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Good advice doesn't just lie around. Unless you recently became a parent and feel anxious about your new role. In that case, you can find invaluable wisdom and support on the subreddit r/DaddIt.

This online community has 1.2 million members, many of which are experienced fathers, happy to share how they babyproof the house, keep the little ones busy, and much, much more.

When you're sleep-deprived, exhausted, and constantly late to everywhere you go, even one additional minute saved can make a huge difference. Continue scrolling to check out the tips and the chat we had with Alan Lawrence, author of That Dad Blog.

#1

Found A Hack For Short Hikes. Mantracking

Found A Hack For Short Hikes. Mantracking

We live near a state park/forest and my wife and I like hikes. HOWEVER with a younger kids it can be a pain. It's either too slow for the adults to get decent exercise or take FOREVER because of groaning, wanting to pick up every rock, etc.
Today I had an idea.
My wife took a head start and set clues at intersections and landmarks to show the way she went. The kids and I looked for the clues to "track" and "catch Mommy." They took turns being the "clue finder."
My wife slowed to a stop near the end of the trail and waited to be "caught."
Result?
She got an actual home at her pace. The kids hiked farther and faster than normal. They got practice taking turns, being observant, and thinking critically.
Your mileage may vary, but I recommend giving it a try

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"One of the biggest misconceptions society has about modern fathers is that they are less competent or less involved in parenting than mothers," the father of seven and person behind the wholesome online family magazine That Dad Blog, Alan Lawrence, told Bored Panda.

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"Traditionally, the father's role has been seen primarily as the provider, with nurturing and household responsibilities falling more heavily on mothers. I feel that there has been a significant shift with dads playing a bigger part and being more engaged in all aspects of parenting. Don't get me wrong, most mothers are leaps ahead of us dads, but we also deserve some credit as co-parents."

Alan's right. In many places around the world, fathers have been stepping up their presence. For example, American fathers are now more involved in their children's lives than ever before and spend an average of 7.8 hours per week taking care of them at home, up by 1 hour per week in just about two decades.

What's more, there's also a modest decline in the number of children living in father-absent homes. The share of children living without a father (but with a single mother) dropped from 24.4% to 21.5 % between 2012 and 2022. (During the same period, the share of children who live without both parents remained stable, but the share living with both parents increased from 68% to 70%.)

#2

Pro Tip: Have Em Paint With Water. Keep Em Busy For A Solid 20min

Pro Tip: Have Em Paint With Water. Keep Em Busy For A Solid 20min

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Lawrence, who is also the author of Wil Can Fly: A Story about Finding Joy in the Unexpected, added that another common misconception is that fathers are very closed off.

"I feel like the media and entertainment sector often portrays dads as less nurturing, emotionally unavailable, and bumbling or clumsy figures," he explained. "I know a lot of dads who are actively involved with their children's emotional development, and who provide support, guidance, and love in ways that are similar to mothers."

For new fathers, Lawrence recommends "[doing] your best to recognize how present and engaged you are as a father."

"Be actively involved in your child's life from the start and do things like holding, feeding, or playing with your kid. Trust me, these little things make a big difference in how they will connect with you later," he said.

"Also, share the load with your partner so that both of you are equally involved, and be patient, try to stay calm, even when things don't go as planned," Lawrence said. "Parenting can be stressful, but if you have the understanding that you are going to make mistakes and that it's okay, you are going to do just fine."

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#3

Pro Dad Tip - Remember Your Partner Needs Around 600 Calories More Per Day If Breastfeeding! I Prepare A Snack Platter Each Night For My Special Lady

Pro Dad Tip - Remember Your Partner Needs Around 600 Calories More Per Day If Breastfeeding! I Prepare A Snack Platter Each Night For My Special Lady

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George Costanza
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Your wife is healthy AF. My breastfeeding wife would probably slap that tray out of my hands and tell me to go get her the ice cream she demanded.

