As a lot of my friends are singing the potty-training blues right now, so I figured I’d share a little insight. Here are five potty-training books, written just for children, that I think every parent should invest in.

A word of warning: no matter how good the potty-training books are, you’re sure to hit some bumps in the road along the way. The best advice I can give you is to take it all in stride and keep going. There is no feeling like when your little one finally succeeds. There’s going to come a point when it all starts to make sense to them and they just “get it.” That’s the first sign that you’ve reached the last leg of your journey.

These are listed in no particular order:

Best Potty-Training Books

1. Everyone Poops

Everyone Poops is a classic. I can also say that truer words were never spoken. Everyone DOES poop. Even your toddler. The only thing separating us all is WHERE we do it! It’s a little more graphic than some books, but it was originally published in 1977. Maybe things were less PC back then. Remember to call it “Everyone” and not “Everybody” like I have been because you wind up replacing the lyrics on REM’s song “Everybody Hurts” and you’ll be singing it like that for days.

2. Daniel Goes to the Potty

It should be no surprise that even after his death, Fred Rogers continues to help teach children valuable lessons using a wide array of interesting characters. We happened to catch the Daniel Tiger episode where he reminds his viewers “If you have to go potty, STOP and go right away …”, and the book follows the television show pretty closely. The only benefit to the show -vs- the book, is that when it’s over you can watch something else. The book has a button that your child pushes that mimics a toilet flushing. It gets old after about the 42nd time.

3. Dinosaurs Love Underpants

Do you think you know your history? I bet you didn’t know that dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus Rex weren’t as vicious as we once thought. They didn’t want to eat people, they just wanted their underpants. I love the concept behind the book and the illustrations are really great. It gets children excited about wearing underpants – even a T-Rex wants to wear them!

4. Even Pirates Poop

Another of the potty-training books that uses something that appeals to little boys (pirates) as a tool to help break the going-to-the-bathroom stigma. While the main character did finally use the potty chair and do the job, I didn’t like that everyone was so nonchalant at the beginning about him putting anything (and everything) in the potty seat except for what belongs there. If I walked into the bathroom and found flags in the toilet I’d be less likely to recommend the book. The good news is that the idea didn’t rub off on the boys and it’s added to my list!

5. Elmo’s Potty Time

We bought this one as a video, but I know it’s available in book form.  It was our first intro to potty training and a good place to start because it’s Elmo. I mean, what child doesn’t like Elmo? One of the advantages of the video is that it’s 45 minutes long, and captured their attention very well from the start. It also comes with a downloadable Potty Certificate.

With the help of these potty-training books, a good schedule, and a lot of patience, the toilet-training blues could be a thing of the past.

A version of this first appeared on Double Trouble Daddy.

DISCLOSURE: This National Diaper Bank post is sponsored by Huggies®.

As busy as raising 4-year-old twin boys gets, I still try to squeeze in time to make sure they are growing up to be men my wife and I can be proud of. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to have our Las Vegas Dads Group help fight diaper need and have my twins assist in the effort.

The boys and I, along with my brothers in the Vegas Dads Group, spent a week collecting diaper donations from neighbors, friends, and family before a few of us met up at the Las Vegas Diaper Bank. There, we spent the evening creating diaper packs that the facility gives out to its clients.

The Las Vegas Diaper Bank has been helping area families in need for less than two years, but it is already an incredible community asset. Since federal subsidies don’t cover diapers or wipes, a diaper bank is a blessing for parents struggling with diaper need.

The Las Vegas facility is one of the more than 300 member diaper banks of the National Diaper Bank Network, which Huggies became a founding sponsor of in 2011 to help combat diaper need in the United States. Through its No Baby Unhugged program, Huggies has donated more than 200 million diapers and wipes over the years to the cause, and it came through again the day we helped by providing a generous donation.

That night at the Las Vegas Diaper Bank, I spent some time talking with its executive director, Carlye Davis. I could hear the passion for the project in her voice, and it was infectious. She explained that one in three U.S. families struggle to provide diapers for their children, often struggling to keep their child dry, clean and healthy.

“The next time you pull up to a three-way intersection, keep in mind that it’s a high probability that one of the individuals at that intersection does not have diapers for their baby, or not enough money to buy them,” she said.

