Editor’s Note: We’re digging into our ample archives to find some great articles you might have missed over the years. This one comes from 2014.

Parents have more stuff than ever to make their lives easier, but some common-sense parenting tools still need to be invented … soon!

Sure some of this stuff might be as likely as hoverboards to come along soon, or it might not pass all the safety tests, but it would restore sanity to busy parents’ lives. Something must be done, so here is my list. Borrow it, steal it, share it, whatever you do — just invent one thing off here and you will go down in parenting folklore as a hero.

Parenting Tools You Can Really Use

Shirts With Spit-Proof Shoulders

How many times have you left the house with spit-up, food, or saliva stains on your shoulder?! I now judge the cleanliness of my shirts just based on the collection of spots on the shoulders. C’mon, fashion designers, can’t we make some baby-proof Teflon fabric already?

Diapers That Actually Work

We can put a man on the moon but we can’t trap poop in a diaper? I feel as though there is a hidden tunnel in there specifically to channel poop up my baby’s back. How do babies pull off the trick of getting it up to their armpits without much landing inside the diaper anyway? Sure, your kid looks cute but transfer them to solid food and you might need a hose in the nursery to wash that crib down.

Pacifier Adhesive

There have been times I have looked longingly at duct tape and thought it would solve all of my pacifier problems. Can’t we have just a little nontoxic pacifier glue? I know, I know, there are all kinds of problems with this but an exhausted parent can dream, right?

Kid-Sized Hamster Feeder Water Bottle

I guarantee with a kid-sized hamster feeder water bottle, bedtime will be 300 percent more enjoyable. Does the kid need water? They just reach up to the wall-mounted gigantic upside-down water bottle and all is right with the world. Sure it would look ridiculous, but just think how much more entertaining Instagram would be with all those pictures.

Velcro Onesies

Another no-brainer in the parenting tools world. Onesies with snaps were designed by the devil himself. They should be illegal in all 50 states. I think being a zipper and Velcro-only country would stop half of all parent meltdowns. Point me in the direction of the store that sells these first and I will spend whatever it takes. They could even have a “Snaps Onesie” exchange program where you can trade in your vile snaps for the ease of Velcro. I might just cry tears of joy instead of tears of frustration.

Pants with Kid-Proof Knees

Engineers can design bulletproof vests but it’s impossible to make jeans that make it through an afternoon of my son at the playground. I firmly believe that we can upgrade our pants technology after keeping it status quo for hundreds of years. Sure there are more pressing issues in the world, but we all know little kids should grow out of their clothes before wearing them out. Kid-proof pants knees, I want them by Christmas.

Seatbelt for Eating at the Dining Room Table

What do you do when your child is too old for the booster seat but is allergic to sitting down at dinner? It’s like it is physically impossible for them to stay seated for longer than three bites of food. The dinnertime seat belt saves meals and lives!

Freeze-Frame

How many arguments have you been in the middle of and you just needed a short breather? Exactly. Saved By The Bell was ahead of its time when it introduced Zach Morris calling “timeout” in the middle of a scene. We need this among our parenting tools ASAP. Think about it. Everything freezes and you go eat a bowl of ice cream, then go back and solve the fight over what kid gets what book. You might even be able to finish cleaning the house before the first room you cleaned gets messed up again.

Instant Toddler Hug

As a dad, there is not much that brightens my day more than my son coming over and giving me a big hug. Why not get that feeling all day long? I don’t know how to do it but bottle toddler hugs and they would fly off the shelf. The world would just be a better place.

A version of Parenting Tools previously ran on Lunchbox Dad. Photo: © Syda Productions / Adobe Stock.

City Dads Group recently pitched in to bolster a campaign to add changing tables to public bathrooms in central Ohio.

Our Cincinnati and Columbus chapters held successful diaper drives this month in support of “Dadvocate for Change,” an effort by two Columbus area parenting podcasters and a local fatherhood community group.

The hosts of The Dadass Podcast and CBUS Dads announced the campaign earlier this year. Their goal: adding changing tables to men’s and general-neutral bathrooms in the Columbus area. These additions would give caregivers, especially male ones, a clean, safe and comfortable place to change a baby’s diaper.

