7 Awesome Lists About Being a Dad

I don’t know if you know this about me, but I like lists. They are a very efficient way to digest lots of information quickly, and it’s also very easy to gauge your progress. For instance, if you’re in the middle of reading the 4th item of a 7 item list, you can very quickly calculate that you are half way through the list. Pro tip: If you are not able to quickly calculate that, then you should be spending less time reading silly lists and more time learning the maths.

Some of my favorite lists on this site are this one, that one and, oh yeah, don’t forget this one. These are, in my opinion, lovely examples of how lists should be done. They should be informative, have a clear purpose and be delightful to peruse. Unfortunately, there is just not enough time in the day for me to write a list on every aspect of being a dad. Fortunately, there are other dads out there fighting the good fight, picking up my slack and getting shit done.

He are 7 awesome lists about being a dad by 7 awesome dads who also, presumably, love lists:

1. Habagooday and Other Amazing Toddler Words

While Popeye is still just learning how to slap some vowels on some consonants, the time will come very soon when he is commanding his minions (mama and me) to do his bidding. Personally, I can’t wait to see the magical creations that his newly formed brain create. The Ask Your Dad Blog has already been through this adventure and shares their favorites here: The 10 Toddler Words I’ll Miss the Most.

2. Valuable Lessons from Old Nintendo Games

Like basically every dad under the age of 50, I grew up on a steady diet of Lego, action figures and video games. What I didn’t realize was that all 3 of those things were preparing me to be a father. While The Lego Movie and Toy Story trilogy cover the first two, 8BitDad breaks down the video game lessons learned with: Old School NES Games That Prepared Me for Fatherhood.

3. I Love the Smell of a Diaper in the Morning

While I’ve posted previously about how we use cloth diapers and how it’s been working out pretty well, I feel it’s time to come clean. During the night, we have found it is much easier to use disposable diapers. The main reason is that the boy pees his weight each and every night and there is just no cloth diaper that can Hoover Dam that much volume. So we have a nice supply of Pampers to get us through the long, wet nights. The clever dads over at How to be a Dad were kind enough to share some other uses for diapers here: 6 Secret Uses for Baby Diapers.

4. Dads Are Parents Too

On a more serious note, dads have been getting a bad rap since the beginning of time and it’s a trend that’s likely to continue as long as the media continues to pander to the lowest common denominator. While there are some terrible dads out there, along with a fair share of awful moms, there are also many, many good ones and even a few great ones. The Daddy Doctrines is one, of many fathers, who is working tirelessly to undo all the propaganda (papaganda?): 14 Lies You’ve Been Told About Dads.

5. Please Don’t Offer Unsolicited Advice to Parents

While I understand that most people are just trying to help when they offer advice to the parents of a newborn, odds are astronomically high that they are not. In fact, all they are really doing is giving these poor new parents a migraine. Thankfully Lunchbox Dad has performed a much needed public service with this fantastic advice: 9 Things Not To Say To The Parents Of A Newborn

6. Lying is Bad, Unless Your a Parent, Then it’s a Requirement

As a kid, you spend a quarter of your time getting into trouble, a quarter of your time being in trouble and the remaining time trying to talk your way out of said trouble by lying your face off. Since kids are not very bright, they get caught in their web of deceit and are told over and over again that lying is bad. By the time we get to be an adult, it has been drilled into us so hard that we feel guilty even telling an innocent lie. That is, until we become parents, then the floodgates open and we struggle to find the shutoff valve. The Daddy Files has compiled the essential lies that every parent relies on: 19 Lies Parents Tell Their Kids

7. Kids, Amirite?

When you first have a baby, you focus so hard on it that you feel like you deserve a pat on the back each and every day that you keep him alive. The amount of love is immeasurable and, apparently, over time it festers and turns to hate. That’s actually entirely untrue and Dad and Buried examines his feelings about his son here: Top 10 Reasons Why I Hate My Son.