Learn about 10 no-prep nature adventures to embark on with kids!
Tag: dad blog
The 5-Minute Dad Hack: Making Connections When Time is Tight
Feeling like you’re constantly juggling deadlines and diaper changes? You’re not alone. For today’s working fathers, finding quality time with kids often feels like searching for a matching sock in the laundry pile – possible but rarely successful. The Working Dad’s Dilemma The struggle is real. Between back-to-back meetings, urgent emails, and urgent meetings that…
A Millennial Parent’s Guide to kids AI Education
Millenial Parents guide to AI education for kids
He’ll Make A Great Lawyer Someday…
The art of negotiating with a toddler
Superhero Training
The benefits of roughhousing with your sidekick.
Trials of Toilet Training
Mastering the not-so-exact art of potty training.
From Gotham to Green Acres
IncrediDad discovers his Go Green super powers.
On To The Next Adventure
Embracing change could be the greatest super power of all.
Save Money On Your Next Hotel Stay!!!
A road trip from California to New York with a toddler and a cat was unpredictable at best. The last thing that we wanted to worry about was making “good time” getting to a specific hotel every night. Have you ever noticed that Dads have an obsession with “making good time”? Not once have I…
National Lampoon’s Cross-Country Vacation
Cannibals, Cat, and more of the first day of our cross-country road trip.
Our San Franciscan Day
The first leg of our big road trip!
Raising Children Who Could Change The World
“There’s a lot of ugly things in this world, son. I wish I could keep ’em all away from you. That’s never possible.” ― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird I read to Boy Wonder every night before bedtime. He listens for about a half and hour and then passes out for the night. So…
A House Is Not A Home
Moving day, Memories, and Moving On
Table Manners, Toddlers, and A Tale Of Two Cities
An old childhood trauma resurfaced when I read an article in The Sunday Times today. The author, India Knight, talked about Etiquette vs. Manners. I’ve always found etiquette intimidating; a feeling that has recently returned since the birth of my son. Anyone with a toddler who can spin in circles faster the Tasmanian devil would…
Oprah’s Got Nothing On Me
I feel a lot like Oprah this week. And the movers get a thousand dollars! The auto-hauler gets a thousand dollars! Whoops there goes another thousand just for funsies! As I spend my meager fortune far faster than I ever made it, I’m starting to wonder why we have so much crap. When I moved…
Choose Your Own Adventure
For me, there is nothing more stressful than finishing a chapter of a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. Two-Face has Robin dangling over a vat of acid. You only have time to save Boy Wonder or catch the crook. Do you: a) Throw your batarang to slice through Robin’s ropes, or b) Tackle Two-Face and…
Translating For Boy Wonder
Boy Wonder’s vocabulary is expanding every day. It seems like just yesterday he said his first words, Da-da. Of course he did say that yesterday and this morning too. Basically whenever he wants something I get summoned with a hearty “Da-da!”. These days he says plenty of words clearly “Car!”, “Trucko!”, “Ice Cream Man!”, and…
Simple Distractions
Simple Distractions – a new IncrediDad blog post
Spending Time With Your Sidekick Even When Life Is Busy.
Spending Time With Your Sidekick Even When LIfe Is Busy.
Dance Class With IncrediDad and Boy Wonder
Up until a month ago, I thought a pirouette was a kind of cookie. Turns out, it is a dance move. You see, Boy Wonder has been taking Ballet Class once a week and we are both learning so much. For example, you wouldn’t believe how many ballet terms sound food related: Sauté (so-Tay): please…
I’m Alfred, Not Batman
All these years, I thought I was Batman. It turns out I’m Alfred.
Top 3 Unexpected Ways That Fatherhood Changed My Life
Top 3 Unexpected Ways Fatherhood Changed My Life
Incrdedible Leadership Lessons: Love and Patience
Incredible Leadership Lessons are back!
The First Year
A letter to Boy Wonder on his 1st Birthday.