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#4

Dad Pro Tip #72 - Teach Your Kids How To Cook Early And Involve Them In Meal Prep. They Will Be Less Picky Eaters And Make Healthier Food Choices Down The Road

Dad Pro Tip #72 - Teach Your Kids How To Cook Early And Involve Them In Meal Prep. They Will Be Less Picky Eaters And Make Healthier Food Choices Down The Road

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Guy Bare
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We do that every day. Even the industrial snacks have been replaced by home made cakes, apple sauce, cookies. They love to cook with their parents. Just don't be nervous to have to clean the kitchen after (even cleaning is a part of the "game" !)

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#5

Pro Tip: Buy A Backup

Pro Tip: Buy A Backup

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arthbach
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The secret is to switch out the toy each and every day. If you don't do that, they will not look, feel, or smell the same.

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When father Avi Moskowitz wanted advice about which highchair, stroller, and car seat to buy for his first child, he too immediately posted on Daddit (which has been around since 2011).

“On Daddit, you get the geekier side of the Internet, where people have done technical research about why this product is better than another product, but I think it also shows that dads are taking on more roles and responsibilities when it comes to parenting,” Moskowitz told The New York Times.

But it’s more than that. "About 90 percent of the posts on Daddit are those posting pictures of their cute kids,” Moskowitz added.

"We [the moderators] tried to ban pictures or say only post pictures here, but that didn’t work. I think it speaks to how much dads want to show off their kids."

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#6

Pro Tip: Zip Tie The Bubble Wand Somewhere That The Kid Can't Dump It Out But Can Still Dip It. You're Welcome. Learned This After They Dumped The Third One Out In The Living Room Carpet

Pro Tip: Zip Tie The Bubble Wand Somewhere That The Kid Can't Dump It Out But Can Still Dip It. You're Welcome. Learned This After They Dumped The Third One Out In The Living Room Carpet

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#7

Almost Stepped On A Nail In My Yard. I Got A $10 Magnetic Sweeper From Harbor Freight And Found All Of This. All In Places Myself, Partner And Kids Walk Barefoot All The Time

Almost Stepped On A Nail In My Yard. I Got A $10 Magnetic Sweeper From Harbor Freight And Found All Of This. All In Places Myself, Partner And Kids Walk Barefoot All The Time

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#8

Pro Tip: Almost All Cat Toys And Baby Toys Are Interchangeable

Pro Tip: Almost All Cat Toys And Baby Toys Are Interchangeable

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R.C.
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to manage a pet supply store and parents would often buy dog toys for their young kids. And why not? They're non-toxic, durable, have no hard eyes/buttons, etc. And they squeak! Lol

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#9

Dad-Tip: Add Grip Tape To Help A Slippery Bunk Bed Ladder!

Dad-Tip: Add Grip Tape To Help A Slippery Bunk Bed Ladder!

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Last year, a Parents and Verywell Mind survey of 1,600 dads painted a concerning picture of fathers' overall mental health.

The findings indicated that many dads are hurting and need more support. 2 in 3 respondents said they have been at least moderately stressed in the last 30 days, and 43% of them said at least half their stress is related to child care, with 62% saying the pressure to provide for their family is a major cause.

#10

Daddit Pro Tip

Daddit Pro Tip

Keep a gallon zip top bag with a spare set of clothes, diaper and wipes stashed in your car.
Been saved a few times when we forgot the diaper bag and had an accident

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Linda Lee
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I kept a change of clothes in a plastic bag in my trunk when I worked in office. It came in handy when my meatball sub spilled down the front of my shirt.

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#11

Prodadtip: Grow Out Your Beard So You Can See How Good Your Kid Will Look With A Toupee One Day!

Prodadtip: Grow Out Your Beard So You Can See How Good Your Kid Will Look With A Toupee One Day!

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#12

Pro Tip.. Give Your Kid A Wireless Door Bell

Pro Tip.. Give Your Kid A Wireless Door Bell

So our kids (3 and 2) share a room and the 3 year old yells when they need a wee and wakes up her younger sister. Got her this door bell and she can now silently let us know she needs us.
Has worked perfectly all week

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#13

Dad Hack: Kid Only Eats Half A Banana? Cut The Peel And Save The Other Half. Works Great!

