries.  For example, you can say, “I have to PAY now.”  Or, “You’ll have to wait a minute because I still have to PAY.”  Whatever you say, it is important that you emphasize the keyword, “PAY.”  Then, every time you are at the grocery store and Junior gets fussy at the cash register, simply say similar things, always including your keyword.  This introduces a consistent message that Junior will always understand.  So whenever you tell Junior that you have to PAY, he knows he has to settle down and wait.

I use a keyword with Smarty Pants whenever I want him to get out of the bath.  I introduced this because he never wanted to get out of the bath, no matter how many different ways I asked him.  The keyword is “WRAPPER.”  When I say wrapper, it refers to the way I wrap him up in his towel to dry him down when he gets out of the bathtub.  I say, “Okay, its time to get out, we’re going to do a WRAPPER.”  (Don’t worry if the grammar isn’t 100% correct or the keyword is partially made-up).  As soon as he hears the word WRAPPER, he knows exactly what I mean and what will happen, and it is his cue to get out of the tub.  It honestly works every time.  He gets out of the tub and repeats after me, “Wrapper, wrapper, wrapper,” as I wrap the towel around him.

Can you think of some keywords and how they can be used to send a signal or “call to action” to your child?  “CLEAN UP” is a good example of a keyword (or key phrase) that can be used to send a cue to your child that it is time to clean up.

Be creative.  I think the wrapper idea was pretty creative and I am really happy with the results.  If you find yourself asking your child a thousand different ways to do something, and she just isn’t listening, try using a single, consistent keyword instead.  Come up with something fun that she will always recognize.  The idea is to create a mental association between the keyword and the action.  It is almost like NLP.  Or maybe it is NLP.  Either way, it works!

If you try this out and it works for you, please leave a comment and let us know!  We can all benefit from your experiences!

****Flickr photo courtesy of Nutmeg66

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There is a solution that is easy to write on paper (or virtual paper), but difficult to put into practice.  You have to be strict and determined with this one, and make a point of doing it every day.

What is it?

The solution is to spend at least ten minutes of one-on-one time with your partner every single day.  That’s right, ten minutes, every single day.  One-on-one.  Meaning, no kids, no distractions, maybe a glass of wine.  These ten minutes will work wonders for you and could save your marriage.

This is easier said than done.  If you have kids, they will need to play alone or with each other during this time.  If you have a baby, you will probably need to spend this time together when the baby is napping.

Your kids will need to understand that they cannot interrupt you during this time either.  This is “Mommy and Daddy Time.”  The kids get your attention all day, hopefully they can last 10 minutes out of the entire day without it.

What do you do in these ten minutes?

During these ten minutes, you give each other your undivided attention.  Try and relax, talk to each other about your day and understand one another.  Discuss what is on your mind or discuss any arguments that you had that might have gone unresolved (don’t start the argument all over again, but try to understand from each other what caused the argument and what you can each do better next time).

What is important is that you are there for each other, you are paying attention to each other and you are communicating with each other!

If you do this every day, you will find that you understand each other better and will feel closer to one another.  If you do this early in the evening, you will find that you will tend to be more relaxed throughout the evening and better able to deal with each other, the kids, and any issues that might arise.

Try and keep it regular and on schedule.  If you start skipping times, you will lose the rhythm and it will be hard to get started again.  It may not always be possible, but try and spend this time together as often as you possibly can.  You will definitely see the benefits of it.

Join the Jam and let us know if you like this idea!  If you try it, let us know how it goes too!

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Welcome back to Muscle Mondays at the Dad Jam, featuring our resident health and fitness expert, FitandBusyDad, Chris Lopez!  This post is gold… you are in for a treat.  Over to you, Chris:

In Parts 1 & 2 of this series, we found you an extra hour of time everyday for you to be more productive.  You’ve started to set you alarm clock 20-30 minutes earlier to take advantage of that “golden time” when everyone else is still asleep.  And you’ve cut out all the fluffy non-productive exercises from your current regime – no more monotonous, waste-of-time cardio, no more crunches-‘til-the-cows-come-home programs that get you nowhere fast (except, maybe, a visit to the chiropractor).