This is one of the many facts about our country’s dire diaper need revealed in the recent Diaper Need and Its Impact on U.S. Families study by the National Diaper Bank Network and Huggies. The study also revealed:

• 57 percent of parents miss work or school due to a lack of sufficient diapers required by their child’s care or early education program
• 73 percent of moms and dads feel they are not being good parents when their children are left too long in a dirty diaper

“Right now, the Las Vegas Diaper Bank is open only one day a week (Mondays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), but they plan to be open more as donations continue to grow,” Davis said. Each recipient at the bank is entitled to two packs of diapers per month (only one if the diapers are size 4 or above).

I’m proud that my fellow dads joined me in teaching our children the importance of giving back. It’s something that even with busy schedules, I will always make time for. This volunteer experience really helped open our eyes to the need in our community and was a great moment of bonding with our children, as well.

You can join City Dads Group and Huggies in the fight to combat #DiaperNeed in these ways:

• Support the National Diaper Bank Network by making a monetary contribution at nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org, visiting a local diaper bank or even hosting a diaper drive.
• Donate your Huggies Rewards Points to the National Diaper Bank Network by visiting No Baby Unhugged to learn more about diaper need, and donate your Huggies Rewards points to help combat diaper need.

About our sponsor

Huggies believes deeply in the Power of Hugs, which is why every diaper and wipe is inspired by a parent’s embrace. The Huggies No Baby Unhugged program helps ensure all babies get the hugs they need to thrive by supporting hugging programs in hospitals and donating diapers across the country. Learn how you can help at Huggies.com. #HuggiesCouncil #ad

I admit it: I have “Toddler Brain.”

It started last week when the boys and I headed out to a playdate. We walked inside, traded our sandals for stocking feet, and just as I reached into my back pocket, it hit me. Guess who forgot his wallet at home?

It seems I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached these days. I could mentally see my wallet sitting right on my nightstand, next to a couple of receipts and the handkerchief I always carry in the opposite pocket. Right where it didn’t belong. Grrr.

I had put on clean cargo shorts, as good dads do, after getting up that morning and, in the rush to get downstairs, I had failed to transfer everything from the pair I had worn the day before to the pair I had on.

The good news is that even without a wallet, it wasn’t a wasted trip. Since we’re regulars at the play place we were visiting, they let us “play now – and pay later,” something I’m sure they don’t make a practice of, but we are grateful they did for us. The bad news is that the rest of our morning was derailed because I had forgotten to make sure I had everything before I left the house.

No stopping at Sprouts for last-minute dinner items. No grabbing lunch on the way home. All because I had a moment of Toddler Brain.

What? You’ve never heard of Toddler Brain? It’s what you call an advanced case of Baby Brain. Baby Brain is your mental state after having a child. The forgetfulness that comes from lack of sleep. The memory loss caused by too many cold meals in front of the television while trying to feed a bottle to a picky 4-month-old. The stress-induced amnesia brought on by a colicky child at 3 a.m.

Now, Toddler Brain is what you unknowingly trade Baby Brain in for. Rather than being brought on by sleeplessness, cold food, and colic, it flares up for far different reasons.

Examples of what causes Toddler Brain to flare up

• Elmo wasn’t on this episode of Sesame Street. (Translated in-between sobs from “Elmo no talk this time, Daddy!”
• Someone is whining because their sibling went upstairs before they did. (They wanted to be “first.”)
• Hearing the word “daddydaddydaddydaddydaddydaddydaddydaddydaddy” when you’re trying to cook dinner, watch television, or talk on the phone.
• A total meltdown by a child because it’s not their birthday … every day.

(Editor’s Note: Moms often complain of Pregnancy Brain, a similar condition caused by the stress, uncomfortableness and raging hormones that come with carrying an unborn child in their womb. Baby and Toddler Brain, however, don’t discriminate by gender and affect dads and moms.)

My case has been happening for a while. In fact, I fear it’s getting worse. A couple of weeks ago I told my wife, Shannon, that I would log her in for her flight home. I forgot. This morning the boys and I went to Target … and 45 minutes in the store were wasted because again, I didn’t have my wallet on me.

It’s too late for me.  I sealed my fate when Shannon and I started talking about having children. All I ask is that you think happy thoughts for me. In a couple of years, they won’t be toddlers any longer and I’ll finally be cured.

Then I just have to be careful not to get Grade Schooler Brain, Pre-Teen Brain, or full-blown Teenager Brain. I’ll tell you, though, I’m not liking my odds.

