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9-month-oldbaby safetyinfant healthparenting tipssafe playsummer baby
A mother holding a baby near a backyard swimming pool in the summer

The ugly truth about that cute baby pool float you just bought

My sister-in-law's backyard in Naperville smells intensely of expensive mineral sunscreen and chlorine. It's mid-July, the humidity is oppressive, and I'm standing at the edge of the water holding a thrashing nine-month-old. My mother-in-law is hovering nearby, aggressively trying to...

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9-month-oldbaby feedingBaby-Led Weaningparenting humorSolid Food & Finger Food
A stressed millennial dad trying to wipe sticky fruit puree off a wooden highchair.

Why Feeding A Baby Peach Slices Is A Messy Physics Experiment

I'm currently staring at an orange, sticky smear on our kitchen ceiling. I don't know the exact trajectory it took to get up there, but I know the source, and I'm honestly impressed by the velocity. My wife Sarah and...

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9-month-oldbaby gearbaby safetyinfant careparenting anxietytoddler
A toddler reaching up for a modern lever door handle in a dark hallway

The Great Toddler Escape and Why Door Safety Is So Controversial

My mother-in-law told me to just flip the lock on my toddler's bedroom door around so it secures from the outside. A mom in my local Chicago Facebook group said locking a child in their room is literal abuse and...

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9-month-oldbabybaby gearbaby stepsearly developmentmilestones
Toddler taking first steps indoors while wearing soft sole baby sneakers.

Dear Past Priya: The Real Truth About Baby Steps Mods & Gear

Dear Priya of six months ago. You're currently sitting on the faded rug in our Chicago apartment, staring at the sharp edge of the West Elm coffee table. You're entirely convinced it's a lethal weapon. Your nine-month-old son just pulled...

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9-month-oldbaby developmentearly developmentorganic cottonparenting anxietysafety tips
A baby in ribbed cotton pants trying to pull up on a wooden coffee table

Why trying to rush your infant into walking usually backfires

My mother-in-law was holding a samosa in one hand and pointing at my ten-month-old with the other. We were at a Diwali party in Naperville, surrounded by people I see exactly twice a year. Sangeeta's boy is already running, she...

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9-month-oldBabybehaviorinfant safetyparenting humorsafe play
11-month-old baby playing safely under a wooden Kianao play gym without any hazards.

The Real Baby Traps (And Why I Googled Billionaires At 3 AM)

Last Tuesday at 2:14 AM, I found myself trying to gently fold my son’s thigh like a piece of origami just to get it out from between the wooden bars of his crib. Baby T had managed to wedge his...

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9-month-oldbaby safetyparenthoodsafe playtech geartoddler
Metal safety barrier hardware mounted at the top of a wooden staircase swinging outward toward the hallway

My Humiliating Physics Lesson on Staircase Barriers

I was standing at the top of our fourteen-step Portland craftsman staircase holding a plastic tension rod barrier, a laser level, and a completely false sense of confidence. My wife, Sarah, paused on her way to the kitchen, shifting our...

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9-month-oldbaby foodinfant healthparenting humorSolid Food & Finger Food
A tired dad looking confused at a grocery store aisle full of baby food pouches

The real truth about baby food pouches and picky eating

My mother-in-law told me I need to boil and blend organic root vegetables until my kitchen looks like a nineteenth-century apothecary. The guy ahead of me at our Portland neighborhood coffee shop loudly proclaimed that purees destroy a baby's jaw...

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8-month-old9-month-oldBabyeducational toyssafe playtoys
A confused dad holding a highly realistic baby doll while an 11-month-old baby looks at it on the floor

Unboxing baby dolls that look real: A first-time dad's survival guide

The box cutter sliced through the packing tape at exactly 7:42 PM on a Tuesday. I peeled back the layers of tissue paper, fully expecting a wooden puzzle or maybe some harmless stacking blocks from my wife's aunt. Instead, I...

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