Another Super-Power Discovered
Another Super-Power Discovered
Future Engineer – A Student Of His World
Future Engineer – A Student Of His World
The One That Got Away
I’m fond of our bed. Bex would be surprised to hear that because I frequently said otherwise about this pile of mattress and metal when we first started dating. It was a love/hate relationship back then. You see, the bed actually belonged to Bex first. She was so proud of it because it was the first…
It Takes A Village
When my cousins and I were little, my Gramma’s brother, Uncle Jack, would bring his family down to visit our wild tribe every once in a while. I was too young to experience it first hand but I’ve been told that he would always remark how everyone just seemed to pitch in when it came…
Acting Like A Super Villain
Bex, if you’re reading this, stop now. Just close it. X out and go do something else. If any other Incredi-Reader is near her, please take her phone and throw it out the window because we all know she’s not going to listen me. Waiting…waiting…Okay is she gone? Good. Today I’m going to talk about…
When Your Secret Identity Becomes Your Only Identity
We Lost Our Identity To Parenting! Last night we got Boy Wonder to bed pretty early (seven-thirtyish), which left Bex and I a few hours to ourselves. The nights when this happens are few and far between. We operate on different schedules and wind up being home together only two nights a week. Now, you…
Three Types of T.V. Dad Stereotypes
What’s up with the TV Dad stereotypes?
Incredible Leadership: When Batman Met Robin
Day 1 of my week long series on Incredible Leadership. No matter how many times I save the world, prevent a spill, or soothe a crying kid, another problem will arise to take it’s place. Some days, it feels like a never ending cycle of change the diaper, stop a bad guy from robbing the…
Fascination With Facetime
A New Blog Post from www.TheIncrediDad.com
Stressed Out
Stress isn’t fun to talk about. Usually, I sweep mine under the rug and dance around like it’s not there. Why? Because we all have it. The only thing that makes my stress more important than yours is that it’s mine. So, I won’t sit here and bore you with my problems because you’ve got…
Excess Baggage
I start to question what is essential as I’m packing my suitcase. I’ve been traveling my entire life and since then, lots of things have changed. Security is tighter at the airports, Mickey Mouse seems a lot shorter than he used to, and gas is way more expensive now. You know what hasn’t changed though?…
Boy Wonder Discovers His Own Superpower
Parenting requires a ridiculous amount of attention, patience and energy. IncrediParenting takes even more. So, it’s understandable that we would want a few moments of peace every day. That’s what I use the Fortress of Solitude for. But my days of hiding in the bathroom are almost over. Boy Wonder has discovered a new super…
What Happens In My House Before You Arrive
“Where does this go?” “I dunno. Stash it under the bed.” “Quick, throw a quilt over that pile of junk. I’ve gotta go scrub the toilet!” This is what goes on in our house just before you arrive.Two adults running back and forth in a hurried panic while Boy Wonder sits in his playpen giggling…
A Not-So-Secret-Identity:
Boy Wonder’s Life Online
My Grandma has photo albums filled with embarrassing childhood photographs of me. I didn’t have a choice in what shots were taken, what made the books, and what should have been burned immediately. Lucky for me, those photo albums are buried on the bottom shelf of a bookcase in her dining room. Safely stored on…
A Guest Post from Our Friends @ Twinstuff.com
A twin pregnancy not only changes the life of the Mom but also the Dad. It is different from a singleton pregnancy in so many ways and in so many aspects. This is why it is important for both parents to know what to expect when expecting twins, especially for the first time. At the…
IncrediDad Vs. Baby Food
All superheros in training need the right food to fuel their bodies right? Recently, Boy Wonder has started branching out from the boob to a more sophisticated pallet. That means I’ve started exploring the baby aisle of my local grocery store. It was absolutely overwhelming. Believe it or not, I walked away with more questions…
Radio Towers
Boy Wonder has shown me so many big emotions on his tiny face. I’ve seen him at his happiest, his loudest, silliest, crankiest, and even his hungriest. That last one is my favorite because at each and every feeding he makes this gasping sound, like a man drinking water for the first time after emerging…
Baby’s First Road Trip
It all started with a text from my Aunt. We just booked our Vegas trip. That was all the motivation I needed to plan out our first road trip with the baby. I was so excited that I didn’t bother asking Bex if she wanted to go. I told her we were going. Luckily, I have…
Day Care Dilemma