A version of this first ran on Double Trouble Daddy.

Today was a big day in our house. Well, not actually in the house, but a mere 15 minutes away.

It was the day our twin sons started preschool. The same sons we sang to in the NICU. The wee ones we once spent hours rocking to sleep late at night and early in the morning just three short years ago. Our little boys who I’m having a hard time now realizing aren’t so little anymore.

All the firsts we’ve gone through

The first time they rolled over. The moment they took those first steps. The transition from baby food to solids, and from bottles to sippy cups. Now their mother and I are faced with yet another milestone. They are officially in school. Granted, it’s only three hours a day and twice a week, but still — another step toward full-blown adulthood that is scary and exciting all at the same time.

Being a stay-at-home father is an incredible experience, but one that has really tainted my view of their new adventure. While I’m happy for the great strides they’ve made in their development over the past three-and-a-half years, I must admit it makes me a little sad. When they learned a new word or started quoting lines from a book we’ve read what seems like a thousand times before bed, it’s been their mother and I that could take credit. The alphabet? Their shapes and colors? The names of every single Peanuts character (including a couple with no names that we just made up)? The pats on the back go to their mother and me.

Tonight, at dinner, after only a week of formal education (or as formal as preschool can be considered), Carter sang a new song they learned today in his class of 13 unfamiliar faces.

Sing a Song of Preschool

“Alligator, alligator / butterfly, give mom a big hug,” he said in between bites of his sandwich. His brother then quickly joined in.

Looking at their mother with amusement, I jumped on “The Google.” The goal? To find this magical mystical song that had the two of them grinning from ear to ear. I found the reference to the alligator portion, even playing the accompanying video aloud. I watched as their faces lit up to the familiar tune. Their hands attempted to pantomime the gestures by the performers on my iPad.

Our two little men have returned from their first week of scholastic endeavors with the knowledge that didn’t come from their mom, myself, or an animated character on a children’s television program. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. Far from it, in fact. I realize that it’s only the beginning of their education. We want them to learn as much as they can from as many sources as possible. It’s part of the reason their mother and I spent the time we did carefully researching preschool curriculums. It’s also why we finally decided on the school we did. Especially at this very impressionable age, we wanted to make sure they were afforded every opportunity to learn as much as possible.

They’re Growing Up

It makes me stop and take a moment to really realize how grown-up they are becoming. It goes beyond just the things they learned at home like counting to 20 and knowing how to put their shirts on. The little song they sang to us tonight, complete with matching hand movements, is just the start of a new period in their lives where knowledge will start coming at them from all directions. Rather than being their only source of education, it is now our job to help them embrace the little bits of information they are collecting from school. Our task will be to reinforce the skills they are learning on a daily basis.

As painful as it is to see our “babies” growing up right before our eyes, we are truly up for the challenge. I have a feeling that we’re going to spend a lot more time googling parts of conversations and songs they share with us at dinner from here on out.

I’m glad that we have the alligator portion figured out. If anyone has a child in preschool and knows of this “butterfly – hug your mother” song, feel free to share. I’m afraid I may have just broken the internet looking for it.

A version of this first appeared on Double Trouble Daddy. Photo: ACPL via photopin (license)

I’ve seen a lot of pregnant women out and about lately during my normal weekly shopping trips. I’m not complaining or anything. In fact, I think it’s a great thing that more people are having children. The only thing I could probably do without is the constant advertising campaigns I’m bombarded with, as a parent blogger, geared toward new mothers.

I get that the ads have to reach the expectant somehow, but a big issue I have is a lot of the baby shower gift ideas I see advertised are for things no new parent really needs. Such as:

Baby Shower Gift No. 1: Pee-Pee Teepees

This is one of the dumbest ideas on the market today. Even as a gag gift (which I hope it is because no one could actually be trying to use these, could they?), it’s just an awful idea. Every experienced parent knows that the trick to changing little boys is to be quick, and keep that part of the baby’s anatomy covered as much and as quickly as possible. It’s not like you spend an hour changing a diaper. If you’re doing it right, it’s a job that lasts less than a couple of minutes. Being a parent of twins, and changing eight to 12 diapers per day for the first couple of years, I’d like to think that I could give the guys in Jeff Gordon’s pit crew a run for their money.

Do you know who buys pee-pee teepees? People that don’t have children. People who have changed three diapers their entire lives. People who have gotten squirted one time.