Dad Hack: Kid Only Eats Half A Banana? Cut The Peel And Save The Other Half. Works Great!

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While 84% of fathers think it's important to talk to their children about mental health, 45% say they feel judged whenever they chat with others about it, and 75% believe there should be more support for fathers when it comes to these issues.

That means there are a lot of fathers who are struggling and need support—but they're not sure where to start, especially given the stigma. Luckily, Daddit is a great place to break the silence and open up.

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#14

My Number One Tip For All Dads, Take As Many Pics As You Can! Cell Phone Cameras Are Amazing Nowadays And Your Kids Will Grow Too Fast!

My Number One Tip For All Dads, Take As Many Pics As You Can! Cell Phone Cameras Are Amazing Nowadays And Your Kids Will Grow Too Fast!

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Kirsten Kerkhof
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also, get everyone in the picture. My mother never liked being photographed (this was when it was film still) because she thought she didn't look good. My father, bless him, obliged. And now I have almost no pictures of my mother as we all grew up.

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#15

Easy Dad Points Tip I Picked Up This Weekend: Duct Tape And Sharpie = Road

Easy Dad Points Tip I Picked Up This Weekend: Duct Tape And Sharpie = Road

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#16

Dad Hack: Flatten The Ground Beef As Much As You Can For Easy Freezer Storage And Quick Defrost

Dad Hack: Flatten The Ground Beef As Much As You Can For Easy Freezer Storage And Quick Defrost

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Nitka Tsar
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can do that with everything. Even fluids. If you use and make your own baby food, freeze it like this and just snap off a bit every time you need it. You can make grooves into the bag with the side of your hand or something like a chop stick, to better be able to break pieces off, when it‘s frozen.

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#17

Dad Pro Tip: Check Your Grocery Store Clearance Bins!

Dad Pro Tip: Check Your Grocery Store Clearance Bins!

$0.45 cents a piece! My 2.5 year ild is going to be in heaven for under $10 on christmas

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Kirsten Kerkhof
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Start buying Christmas gifts in June. You can buy special offers when you see them, and you'll end up with a pile of gifts that never broke the bank because you bought them when they were on sale.

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#18

Best Dad Hack So Far. Fussy Toddler Refusing To Eat? Put It On A Skewer, Snip Off The Sharp End Then Watch Them Eat The Very Same Thing They Refused Seconds Before

Best Dad Hack So Far. Fussy Toddler Refusing To Eat? Put It On A Skewer, Snip Off The Sharp End Then Watch Them Eat The Very Same Thing They Refused Seconds Before

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#19

Dad Hack: Use A Diaper To Hold Your Diapers

Dad Hack: Use A Diaper To Hold Your Diapers

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#20

Dad Pro Tip: Fragile Snacks Travel Well In Cheap A** Glasses Cases

Dad Pro Tip: Fragile Snacks Travel Well In Cheap A** Glasses Cases

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Jaya
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a good non-parenting tip too! My cereal bars were always getting damaged in my bag, this would have really helped me.

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#21

It's Not Much, But I Made This Play Board For My Little Guy. It Was Inspired By Something I Saw In This Sub

It's Not Much, But I Made This Play Board For My Little Guy. It Was Inspired By Something I Saw In This Sub

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Kiss Army
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My cat loves the door stopper things at the top! We had to take them all out at our house because in the middle of the night she would sit there and bat at it and we would continually be woken up by "BOING, BOING, BOING..."