At first it was a simple plan. Bex would work mornings. I’d work nights. We’d trade the baby off in the parking lot. I guess you can call it a perk of us working at the same company. What could possibly go wrong? To be honest, not much. Our day usually starts around four-thirty. When…
The Duchess Of Nausea – a guest post by Bex
Nothing could have prepared me for the shock of finding out I was pregnant. I mean, there were signs but I was too busy working a full time job and planning the wedding of my dreams to notice them. At first, it felt more like the flu. Then one morning, as I was getting ready…
Food For Thought
Of all the things I could pass on to my son, over eating was not high on the list. I admit it. I constantly have a bad case of the Munchies. I could eat lunch and twenty minutes later I’ll be foraging through the kitchen for a snack. As it turns out, Luke’s not much…
Spittle’s On The Other Shirt
For people without kids, parenting is weird. When I didn’t have a kid, I didn’t get it either. I didn’t know the joy of setting the little one down for a thirty minute (or second) nap. I didn’t rejoice in a quiet trip to the grocery store. I never felt like people were constantly watching…
A Critical Analysis Of Children’s Literature
The other day, I mentioned that I like to spice up whatever story du jour that I’m reading to Luke. It’s not that the stories I read him aren’t good, but they aren’t spectacular either. Every parent has their favourite kids book too. You’ll hear it if I talk about Dr. Seuss. It’s not that…
Three Things I Should Stop Doing, Now That I’m A Dad
Bad habbits. Everyone has them. Few people own up to them. Believe it or not, I even have a few of my own. My grannie grannie used to tell me that I’d argue with Jesus. I would always disagree with her, crying “No I wouldn’t.”. Thus proving her point. I have also been known to…
From Rut to What Did I do?
Back in 2016, I found myself in a rut, wondering when life was going to get going again. At the ripe old age of 28, I was washed up, hit my peak, no where to go. I found myself in the middle of a quarter-life crisis, wondering what I had to show for it. My…
And To All A Goodnight
Reading Clement C. Moore’s Christmas Classic “‘Twas The Night Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve is a tradition my parents started when I was a baby and now I am proud to pass it down to Luke. From the Gaygen Family to yours, we wish you all a very merry Christmas! Watch us read to Luke…
My IncrediDad
My gramma sent me some old pictures of my mom, my dad, and I earlier this week and it got me thinking of my own IncrediDad. A dad is someone brave and strong. They will protect their kid from bad guys. They’re able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Dads are incredible. Many…
Christmas Presents
To be honest, kids do not need most of the expensive things we buy them, but we get them anyway. This is our first Christmas with a kid but I can safely assume it will only get worse. What two month old, needs two electric cars he can ride in, a train he can ride…
Breaking Up With Sleep
I gave up on my relationship with sleep a long time ago. It never would have worked out between us anyways. I’m a night-owl and an early riser. It would wind up being more of a long distance relationship anyway. Bex, on the other hand, really loves her sleep. I think her secret life goal…
Oh The Places We’ll Go
Road Trips From Reading
”Twas two weeks before Christmas”
Twas two weeks before Christmas, On baby’s first year. It felt like his parents hadn’t slept in a year. Bills left unpaid, presents unbought, even the dog was left there unwalked The laundry was tossed on the floor without care. Why bother cleaning now? Next week our relatives will be there; But Luke was nestled…
Baby-cizing
You know what I loved most about Bex’s pregnancy? Our stomach’s were the same size, at least for a few weeks at the end. It was great. Now we could share t-shirts. What a laundry saver! Right after delivery, her belly was still puffed out. She was so upset about it that she would say…
Daddy’s Private Office
Listen up dearest family of mine; Just because I sit down on the toilet, it does not mean I want to hold an emergency family meeting. Contrary to popular belief, the bathroom is not the family board room. It is my Batcave, my fortress of solitude. It’s where I go to get a moment of…
“Groundhog Dad” Starring David Gaygen
Do you remember the movie “Groundhog Day” starring Bill Murray? I feel like my life has turned into a cruel and twisted version of that since I’ve gone back to work. In the film, a jaded weatherman has to relive the same day over and over until he gets it right. In real life, I…
Let’s Wrap
Just the other day, I found out that some countries think we’re strange for using a stroller. Can you believe that? Do you mean to tell me that Americans are wrong about something? When was the last time that happened? Uh. Hang on, the President just tweeted again . . . I love my stroller….