Do you know what I think of when I see these things displayed on an endcap in Babies R Us? This:

Baby Shower Gift No. 2: Maternity Lingerie

Buying intimate apparel for a friend, or worse yet — a friend’s wife, is just wrong on way too many levels.

Also, the woman spends half of the day sick to her stomach. She just spent the last two hours crying because she wanted to meet you for coffee, but she feels fat, bloated, and unloved and isn’t allowed to have coffee anyway. And you’re going to say what? “Here is something to make you feel sexy for your hubby!” Remember who she is holding partly responsible for the way she’s feeling right now.

Baby Shower Gift No. 3: Baby Pod

This goes a step waaaaaay beyond singing to your unborn child or putting headphones on your belly. This is a speaker (waterproof, I’m assuming) that a woman inserts in her you-know-where so she can play music to her bun in the oven.

W.T.F.?

First, I can only imagine it would be really loud in there for the unborn. The baby would come out with the same hearing as a roadie from Alice Cooper. The only thing I keep thinking of is how most songs would sound underwater, as basically that’s where the baby is – swimming around in a pool of amniotic fluid. The only music that might sound better in a pool would be Justin Bieber, but only if someone held his head underwater. For a long time.

The other issue I see is: Who gets to pick the music? Mom is dialing up a little Enya or Kenny G and all Dad wants to play is, “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” (Probably literally since no one bought his Mrs. any maternity lingerie.)

Gift Idea No. 4: Belly Casting

This is where the mother goes and gets a plaster cast made of the front part of her body. From her neck to just below her outstretched belly – or in other words – the part that has changed the most during this whole process.

The biggest question I have for people who have this done is: Now what? What do you do with it? Do you hang it on the wall? Do you stick it in a closet and forget about it like the two extra boppy covers you bought and the $70 bottle warmer you regretted buying when you realized that a cup of warm water does the same thing?

Do you put it on the dining room table when company comes to hold chips and dip?

The only purpose I see for this is to use it when your kids are older to remind them how much of an inconvenience they were even before they were born … or maybe having a daughter wear it to see why it’s important to not have sex until she’s 30.

Gift Idea No. 5: Placenta Encapsulation Services

Go look this one up because it’s really a thing.

I don’t get it.

I don’t think I want to get it.

It’s just my opinion, of course, but I truly think people need to stop for a second and remember what the placenta is actually for. What the purpose really is.

This is from MedicineNet.com, but pretty much the same description is on any medical site you go to online:

Placenta: A temporary organ that joins the mother and fetus, transferring oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the fetus and permitting the release of carbon dioxide and waste products from the fetus. The placenta is roughly disk-shaped, and at full term it measures about 7 inches in diameter and slightly less than 2 inches thick. The upper surface of the placenta is smooth, and the under surface is rough. The placenta is rich in blood vessels. The placenta is expelled with the fetal membranes during the birth process; together, these structures form the afterbirth.

I think the most important words here are “permitting the release of carbon dioxide and waste products from the fetus.” That’s why it also says the organ is temporary and considered part of the afterbirth.

Some say that it helps curb postpartum depression, enhances the mother’s production of breast milk, and it might potentially help spur the growth of more red blood cells. For as many stories of how these “miracle pills” have helped people, there are just as many stating the opposite. To me, it’s just snake oil.

But hey, what do I know? I’m just a man. It’s by the grace of a higher power that my wife didn’t kill me when she was pregnant.

What product do YOU think is a waste of money for new parents?

You’re a parent at a cocktail party. A real-life grown-up party with alcoholic beverages and everything. Your significant other has just left you to go peruse the hors d’oeuvres table and then the fear sets in. You’re left by yourself to talk to complete strangers who are older than the age of 5.

What can you possibly talk to these people about? You need a subject that will help you come across as an expert. Interesting. Witty. Confident.

NASCAR?

Baking?

Freestyle skydiving but only in foreign exotic locales?

Nope. Face it, you’re a parent at a cocktail party. The only thing you know a lot about is kids. It’s a subject you study hands-on daily from 6:30 a.m. when they begin singing the song of their people until the last “shhhhh” you whisper over the baby monitor at night. The sad truth: not everyone wants to know how many teeth little Jimmy has and that Trudy has finally managed to potty by herself although she still calls you in to “do the paperwork.”