Pluie, makers of a self-sanitizing changing table for public bathrooms, is a major partner in the campaign. They installed the first Dadvocate for Change table at the North High Brewing brewpub in Dublin, Ohio, this month.

Our groups’ contributions were among more than 3,200 diapers and 720 wipes collected to kickoff the campaign, according to the Dadass Podcast website. It estimated that more than 125 families would be helped by the donation made to a local diaper bank.

Podcasters Matt Lofy and Shaun Ditty contacted our Cincinnati and Columbus groups this spring seeking help with the Dadvocate for Change launch. In response, Cincinnati Dads co-organizer Brock Lusch hosted a meetup/drive for his dads at a local brewery on May 7; Columbus Dads co-organizer Aaron Sheldon hosted one at a local doughnut shop and nearby playground the next weekend. The two leaders represented City Dads the campaign’s main event on May 14.

A history of helping keep babies clean, dry

The battle for equal access to changing tables is a familiar one for City Dads Group.

NYC and City Dads Group garnered attention for the cause in 2016. An Upworthy video interview of co-founder Lance Somerfeld on the subject, showing him needing to change his daughter’s diaper on a park bench, went viral.

In 2019, City Dads assisted diaper maker Pampers meeting a commitment to install 5,000 changing tables in men’s restrooms throughout the United States and Canada. City Dads members and followers nominated businesses and public spaces in need of changing tables.

City Dads has also worked to raise awareness of U.S. families struggling to have enough diapers and baby wipes for their children. That 2017 campaign was in coordination with the National Diaper Bank Network and its founding sponsor, Huggies diapers.

Changing your child’s diaper when out on the town is never fun, but Pampers and Koala Kare have made things a little bit easier for dads to handle.

City Dads Group has signed on to help Pampers, the maker of the world’s No. 1 selling diaper, in its recent commitment to install 5,000 changing tables in men’s restrooms throughout the United States and Canada by 2021.

City Dads Group members and followers are being asked to nominate local businesses and public spaces in their communities that are in need of changing tables. With your help identifying these locations, Pampers will continue to provide Koala Kare changing tables in public restrooms. The first round of nominations will target seven cities – San Francisco, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Philadelphia and New York City – but nominations in all areas are encouraged and will be considered.

Pampers announced its commitment to improve the “potty parity” situation this past June as part of its #LoveTheChange campaign to help recognize the increased responsibility and role of modern fathers in day-to-day child care. On Father’s Day 2019, the diaper and wipes brand began this initiative by providing hundreds of changing tables to businesses, parks, and recreation centers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

+ Click to submit locations in need of changing tables +

The partnership with Pampers and Koala Kare was a natural one for City Dads Group because our mission includes demonstrating that being a modern father means being a caring and capable parent actively involved in all aspects of raising a child … no matter how messy or smelly.

“I need the tools to get my job done as a hands-on parenting partner with my wife. I’ve been as frustrated as anyone with restaurants, museums, parks and businesses that didn’t have a diaper changing station in the men’s restroom when I needed to change my children,” said City Dads Group co-founder Lance Somerfeld, who has been an at-home father since 2008. “We extremely proud this new City Dads Group partnership with Pampers and Koala Care because it gives a chance to make a positive impact on our communities and help other fathers who are committed to sharing the work as much as the fun of being an active, involved parent.”

According to a recent survey Pampers commissioned, nine out of 10 fathers have gone into a public restroom with a child to discover that it did not have a baby changing table.

Pampers commitment to changing table equality launched with their #LoveTheChange campaign. It was done in partnership with singer John Legend, and Florida father of three, Donte Palmer, whose social media photo of him trying to change his son’s diaper while squatting on a restroom floor, with his child over his lap, went viral. Palmer later started the #SquatForChange organization to campaign for more baby changing tables in men’s restrooms. Palmer is working with Pampers to champion thousands of dads who have used social media to voice their desire to see changing table equality.

Equal access to public restroom changing tables has been ongoing issue in recent years with various celebrities championing the cause and new laws being introduced at state and federal levels. For example, New York State mandated them for new or newly renovated bathrooms as of Jan. 1 of this year while, in 2016, President Barack Obama signed legislation requiring federally owned buildings to install changing tables in both men’s and women’s restrooms.