Sibling Rivalry
Sibling Rivalry
Our First Date
Bex and I had our first date the day before Thanksgiving. Actually it was our first date A.D. (After Delivery). It wouldn’t have happened except that my mom was in town and she offered her services as babysitter. That’s a polite way of saying that she kicked us out so she could spend quality time…
We aren’t fighting. We’re discussing.
“Mommy and Daddy aren’t fighting. We are having a discussion.” I’ve heard that line overused so many times in the movies. The scene is always the same. It happens when a child inadvertently walks in on a possible domestic dispute and the parents have to cover their tracks quick, lest their six year old…
It’s A Walk In the Park
And I thought Bex took forever to get ready . . . One morning, earlier this month, around eleven o’clock in the morning, we decided to take Luke on his very first trip to the neighborhood park. Somehow, we didn’t walk out the front door until three-thirty in the afternoon. Did I mention that the…
Let Them Eat Cake
So, now that I’ve got him home, can someone tell me what the hell I’m supposed to do with him? The care stuff, diaper changes, feedings, I’ve got that. We’ve actually gotten into a nice routine. But how about when he’s wide awake and not screaming his head off? When he’s just staring at…
There’s A Binky In My Batcave
I never considered myself a messy person but I certainly wouldn’t call myself organized either. There’s always been this untidy little grey area between cluttered and coordinated that l like to hide in. Let’s refer to it as, my Batcave. Throughout my twenties I found my Batcave to be a multifunctional space. I always kept…
Baby On Board
I still can’t believe they let us walk out of the hospital with him. There must have been some mistake right? How could they trust someone like me to be responsible with someone so important? It was easy to look like a semi-competent parent when a team of nurses was present to supervise. But once…
The Secret Superpower of IncrediDad
Ever since I was a little kid I’ve wanted super powers, which is the coolest thing in the world. But before I could possess great power, I needed to become a superhero. Every superhero has an origin story. By now, you’ve read mine. If you haven’t, then what the hell are you doing? Go back…
NICU – The Sitcom
Ladies and Gentlemen, please pardon the interruption. We now return you to the number one sitcom in America – The NICU. Starring Luke Gaygen as a fictional version of himself, the show revolves around a handful of newborns and their hilarious hi-jinx in the hospital. Luke is a strong and healthy baby who wound…
Delivery Day (Part IV): Didn’t They Tell You
I spent two hours in the NICU. When I went back to Labor and Delivery, a nurse stopped me in the hall just outside of Bex’s delivery room. She had a very confused look on her face, and I could see her trying to figure out why I was back here. “Didn’t anyone…
10/30/2017 Delivery Day (Part II): It Went Great, Until It Didn’t. Then The Shit Hit The Fan.
Around two a.m. I was rudely awoken from my nap. The epidural had done it’s job and Bex was ready to push. So I groggily stood up, stretched, and wondered if I had time to take a seventh inning piss. She wouldn’t mind right? Wrong. We were in the bottom of the ninth with…
What’s In A Name?
William Shakespeare asked, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Oscar Wilde said, “Experience is the name we give our mistakes.” Even old Teddy Roosevelt got in on the philosophizing when he said, “Never throughout history has a man who has lived a life…
I Guess You’re Next
All this trouble started back when my cousin Steph announced that she was pregnant. I congratulated her because I was very excited to have another baby in the family but secretly I prayed to the saints that I wouldn’t catch whatever disease was in the water back home. Still, Steph delivered kiss of death by…
The Nursery or Let’s Move Before He’s Old Enough To Know He Sleeps In A Closet
We used to live in a big three bedroom condo across the street from Disneyland. No really, it took us ten minutes to walk from our front door to the park gates. It was a great, lively area, close to food and entertainment. The best part was that we had new neighbors every week because most…
A Letter To My Wife
October 21, 2017 – California Dear Bex, This may come as a bit of a shock but — Surprise! You’re pregnant. Okay, so it may not be as shocking as it was back in March. You have grown, incubated, and carried around our future child inside you for almost nine months now. But do you…