So in this installment of “Muscle Mondays”, I’m going to talk about something that may seem completely ass-backwards…

Get Out Of The Gym

I hate commercial gyms.  I think that they’re a waste of time and money.  The day that I said “I’m done” was

Who wants to look at this while working out?

when I witnessed a yelling match between 2 members in the parking lot.  They were having an “I got here first” argument over a parking spot closest to the gym entrance.  A few minutes later, I find one of the members walking on the treadmill!?!

Commercial gyms have turned into “meet” market pick-up joints that smell of sweat and rusting metal. All the commercial gyms that I remember being a member of or working for were “sales-person-in-your-face” establishments that charged their members credit cards long after these poor folks cancelled their memberships.  Who needs that?

Once you get over the gym being a social hang-out spot, you’ll find that that’s really the only reason you’re going.  I realized this a few years ago.  When I was working out at the local Gold’s or YMCA, I used to just turn my iPod on and go to town.  I wouldn’t talk to anyone.  I would barely even make eye-contact.  It wasn’t because I was a snob.  Anyone that knew me knew that I was a pretty easy guy to get along with.  I just wanted to get the job done.  I got in, warmed up, did some multi-joint exercises, cut my rest time down and got out.  Done in less than 45-minutes, and onto living life.  I just didn’t want to waste my time and I wanted to get home to my young family.

I now exercise at home.  I have a chin-up bar, a few kettlebells, a stability ball, gym rings that I can hang from my chin-up bar and I use the kid’s play mat for floor exercises.  I do push-ups, chin-ups and a bunch of other bodyweight exercises.  I’ve managed to maintain a pretty good physique by using the least amount of equipment possible.  I guess you can call it the “zen” approach to exercise.  Besides, if I spent another minute in a smelly gym or a claustrophobia-inducing home exercise room I think I would blow my top.

If you’re just starting out, then you really don’t need any equipment at all.  In fact, you shouldn’t be lifting a single weight until you really can handle your own bodyweight.  Numerous times I’ve seen trainers throw overweight, out-of-shape men on a bench press when they couldn’t even do a push-up.  How does that make any sense?  Most of these guys can’t even walk properly with the weight they have.  Throw some added resistance into the mix and it’s an injury waiting to happen.

If you’re still kind of stuck and confused what to do, I’ve outlined a couple of basic circuits that I have all my clients perform prior to them using external resistance.

First, I address what usually a busy dad’s most troubled area…his mid-section.  Getting that elusive 6-pack has been every guy’s dream since he was an adolescent boy starting to take notice at the opposite sex.  If you’re one of the genetically gifted or incredibly disciplined few that can sport a ripped stomach during beach season, then my hat goes off to you!  For the rest of us, there are a few things that we need to understand about our “cores” (I hate that word).

1)     Abs are made in the kitchen, not in the gym.  There’s a common saying in my industry: “You can’t out train a crappy diet”.  That is 100% true.  It doesn’t matter if you partake in the greatest fat-burning program known to man.  If you don’t clean up your diet, you will not see your abs.

2)     The function of your abs IS NOT to bring your chest into your thighs (as in a traditional sit-up or crunch exercise).  On the contrary, your abs are there to hold you upright and to RESIST movement.  Therefore, the absolute BEST way to train your abs is to not move them at all.  Below is a circuit that I use with all my clients to help them strengthen their abs.  Once they’re able to accomplish this circuit, I’ll progress them to more advanced exercises…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJSbSHutTLE

Second, I teach my clients how to move again.  It’s primal for man to know how to push, pull, lunge, squat, rotate and walk without the help of some machine or contraption that you’ll find at the 24-Fitness down the street.  The problem is that most of us are stuck at a desk for 8 or more hours a day, so we don’t get the opportunity move at all.  As a result of this lack of movement our muscles start to get tight and weak and we start walking around with a “C” posture (it’s called anterior dominance in my world).  To combat this, I’ve put together another bodyweight only circuit that will open up your chest and your hips so that you can avoid having horrible posture.  This circuit uses only 4 basic exercises and can be done anywhere…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yac3cT6dVdc

So those are 2 bodyweight circuits that you can use without having $80 deducted from your bank account every month.  After you’ve mastered both these circuits, there are an infinite number of variations and progressions to these exercises. You can YouTube or Google “bodyweight exercises”, check my blog at FitAndBusyDad.blogspot.com (I’ve done a lot of Q’n'A and have an “Exercise of the Week Feature”) or you can check out my e-Book, “20-Minute Workouts for The World’s Busiest Dads” which contains a few circuit variations as well.