Putting a new diaper on your little one becomes easier in New York starting this year, moms and dads.

A state law went into effect Jan. 1 requiring diaper changing tables be in all new or newly renovated public restrooms in the Empire State.

While the lack of diaper changing tables in men’s rooms sparked the new law, it’s a win for all parents and caretakers regardless of gender.

“All parents deserve a clean, safe space to take care of their baby’s needs,” N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted back in April when announcing the new law. “We’re ensuring equal access to these amenities so all New Yorkers can give their children the care they need at this critical stage of their lives.”

The state legislation follows a similar diaper changing tables law passed in NYC a year ago although this statewide effort was first introduced in 2015 by state Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-27, of New York City.

The New York law, part of the state’s Uniform Building Code, affects private businesses and state offices, buildings and facilities. Restaurants, retail stores and movie theaters will need to comply along with parks and government offices. At least one changing table will need to be accessible to the genders per publicly accessible floor. Signs must also be posted to direct the public to the nearest available changing table.

Diaper changing tables in the spotlight

The call for equal gender access to diaper changing tables has taken the national spotlight a few times. In 2015, actor Ashton Kutcher complained about the lack of tables in men’s rooms on social media. The next year, President Obama drew more eyes and ears to the issue when he signed legislation requiring federally owned buildings to install changing tables in both men’s and women’s restrooms.

In September 2018, a father’s Instagram post of himself having to change his child’s diaper while squatting on a men’s room floor caused another media sensation.

NYC and City Dads Group garnered attention for the cause in October 2015. The Upworthy video website interviewed co-founder Lance Somerfeld, showing him needing to change his daughter’s diaper on a park bench. The video has received more than 590,000 views to date.

Photo by mrjorgen on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-NC-ND

It’s been said that the best way to learn a foreign language is to immerse yourself in the culture.

So two months into this fatherhood thing and I’ve fully immersed myself into this really screwed up world called the language of parenting.

Never before in my life have I spent so much damn time talking about poop. Not shit. Because, babies don’t do that. They “poop” or “go poopy.”

Newborns aren’t throwing up or vomiting … they are “spitting up.”

And my daughter doesn’t drool. Well, actually, apparently she does drool because, this is the term we choose to use as a crossover from both worlds. Either way, it’s still gross.

No. It is not fucking cute. It is still gross. No matter how many cute words we apply to excrement, it will always be shit. My baby shat herself last night and it was messy.

But I digress.

Along with the language of parenting comes this entirely new world of marketing to parents. It’s a scary, deceitful business, my friends. You will literally be smacked upside the head with every single marketing tactic in the playbook to try and lure you into this web of spending on utter bullshit.

From diaper wipe warmers to chairs that electronically swing themselves to apps that monitor your child’s bodily functions, there is something for everything and for everyone. For example, I can control the motion of my daughter’s nap chair from my iPhone and toss on some background tunes to the sound of rain while the seat rotates to mask the rhythm of an ocean wave. All while I chill out on the reclining “glider.” Note: It’s not a rocking chair … it’s a glider, because we have to add a crafty little marketing title so we can force you to pay another $200-300. Because, eff you.

In fact, as I write this post, I’m looking across the room at my daughter as she rotates on her MamaRoo chair. The best part? She’s totally not entertained by the actual built-in mobile that hangs over her head while she rocks. She’s more interested in her hands that she recently started to discover.

And that is actually the dirty little secret: the babies don’t know any better and don’t need all of that technology to have a good time.

My in-laws came to visit recently and were stunned at all the gadgets and stuff we have furnished in our teeny-tiny little closet-sized apartment here in Manhattan. Matter of fact, until about a week ago, my daughter hated everything anyway.

We’ve got a specially designed floor mat with a hanging decoration (ugh, “mobile”) and built-in walls that entrap your tot like a felon at Clinton Max. It’s all adorned in colors and cute animals, so you know … it’s not really like a prison. It’s cute. But not at first to my daughter. It might as well have actually been the clink.

Same with that damn MamaRoo. We tried that bad boy on day one from the hospital. It took a daily dedication and vigilance for us to finally get the offspring to enjoy that thing … six weeks later.