There are people who don’t mind the tales of your children’s conquests and will even spend 20 minutes looking at baby photos with you. Who are these people? That’s easy – other parents.

How do you tell who is open to stories about your latest playdate at the science museum where your son asked a pregnant woman how the baby got into her belly? There are five simple ways:

1. Use your sense of smell.

A fancy cologne or perfume is a good indication this person has a much more interesting life than you, especially if what you smell is a little more subtle than the samples in the magazines stacked next to your bed that you haven’t had a chance to read yet. Sniff for a scent lightly applied to a person’s face, neck or wrist as opposed to one layered heavily on their clothing as a way to cover up spit-up or, even worse, bodily fluids.

2. Examine clothing choices.

Pressed? Parents don’t have time to iron — it’s wash and wear, or sometimes we even skip the washing part because that’s why someone invented Fabreze.

Clean? See the above comment.

Fashionable? When was the last time you tried shopping for clothing with two toddlers?  Give yourself a point if you made it to the store; two points if you attempted to navigate the dressing room with them; and three points if you actually made it out with a purchase before a meltdown ensued. If you got three points and you actually got a chance to wear the clothing before it went out of style, you’re lying.

Does their clothing match? Every father who has children knows you have about 9.4 seconds to get dressed before you hear: “Dad! He pushed me!” Or, “Dad, I want something to eat!” Or maybe, “Dad, is the kitchen supposed to be flooded?” Because of this, there isn’t always time to put on clothing that goes well with one another. I have no problems leaving the house this way. I see my ensemble as a badge of honor that I’m surviving parenthood.

3. Ask what kind of car they drive.

Someone who has an automobile with only two seats should automatically be excluded from kid talk. If the person says it’s a sedan, before proceeding, excuse yourself to go to the bathroom and Google the car’s safety rating. If it’s rated less than four out of five stars in the NHTSA Database, they do not have children.

4. Eavesdrop.

If the person mentions a new book he or she is reading, it’s a good sign the person doesn’t have kids because no parent has time to read. The person is also not a parent if he or she mentions getting back from a vacation to somewhere other than a theme park run by a mouse, or contemplating buying a vacation home that would mean the person still has disposable income. Every parent knows you give that up when you have children.

5. Ask them.

If they are and you haven’t figured out it by now, the person is doing a great job of disguising being just as frightened of social situations with adults as you are. Grab a drink with the person and stand in the corner comparing “the longest you went without sleep” stories because this party may not be so bad after all.

If you can’t find another parent, it is possible to talk with people who don’t have children.  You’ll even be able to mention your offspring but take it slowly. No stories about poop and sleep schedules. Start with a cute kid story and go from there.

And worse comes to worst, if you ever may be a parent at a cocktail party, first memorize these three things:

• Michael Waltrip holds the Nascar record for the most starts without a win
• The oldest skydiver was a 103-year-old woman from Brazil, and
• K2 is the 2nd highest mountain in the world.

Good luck!

A version “How to Spot a Parent at a Cocktail Party” first appeared on Double Trouble Daddy. Photo: Cabana Lifestyle Cocktail Social Event via photopin (license)

As I sit here typing, I was just thinking that there is nothing more heartwarming than brotherly love. You know, that bond brothers have. There is just something so very special about —

Hang on. Someone’s yelling in the living room …

OK, I’m back. It seems Carter had decided to help Dad by picking up the toys. This included the two that his brother happened to be playing with at the time. Then after voicing his displeasure, Gavin decided to retrieve said playthings from the toybox and Carter was upset with having his work undone.

Where was I … oh yeah, brotherly love.

It’s not too surprising that my boys sometimes get on each other’s nerves. My brother Jared and I (he is five years my junior) used to fight like cats and dogs. But we also spent our share of quality time together as well. When I look back to some of the best times I had growing up, he was right beside me.

Living in different parts of the world now, I don’t see him that often. Usually it’s once a year, in the fall, when I make a trip to the Twin Cities. It doesn’t matter though because we crack open a beer, and pick up right where we left off the year before.

That’s what I want for my sons. Not the distance between them, but the ability to be comfortable enough with their relationship to skip the awkward formalities that a long time of being apart sometimes brings.

The first 12 months watching my twin sons interact was difficult because it was far from what I expected. My sons were getting bigger and older, and seemed to ignore each other completely. They knew the other existed, but they really didn’t seem to care.

