4 inventive ways to stop a tantrum
A roundup of the hilarious parenting content from the week, guaranteed to make you smile, if not laugh out loud. Plus the odd helpful tips.
Happy Saturday Dads!
Ahh Christmas, that wonderful time of year when families come together, eat good food and drink too much.
Who knew it also meant limbering up at 3.30am to deliver a stocking onto your children’s bed without a peep, all whilst drunkenly dodging a maze of lego pieces and small farmyard animals. Good luck chaps!
Coming up this week…
Are you too stressed to enjoy Christmas?
4 inventive ways to stop a tantrum
Calpol, made easy
Recipe of the week
As always, if you enjoyed this week’s edition and think you might know someone else who would, please do share. We know how tough being a parent can be, and sometimes you just need a moment to laugh at some of the craziness.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy that beer once it finally comes.
Fred @
(a fellow dad of 2)
👀 As seen on Insta
The links below will take you to the relevant platform and you do not need an account to watch the videos; they are just a little light relief to make you smile on a Saturday morning.
🔢 It’s all in the numbers
A study from 2021 suggested 1-in-5 parents get too stressed to enjoy Christmas.
We’re not surprised; from trying to find things to entertain your kids while they’re not at school to worrying about overstimulating them on the big day itself, there’s a lot of pressure on parents to strike the right balance.
And then there’s managing expectations on the presents.
This year will be the first Christmas our toddler will be disappointed if she doesn’t get what she wants. Unfortunately for everyone involved, her colour preferences have changed in the last 2 weeks. The yellow bus she wanted now needs to be, not just purple, but dark purple! Somebody save us.
Take it easy on yourself; grab your partner and find a quiet moment to enjoy a peaceful drink together! At the For Dads HQ, we’re a big fan of a Christmas Eve dinner and present opening for adults only, leaving the chaos of the big day to the kids.
⚒️ Try this at home
Whining about wanting another snack or throwing a tantrum about the TV being turned off; the terrible twos (and threes!) can occasionally be, quite frankly… pretty terrible!
With Christmas Eve tomorrow it’s likely to only get worse over the coming days.
Apparently conceding to their every whim isn’t the right thing to do; who knew?
Here are the 4 things you should be trying instead:
Distraction, distraction distraction
Need we say it again? Distraction is your friend. Having a bath time meltdown? Chuck them in the tub with their socks still on, then go full silly mode “Oooops, silly Daddy! I forgot to take your socks off. SILLY ME!” It’s guaranteed to get a giggle.
Terror
Dig out that animal onesie we know you have at the back of your closet from your early 20s. Failing that, anything leftover from Halloween should do. Then promptly chase them, roaring, around the room. It shouldn’t be long until those shrieks of frustration turn into squeals of delight.
Talk to the Teddies
“Hey Tigger, look what a grown up boy Max is putting his clothes on by himself! Do you like his jumper (that he is refusing to wear)? Me too! I love it? Is it your favourite Tigger? Yes, mine too! Oh look, he’s putting it on! Well done Max! Tigger thinks you look great.” Seriously, it works.
Barbara Throws a Wobbler
Reading is a surefire way to calm down an overtired, stressed out child and we we’ve had a lot of success with Barbara Throws a Wobbler by Nadia Shireen. There’s a bunch of research that shows personifying children’s emotions helps them understand how they feel, and we can attest to that with this book. Mid tantrum with our 3 year old we’ve said, “are you having a wobbler?” and she has paused stock-still, pondered, then given a very firm nod. It’s not a guaranteed every time but it definitely helps.
💻 Dad hack of the week
With flu season already heavily underway, anyone else having difficulty getting their kids to take Calpol?
This seems like a pretty simple fix 😊
Link here.
🍽️ Recipe of the week
Wondering what to feed your toddler on Christmas Day, don’t over think it. A bowl of pasta will be absolutely fine.
However, if you did want something a bit different, this relatively simple recipe has the potential to sneak in a rare bit of Christmas veg alongside all the other crap they’ll be munching on.
Recipe: PEA & CREAM CHEESE PINWHEELS
🌱 340g of peas (or those uneaten sprouts!)
🥛 115g of cream cheese
🧀 parmesan
🥟 1x sheet of ready rolled puff pastry
Full recipe here.
⭐ How the stars do it
Parks & Recreation actor Adam Scott back in 2012 shared his relatable perspective on the whole charade of Father Christmas:
"Thinking about telling my kids Santa doesn't exist so I can get credit for some of this sh**." [source']
🎄Festive dad
We all know alcohol can be a parent’s best friend during the holiday season. But with this festive take on a G&T you’ll be turning those knowing looks from the in-laws into shear awe and wonder in no time. Watch the full video on the link below.
Link here.
That’s it for this week folks.
Thanks again for reading.
We know there won’t be any shortage of terrible dad jokes flying out of your crackers, but hey, why let that ruin our favourite part of this newsletter.
Here’s one HILARIOUS joke to share with the family.
“RIP boiling water, you will be mist.”
source: southernliving.com
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