Meanwhile a few notes on this contraption: First off – screw that name, because you know, dads apparently don’t give a shit if the baby is chillin’. Second – how someone hasn’t made this thing in an adult version for grown-ass men is a total fail. Imagine watching football while sitting in this rocking chair, errr — glider, on steroids? I’m looking at you, Apple. Make up for the iWatch.

Here’s the big takeaway: avoid the marketing hype. For my first-time fathers out there, you are going to run into a million and one baby books and friends and family members and coworkers and advertisements and social media posts and all sorts of crap in between begging you and pulling at you and imploring you to buy [blank] because “your baby will love it” or because “you NEED this to survive parenting.” False.

Stay strong, my friends.

You do need some very basic things to get by; because how the hell do you think your child will be able to survive without a diaper wipe warmer, bro? (Editor’s note: His two kids did.) But, don’t be that dude that loads up on product after product because it looks shiny. Your kid won’t know the difference. You’ll just clutter up your house. And you could actually probably end up saving money in the long run.

A version of this first appeared on Daddy Mind Tricks.

When it comes to changing diapers, New York City is on the verge of potty parity.

Mayor Bill de Blasio Tuesday signed into law a bill requiring all new public restrooms — regardless of gender designation — have baby changing tables. The lack of the stations in men’s rooms around the city sparked the legislation.

“The way our society has organized things, it’s a message to men to not do their fair share,” de Blasio said at a City Hall media conference to celebrate the signing. “If you can’t find a changing station it literally bakes in those stereotypes, and it inhibits men from doing what they need to do more and more, which is step up. So today is a day to celebrate the idea that all caretakers need to be respected, that all caretakers need to be able to do this precious work.”

The law applies to new construction accessible to the public such as restaurants, theaters, retail stores and more. Current establishments that undergo major renovations will also need to add bathroom changing tables. The new law takes effect later this year.

The NYC City Council approved the changing table bill in December after being introduced by Brooklyn Councilman Rafael Espinal. Espinal said he was inspired after watching a father struggle to change his child’s diaper while the infant lay on a bathroom sink in a mall.

“Parents should be changing their children’s diapers with a little more dignity, in a space that’s sanitary,” he told HuffPost in a Dec. 11 article.

The changing table revolution

The lack of diaper changing tables in men’s restrooms has grabbed the national spotlight a few times in recent years in the debate over parenting equality. In 2015, actor Ashton Kutcher complained about the problem on social media. The next year, President Obama drew more eyes and ears to the issue when he signed legislation requiring federally owned buildings to install changing tables in both men’s and women’s restrooms.

NYC and City Dads Group garnered attention for the cause in October 2015. The Upworthy video website interviewed co-founder Lance Somerfeld, showing him needing to change his daughter’s diaper on a park bench. The video has received more than 590,000 views to date.

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

DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by Huggies®.

Several members of our Boston Dads Group recently joined forces with with Huggies and its No Baby Unhugged program to help create care packages of children’s winter clothing, diapers and wipes to aid families struggling to meet the basic needs of their children.

Keeping a young child clean, dry and healthy — especially in the cold of a New England winter — is a challenge for any parent. A recent Diaper Need and Its Impact on U.S. Families study by the National Diaper Bank Network and its founding sponsor, Huggies, found that one in three U.S. families (36%) are in diaper need or struggle to provide enough diapers and wipes – often because they had to face the difficult choice between buying food or necessary baby care products. The study also revealed that 73 percent of moms and dads feel they are not being good parents when their children are left too long in a dirty diaper.

That’s why our Boston Dads spent a morning at Cradles to Crayons’ Giving Factory creating dozens of “KidPacks” for children who are living in homeless or low-income situations. Winter KidPacks included weather appropriate clothing for a week so a child can travel to school, play outside with friends, and go to medical appointments, even in the coldest weather. The care packages for the youngest kids included Huggies diapers and wipes that were either donated by individuals or by Huggies distributing through organizations like the National Diaper Bank Network.

Huggies became a founding sponsor of the nonprofit National Diaper Bank Network in 2011 to help combat diaper need in the United States. In six years, it has grown from 40 to more than 300 diaper banks across the country. Huggies has donated more than 200 million diapers and wipes to its cause during that time through its No Baby Unhugged program.