You don't have to navigate through a gym like this to stay fit

The bottom line is that we don’t need a big box commercial gym to get a great workout in.  If you take into account the amount of time it takes to drive there, get changed, warm-up, train, shower, change and drive back, it’s become another waste of time.  Time that you and I don’t have.

Waking up earlier, concentrating on “more bang for your buck exercises” and doing these exercises in the comfort of your own home will save an abundant amount of time so that you can concentrate on things that matter most.

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Chris Lopez is a fitness expert, writer and personal trainer.  He is an occasional contributor to the Globe and Mail, Maximum Fitness and Men’s Fitness Magazines.  He and his wife Rozanne live in Toronto, Canada with their 4 daughters.  Sign-up for your free report & workout at www.FitAndBusyDad.com or visit Chris’ blog at FitAndBusyDad.blogspot.com.

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Stay tuned for next Monday’s installment of “Muscle Mondays” at the Dad Jam!

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Its not always easy, but you can do it

If you are finding that your relationship with your wife or partner is not as strong as it once was, or if you would like to take steps to improve your relationship and become an even better husband, take a moment to ponder the following points:

• A relationship is something that you need to work on daily, just as you would work on your health or your job.
• Begin and end your day by being grateful for all the things your partner does well and that you love about your partner.
• If there is something bothering you about your partner, discuss it with her, but try to deal with it as your problem – not hers.  Think about what you can do to deal with it better, and work hard to understand the reason for it and why it bothers you.

Note:  Stephen Covey gives an example of this in the great “Seven Habits of Highly Effective Families.”  To summarize, Stephen’s wife was obsessed with a certain brand of appliances, and she only wanted to buy appliances from that brand.  He found it very strange and annoying.  So he talked to his wife about it, and what they discovered was that the obsession with this brand was deeply rooted in her childhood, and a positive association she gained with that brand from her childhood.  Upon discovering this, he had much more understanding for her position, and dealt with this no longer as a problem with his wife, but rather as something that he needed to learn to accept, because it was something perfectly acceptable given its roots.

• Find out what your partner’s needs are and do the best you can to fulfill those needs.
• Always make sure you are doing more to help your partner emotionally than you are to drain her emotionally.  e.g. back-rubs, doing the vacuuming and looking after the kids are emotionally helping her … complaining and making a mess are emotionally draining for her.  (This is the concept of the “Emotional Bank Account” that is used a lot by Stephen Covey.  Always try and make deposits into that bank account, and minimize the withdrawals).

These are all much easier said than done, but at the end of the day, its worth it.  Following these steps doesn’t happen over night, but start thinking about them and how they apply to your life and your relationship.  It will get you thinking on the right track.

Like I said, I am no expert, but these are some ideas based on my own experience and some things that I have read and taken to heart.  These tips don’t necessarily apply to every person and every situation, but I am sure at least some of you out there might find some truth or help in them.

Feel free to join the jam and leave comments about whether or not you think these tips are helpful, or if you have tips or thoughts of your own that you would like to share!

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Fun at the aquarium

Vancouver is a great city for parents and kids, you just need to know where to look and where to go.  Love Buns has been great at discovering all the possible things we can do in Vancouver with our kids.  Some of these things exist in other cities too, so if you are not from Vancouver, you still might find this article useful.  If you are from Vancouver, you will definitely find this article useful.

This list is absolutely not exhaustive…I will continue to post more articles about things to do with the kids in Vancouver as the seasons change, because often the season has an impact on the things that you can do!

