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The one thing I wish someone would have told me with my first is that it's OK if you don't feel an immediate connection or affection to your newborn. I was exp

The one thing I wish someone would have told me with my first is that it's OK if you don't feel an immediate connection or affection to your newborn. I was expecting to immediately fall in love with the little bundle but his blank stare was a little creepy. No one told me they don't smile or express any emotion, other than pissed off when they're crying. I was expecting him to smile and be happy when he saw me. When I picked him up, his face didn't change and he might as well have been looking at the wall. Then about 3 weeks in, it happened. He did smile at me when I picked him up... or maybe it was just gas - either way, I didn't care. I was undone. I immediately knew I'd do anything for that boy. I loved my son. Second one was easier, cause I knew what to expect but that first smile is still the absolute best moment being a dad. They change your life. My pathetic selfish life was forever changed as I held that tiny, helpless baby. It's so worth it. I have 7 kids, I work from home so I can homeschool them. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

wingtw 4y ago
Oh, and expect to get teary eyes reading comments like this :)
newfathertwins 4y ago
Any tips about homeschooling? I am a father of one year old twins. I also work from home to spend time with them.
- unixhero 4y ago
  Uh at least a few university years of study for basic teaching pedagogy and then knowing how to teach the curriculum.
- sparrish 4y ago
  First and most important thing to know about homeschooling is: If you're trying to recreate how the public school does it, you're doing it wrong. None of the families I know that tried to mimic public school have continued homeschooling. It's too hard on both the kids and parents. Homeschooling has so much more freedom. You don't need a desk or set hours to do subject A. You don't need thick textbooks or long lectures (although your kids might want those as well). We've always focused on teaching our kids how to learn. Once you get them there, they can find their way to anything they need for the rest of their lives. In the early years (think k-3rd), that means they need the skills of reading and writing and basic math. There's a lot of repetition required to get those skills. Those are the hardest homeschool years. We focus on unit studies on subjects that the child is interested in. If it's Dinosaurs, we read history about dinos, watch videos on science about dinos, do math about dinos, visit museums, go fossil hunting - dive deep into everything dinos and the child hardly knows they're learning along the way as their interest is driving and motivating them. Soon enough, dinosaurs aren't fun anymore so we plod along until the next thing catches their excitement and now we're studying the history of cars, the science of cars, we're out in the garage working on the car... These are teachable moments and we have to take advantage of those opportunities to take leaps forward in learning. There will be some things they aren't interested in that they need to learn anyway. We sprinkle those 'have to learn' things in with the 'fun to learn' and try to keep the knowledge gaps at a minimum. Teaching them how to research, where to find information (book and experiencial), is the best thing they can learn because it will help the learn anything else they'll need in life. Don't forget moral training. That's where local homeschool co-ops and enrichment programs can be helpful so your kids can share social experiences in a learning environment. As a wise man once said about raising kids, the days are long but the years are short. Make the most of them.

wingtw 4y ago

Oh, and expect to get teary eyes reading comments like this :)

newfathertwins 4y ago

Any tips about homeschooling? I am a father of one year old twins. I also work from home to spend time with them.

unixhero 4y ago
Uh at least a few university years of study for basic teaching pedagogy and then knowing how to teach the curriculum.
sparrish 4y ago
First and most important thing to know about homeschooling is: If you're trying to recreate how the public school does it, you're doing it wrong. None of the families I know that tried to mimic public school have continued homeschooling. It's too hard on both the kids and parents. Homeschooling has so much more freedom. You don't need a desk or set hours to do subject A. You don't need thick textbooks or long lectures (although your kids might want those as well). We've always focused on teaching our kids how to learn. Once you get them there, they can find their way to anything they need for the rest of their lives. In the early years (think k-3rd), that means they need the skills of reading and writing and basic math. There's a lot of repetition required to get those skills. Those are the hardest homeschool years. We focus on unit studies on subjects that the child is interested in. If it's Dinosaurs, we read history about dinos, watch videos on science about dinos, do math about dinos, visit museums, go fossil hunting - dive deep into everything dinos and the child hardly knows they're learning along the way as their interest is driving and motivating them. Soon enough, dinosaurs aren't fun anymore so we plod along until the next thing catches their excitement and now we're studying the history of cars, the science of cars, we're out in the garage working on the car... These are teachable moments and we have to take advantage of those opportunities to take leaps forward in learning. There will be some things they aren't interested in that they need to learn anyway. We sprinkle those 'have to learn' things in with the 'fun to learn' and try to keep the knowledge gaps at a minimum. Teaching them how to research, where to find information (book and experiencial), is the best thing they can learn because it will help the learn anything else they'll need in life. Don't forget moral training. That's where local homeschool co-ops and enrichment programs can be helpful so your kids can share social experiences in a learning environment. As a wise man once said about raising kids, the days are long but the years are short. Make the most of them.