Did they realize that it wasn’t their brother who was going to feed them, or change them, or put them down for a nap? Had it dawned on them that one was as helpless as the other?

There were times when one would cry (normally Carter) and their sibling would give them that look, almost saying, “Dude! What the hell is wrong with you?”

Before they were born I imagined two best friends coming into the world at the same time. (For example, my friend Erik and I were born just 2 days apart). I was all excited about the “secret twin language,” even joking with the idea of videotaping it, and asking them what they said to each other years from now. (It’s an old Steven Wright Joke).

None of that really happened until they started getting more mobile. Now here it is, a year later, and they spend the day chasing one another. They are both learning what their independent interests are and have no issue playing alone, but it seems that one will gravitate toward the other as the day wears on.

Last week, Gavin tripped while running into the living room and landed right on one of his Matchbox cars. He had the print of the hood of the car right under his eye to prove it. My wife comforted him as he cried his tale of woe and Carter made a point to come over and make sure he was OK. It’s probably the first sign of compassion we’ve seen either of them show. It warms your heart.

My boys are growing up, and I have to accept that. What makes it a little easier is knowing that they are growing up together – brothers always.

A version of this first appeared on Double Trouble Daddy.

Photo credit of brothers: Capri & William III via photopin (license)

I have lived in Las Vegas now for over 20 years. What does that mean?

It means that I know what a “hard eight” pays on a $5 bet. ($40.) I know what cards not to split when playing blackjack (everything but aces and eights), and I know the best time to try your luck on the slots at the airport (NEVER!).

If someone would have told me when I first set eyes on Sin City two decades ago that I would still be here, married and raising twin sons, I would have put every cent in my pocket on the house because the odds they were wrong were a sure thing. Little did I know I would meet my wonderful wife, get married a couple of years later, and then shortly thereafter be blessed with two wonderful boys.

Thinking back to my days as a single man in the gambling mecca — the drinking, the gambling, the late nights — I realize that raising children and living the life of a gambler really isn’t all that different.

1. There are good days and bad days.

Anyone who’s ever spent any time around casinos knows there are days when everything you touch turns to gold. Just sitting down at the bar to grab a morning coffee can change your entire day. I’ve thrown a 10 dollar bill in a quarter poker machine as I waited for the bartender to pour my java, and within a few hands hit a four-of-a-kind. Talk about starting the day on a high note! I’ve also had every machine I touched turn cold and eat every nickel I put in without even the courtesy of a thank you. Life with children is very similar. Some days my sons wake up all sunshine and roses, and other days they spend the entire day reminding you that they woke up on the wrong side of the crib.

2. You can be nervous at first, but then you eventually get the hang of it.

One of the most common things I hear from visitors (other than “You have slot machines in the grocery store?”) is that they have always wanted to try and play craps but were scared because it seemed too complicated. I guess people think the same thing about children. What confuses people about the game of craps is that there are so many different bets. If you focus on three main bets — The Pass Line, The Don’t Pass and the Field — it actually isn’t that difficult. Babies have three things to focus on as well.  If they are fussing, they are either hungry, sleepy or have a dirty diaper. My opinion? Craps is easier.

3. Everyone seems to have a system.

I used to have an employee who was always looking for a way to beat the odds. He would pay $1,000 for a “sure-fire system” and then spend the next six months testing it. He’d often warn me that my time with him was limited because he was absolutely positive that his purchase was going to set him up for a ride on easy street and I shouldn’t be surprised if one day I opened up and he didn’t show up for his shift because he was on his way to Monte Carlo. Less than a year later he would come into work all excited about another great system he purchased when the last failed, this one using the opposite rules of the first. He was always excited to share his opinions about gambling, but it’s hard to take anyone seriously who lost as much and as often as he did. The only Monte Carlo he ended up visiting was the casino with the same name next to his job. Everyone has their way of doing things and in turn, has opinions on the best way to raise children. Before accepting that person’s advice, I would first look at the person’s track record. Are his children a far cry from where you see the future of yours? Maybe it’s time to sell that person a system.

4. No matter where you do it, it’s really pretty similar.

I have gambled in Vegas, on riverboats, in Indian casinos and even in Canada. What’s different? Not much. The odds are sometimes altered, I’ve used special tokens instead of actual money, and some places make you pay for drinks. How is raising children in Nevada dissimilar to Montreal or Monte Carlo? The food might be different as well as routines and customs, but the general principle is exactly the same. I have found that all you need is a little determination, and a little luck!