Fun at the playground

For the fall, here are my favourite things to do in Vancouver:

• Take a trip to a Family Centre.  We take our son to the Mount Pleasant Family Centre and he loves it.  It is a great place for parents and kids alike.  They have nice drop in sessions that are well structured to include singing, playing, reading, snacks and more.  They also have an adult lounge where parents can take a break, have a coffee and chat amongst themselves while the kids engage in supervised play.  What more can a parent ask for.
• Have some fun at the Telus World of Science (Science World).  This is absolutely a great place for kids with tonnes of fun things for kids to do.  The beauty of it is that they learn a lot at the same time as well.  We cannot pull our son away from some of the exhibits there.  This is a great thing to do on a rainy day too!
• Explore sea life at the Vancouver Aquarium.  My father-in-law just took Smarty Pants there the other day, and he couldn’t stop talking about it.  There is lots for kids to see and do here, and they have a really nice play area for kids too.  Some of the exhibits are interactive too, giving kids an additional opportunity to play.  Also, the new Baby Beluga whale is a great attraction for kids.
• Climb, crawl and shop at the Granville Island Kids Market.  The kids market at Granville Island has lots to do for kids of all ages.  There is an arcade there with games where kids can win tickets to trade in for prizes, plus a big adventure zone where your kids can climb, crawl, jump and slide through an obstacle-course-like area.  You can read about my adventure at the adventure zone here.  Entrance to the Adventure Zone costs about $6 for a day.  Just be aware that there are many stores with toys for kids, so set the shopping/buying expectations with your kids in advance!
• Go to a swapmeet.  Swapmeet season is starting again, and we love to go to them.  Swapmeets are places where other parents rent tables to sell their old kids stuff.  You can buy clothes, toys, books and more there for very reasonable prices, and the stuff tends to be in good condition.  As a bonus, a lot of the swapmeets that I have been too have a big play area for kids set up, so the kids can play with other kids while you look around and get some great deals.  Stay tuned to this site for more details of upcoming swapmeets.  As I find out about when and where they are, I will post the details here.  Swapmeets are often held at community centres.
• Speaking of community centres, they are also a great place to do things with the kids.  Find out where your local community centre is, and get a hold of their recreation guide.  In there, you will find all kinds of things that you can do with your kids.  For example, we go to the False Creek Community Centre.  They have a “Tots Gym” drop-in that costs about $2.50 per drop-in.  It runs in the mornings four days a week and is a great place to go on a rainy day.  The kids can play in the bouncy castle or with lots of other toys that they have there, and you can meet and share stories with other parents, and discuss how much you love this site with them.
• If the weather is still okay, you can always still go to a playground.  Vancouver has a lot of playgrounds where kids can play in the sandbox, climb on the monkey bars, go down slides, fly on swings and more.  The main playgrounds that we go to in our area are the playground by the Granville Island Waterpark and the playground at Charleson Park.
• Get some books at the Library.  There is actually much more to do at the Library than just read books.  The Vancouver Public Library Central Branch downtown has a big kid’s library with lots of kid’s books, toys, computers with interactive games, and multiple play areas.  Definitely worth checking out!
• Speaking of books, here is an idea that I had, where I brought Smarty Pants to a Chapters bookstore to play.  You can read about it on this site here.

Hope that list helps to keep you busy for a bit.  Stay tuned for more, as this is just the start!  Join the jam and leave comments with your own ideas on things to do with the kids in Vancouver, or in the city that you live in!

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We can learn something from the color purple

I’ve seen a lot of posts on other blogs lately about crying babies and they inspired me to write this article, especially because our daughter, who I will call Sweet Cheeks, has also been crying more lately (she’s two months old now).

It is important for parents to realize that it is absolutely normal for babies to go through a period of increased crying.  There is even a name for it.  It is called the Period of Purple Crying.  Once parents know that the Period of Purple Crying exists, it helps them to deal with it a lot better.  The Period of Purple Crying also helps parents to understand that it is okay for your baby to cry, and an inability to calm your baby doesn’t make you a bad parent.  It also doesn’t mean that your child is abnormal or unhealthy.