“At Cradles to Crayons, nearly half of the orders we fulfill are for a child 3 years old and younger, which means that the demand we see for diapers is overwhelming,” said Lynn Margherio, Cradles to Crayons’ founder and CEO. “Despite skipping meals or taking on additional jobs to be able to afford diapers, our families are still stretching the diapers they have as far as they will go — which means reusing soiled diapers, or leaving babies in them for too long. Diapers are an absolutely critical component of the essentials we provide. We see caregivers missing crucial hours at work because day care centers won’t take a child without the required amount of diapers for the day. Without diapers, a baby’s health can be compromised, and our mission is to distribute the basics so all children can grow up happy and healthy.”

All our Boston Dads Group volunteers at the Giving Factory that day were at-home fathers with young children, so the issue felt close to home as we packed clothing for older toddlers. We took care to only include high-quality items as we selected jackets, sweaters, shirts, pants, pajamas and other essentials every kid needs. We learned from our orientation that “Quality = Dignity” is a belief that drives the nonprofit’s mission.

“It was great to have an opportunity to volunteer,” said Boston Dads Group member Alex Santiago. “I’m glad we were able to help dozens of children get the clothes and goods they needed.”

Help fill the National Diaper Bank

You can join City Dads Group and Huggies in the fight to combat #DiaperNeed and help children get the things they need to just be kids:

• Support the National Diaper Bank Network by making a monetary contribution at org, visiting a local diaper bank or even hosting a diaper drive.
• Visit Huggies.com to learn more about diaper need, and donate your Huggies Rewards points to help combat diaper need.
• Visit the Cradles to Crayons’ Giving Factory website to learn how you and your family can get involved to help kids in need in the Greater Boston area. The nonprofit also has centers in Chicago and Philadelphia.

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

DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by Huggies^®.

In City Dads Group’s latest community outreach venture, our Chicago chapter this month joined forces with Huggies and its “No Baby Unhugged” program to help create care packages of childhood necessities like clothing and school supplies.

Members of our Chicago Dads Group went to work one afternoon at the Cradles to Crayons’ Giving Factory, sorting and packaging enough items to help 105 children, big and small. The biggest order of the day, of course, was diapers – courtesy of Huggies, which donated 250,000 Huggies diapers for babies in need whose parents rely on Cradles to Crayons.

Huggies has been committed to end diaper need in the United States since its groundbreaking 2010 study found one in three U.S. families with children under age 4 lack a sufficient supply of diapers and wipes to keep their infant or toddler dry, clean and healthy.

Through its No Baby Unhugged program, Huggies has donated more than 200 million diapers and wipes to its cause in the past six years. It also helped establish the National Diaper Bank Network in 2011, which has grown from 20 outlets to 320.

At the Giving Factory, where all local donations to Cradles to Crayons end up for sorting and packing, our dads were given a tour of the Belmont Gardens facility and an orientation about the nonprofit’s mission of providing high-quality items to children in belief that “Quality = Dignity.” Each of the KidPacks our dads created was custom designed to meet the needs of a specific child who had an order placed on his or her behalf. Filled with the essentials that every kid needs – like shoes, winter coats, toys and often Huggies Little Snugglers Diapers — these KidPaks go a long way to helping children in need have the opportunity to just be kids.

“It was great to have an opportunity to help out at the Giving Factory,” said Chicago Dads Group member David Cole after the volunteering effort this month. “It felt good knowing that 105 kids were able to get the clothes and goods they needed.”

True community means giving back to those in need and contributing to the betterment of society, so City Dads Group chapters try to be active participants in local and national campaigns for parenting-related good causes. You can also help with ending diaper need or assisting children by:

• Visiting Huggies.com to learn more about diaper need, and donate your Huggies Rewards points to help combat diaper need.
• Visiting the Cradles to Crayons’ Giving Factory website to learn how you and your family can get involved to help kids in need around Chicagoland. The nonprofit also has centers in Boston and Philadelphia.

About our sponsor

Huggies believes deeply in the Power of Hugs, which is why every diaper and wipe is designed to emulate 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