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#22

Dad Protip: Tape A Piece Of Tubing Inside The Diaper Pail To Avoid The Impenetrable Vacuum Effect On Overstuffed Bags

Dad Protip: Tape A Piece Of Tubing Inside The Diaper Pail To Avoid The Impenetrable Vacuum Effect On Overstuffed Bags

Anyone else feel like they were about rip the bag of nuclear waste in half trying to remove it? I used a piece of old curtain rod, and sanded off burrs. Has been working for 2+ years now

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#23

This Got Me 10 Minutes Of Laying Down Time

This Got Me 10 Minutes Of Laying Down Time

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#24

Dad Tip: When Asked To Go To Costco For A Diaper Run Always Remember To Pick Yourself Up One Of These Because You Deserve It

Dad Tip: When Asked To Go To Costco For A Diaper Run Always Remember To Pick Yourself Up One Of These Because You Deserve It

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C .Hunger
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also, when going to costco with kids, go through the exit first, and eat first before shopping. Fills them up, and makes them less "wanting" for impulse food buys.

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#25

Use A Vaccuum Sealer To Seal Some Glitter And Water In A Bag And Use Painter's Tape To Stick It To The High Chair Table

Use A Vaccuum Sealer To Seal Some Glitter And Water In A Bag And Use Painter's Tape To Stick It To The High Chair Table

Hours of fun for next to nothing and clean up/reapplication is a breeze. Note: Ziploc's DON'T work for this, and don't use weird shaped(pointy) glitter.

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Chumbo
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder how many Ziploc and pointy glitter accidents occured over the course of this discovery

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#26

Pro-Tip: Pack A Squeegee In The Stroller Permanently, If You Live In A Rainy Climate & Visit Slides

Pro-Tip: Pack A Squeegee In The Stroller Permanently, If You Live In A Rainy Climate & Visit Slides

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#27

Simple Dad Hack Has Saved Our Ankles!

Simple Dad Hack Has Saved Our Ankles!

Jimminy flipping Cricket am I glad that I finally got around to adding these pool noodles to the walker. Now when the little guy comes flying across the kitchen to crash into our bare feet, it’s a sensation of joy instead of a plethora of curse words, weeping, and gnashing of teeth. If there is one smidgen of wisdom I can share with my fellow dads it is this… dollar store pool noodles are chef’s kiss

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arthbach
Community Member
5 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These (baby walkers) are banned in Canada. In Europe, the UK, the USA, etc, doctors DO NOT recommend parents allow their children to use them. (Edited to add 'DO NOT'. I missed that out by mistake. My apologies.)

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#28

Tent Sandbox. Play Time Has Never Been Better Or More Engaging. [tips And Tricks]

Tent Sandbox. Play Time Has Never Been Better Or More Engaging. [tips And Tricks]

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arthbach
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's also really good as you can zip up the tent when not in use, and the local cats/wildlife don't use the sand as a litter tray.

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#29

Dad Pro Tip: Make Extra And Freeze

Dad Pro Tip: Make Extra And Freeze

When I make a large batch of pancakes or waffles, what doesn't get eaten gets cooled on a wire rack and frozen. I put wax paper between them so they don't freeze together. Nuke for three for 40 seconds

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Lsai Aeon
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My son is my go-to pancake man. We couldn't even whisper the word pancakes when he was a toddler. He'd come running from the other room screaming PANCAKES PANCAKES PANCAKES, we all know how toddlers are. SO when he was about 7, I taught him how to make pancakes. Now he's better than I am at making pancakes. He'll make 2 LARGE batches, but instead of freezing them, we put them in the fridge and use them to make sandwiches for the rest of the week. Left over pancakes, bacon or sausage patty (or both) and a fresh fried egg sandwich makes for an excellent midnight snack.

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#30

Dad Tip: Make A Blanket Fort. Kids Are Entertained, Wife Comes Home Thinking You Did Something Great And Time Consuming For Them. Win, Win, Win

Dad Tip: Make A Blanket Fort. Kids Are Entertained, Wife Comes Home Thinking You Did Something Great And Time Consuming For Them. Win, Win, Win

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Aubrie Allen
Community Member
5 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a kid, my dad got a bunch of large appliance boxes, taped them together and made us a semi-permanent box fort in the basement. No clean up like with the blanket fort.

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Note: this post originally had 83 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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