A version of this first appeared on Double Trouble Daddy.

Before my wife and I had children, we bought a dog. No discussion. No real thought. We just did it. All it took was a mention or two from some friends who were visiting from out of state, and about 30 minutes of looking at dogs online before we decided to take the plunge.

We didn’t get just any dog though, we got a rescue dog. We also didn’t want him to be the same type of dog you saw at the park, or behind fences in our neighborhood. We wanted him to be smart. You know, a true reflection of his owners. He attended and graduated from two Petsmart obedience classes (beginner and intermediate) and also a trick class. His name is Frisco, and he’s a Border Collie/Labrador retriever mix. He’s a very smart dog. Too smart for his own good sometimes.

He’s also going to be a great companion for the twins. They don’t spend a great deal of time with him right now because he’s quite a bit bigger than they are, and still a little freaked out by their innocence. He will join in their misery when they are upset though. One will cry about something (usually because they hear the word “NO”) and then Frisco will join in.

My wife and I realized recently that a lot of what we say to the twins, we also say to the dog. So much in fact that if I’m in the other room, and I hear her say “Sit down,” I often wonder which of the three she is talking to. Because of this, I have decided to write down all of the things we say to our furry little friend that we also say to our not-so-furry offspring.

1. Stay.

This one works much better on the dog.

2. Sit.

This is an easy one.

Sit on the couch.
Sit on the floor.
Sit in your highchair.
Just sit down so I can finish tying your shoes already!

3. Lie down.

It’s bedtime, and although we’re not getting the requests for a glass of water or “one more story,” it doesn’t mean that they stay lying down and go right to bed. Carter is pretty good about it. It takes him about two “shhhhs” over the baby monitor, and he’s down for the count. Gavin, on the other hand, spends the next 60 to 90 minutes moving about until he’s tired enough to crash. This includes rolling around, kicking the sides of the crib to try and wake up his brother, and of course, sitting up and trying to figure out why he’s in bed instead of downstairs watching reality television. (Relax, we don’t let them watch reality television. Really).

4. Leave it.

Out for a walk and they want to pick up an odd piece of garbage on the sidewalk that possibly looks a little like dog poop? LEAVE IT! You’ve just changed them and although it’s is wrapped up in a little ball, ready to dispose of, they go to reach for the soiled diaper that smells a lot like dog poop? LEAVE IT! They are playing in the backyard and head to the back door with something they found in the grass. EWWWW, DOG POOP! LEAVE IT!

5. Good Boy!

This one is tough because teaching and training are a lot alike. Both are successful with a lot of positive affirmations. Bring me the ball – good job. Point to the hat in the book – great work. Can you help dad pick up the toys? Good Boy! It’s all very similar to giving the dog a treat, and scratching its neck when it does something good. Like not eat your shoes.

Both the dog and the kids require a ton of attention and will act out if they don’t get any. Both will get into things that they don’t belong in if not supervised, they both have the ability to eat us out of house and home, and neither the dog nor the twins pick up after themselves.

Are there differences between dogs and children? Of course, there are.

Three!

1. Our kids eat four times per day, our dog only eats twice (but not by choice).
2. Our dog leaves less of a mess when he eats.
3. If the boys misbehave, we don’t send them to their crate.

I can think of one more way that our dog and our children are alike,

The immeasurable amount of love they show us every single day.

A version of this first appeared on Double Trouble Daddy.

June is almost over, and that means so is National Dairy Month. Members of the Vegas Dads Group celebrated the glory of milk and cheese by visiting and touring Anderson Dairy.

Five dads and seven children got a chance to walk the halls of the dairy and learn the history behind this great company that has been providing milk to the residents of Sin City since 1907.. They watched the machines package milk for schools, ice cream for the stores, and little creamers for the local hotel and casino restaurants.

In my opinion, the Clark County School District Room was the most impressive. The school district is the fifth largest in the United States and growing yearly, so I would think it would take a lot to keep up, but the dairy does an awesome job, cranking out 400 half pints per minute!

The Vegas Dads Group thanks Anderson Dairy for taking the time to show us around, and for the ice cream samples afterward! We had a great time, and will be back to see you again, for sure!

What is YOUR favorite ice cream?