Was the guy who came up with the idea of the Period of Purple Crying a fan of the colour purple, or Whoopi Goldberg?  Maybe.  But there is a reason why it is called “Purple Crying.”  It is PURPLE because:

There is a PEAK to the crying.  The baby cries more and more each week, until it reaches a peak at around 2 months of age, and then it decreases over the following months.

The crying is UNEXPECTED.  You don’t know when or where it will start or stop.

The child tends to RESIST soothing.  No matter what you do, the baby doesn’t stop crying.

The child may have a PAIN-LIKE face while crying.  The baby may look like it is in pain, although it is not.

The crying may be very LONG LASTING.  It can last as much as five hours a day or more (oh god!).

The crying increases in the EVENING or late afternoon.

Put it all together and what do you got?  PURPLE crying.

This crying is no game

It is important that parents understand this period of crying and that it is completely normal.  Knowing this really helps parents to deal with the frustration that they feel when they are unable to calm their baby.  Parents need to know that it is okay to be frustrated, as long as they deal with the frustration in an appropriate way.

The best ways to deal with the frustration are:

1.  Use techniques to try and stay calm while calming the baby.  I have some ideas about how to do this in an article I wrote here.

2.  Take a break by handing the baby over to your spouse.

3.  If your spouse or no one else is available, place the baby in a safe place and take a 5 or 10 minute break.  Do something relaxing during this time that will help relieve your frustration, then go back to your baby.  Know that it is okay to leave your baby in a safe place while crying for a few minutes.  This is better than carrying your baby while you are very frustrated.

It is important that parents also make sure that anyone who is looking after their baby knows and understands the Period of Purple Crying and how to deal with it.  The last thing that you want is a caregiver that shakes your baby out of frustration.

Join the Jam and let us know what you do to deal with Purple Crying!

The Period of Purple Crying is an evidence-based Shaken Baby Syndrome prevention program put forward by National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.  It is based on research conducted by Ronald G. Barr and other scientists worldwide on normal infant crying patterns.  Please visit this link if you are interested in more information on the Period of Purple Crying.

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I came across this image on the web yesterday and just had to write about it. Is it not the most bizarre looking baby bottle (or bottle in general) that you have ever seen?
This is an idea from “Design Continuum” – they are working on developing a customized nipple bottle, that will look similar to what you see in the picture.
And get this – the nipple will be custom made based on a 3-D scan of the mother’s breast!
It is also oriented upside down to better simulate the breast feeding position.
It hasn’t been released yet, but the idea is still being researched.
We never bottle-fed our first child and so far haven’t tried bottle-feeding our second, and we don’t plan to. We have been lucky enough that breastfeeding has gone very well, so haven’t had a need to bottle-feed.
With our first child, we did try a bottle on one occassion (with pumped milk) when he was about 8 or 9 months old, to see if he would take it, but he didn’t. Perhaps if we had this he would have?
This image and idea raise many questions in my mind. Would I feel like I am “fooling” my baby if I used this? Would I be comfortable walking around in public flashing an exact replica of my wife’s nipple around? Would I be tempted to “experiment” with it myself, to see how close to the real thing it is (jokes)?
In any case, it definitely is an innovative idea, no matter how bizarre it looks. Perhaps parents who really want to give their baby the feeling of being breastfed, but are unable to breastfeed for whatever reason, will find this a wonderful alternative.
Join the Jam and post your thoughts and responses to the above questions? Is this something you would carry around with you?

Welcome to the Dad Jam. Here you will find advice and tips on fatherhood and being a dad, with some fun and humour in the mix. Join the Jam by leaving comments or writing to me to request your own article/Jam Session be posted here. You can also send me ideas for topics that you would like me to start a Jam Session about. The biggest Dad Jam on the web is right here!

At the Dad Jam, I often relate stories from my own family experience to lessons learned, advice and tips.  I often refer to my wife as “Love Buns,” my toddler son as “Smarty Pants,” and my newborn daughter as “Sweet Cheeks.”

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