Magazine

A baby crawling on a living room rug while dad looks at dust bunnies

Why the Dust Baby Meme is Harmless but Your Floor is Toxic

I'm currently sitting on the floor at eye level with the baseboards, watching a shaft of afternoon Portland sunlight illuminate roughly ten million floating particles in our living room, while my 11-month-old daughter tries to eat a grey fuzzball she...

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Exhausted dad staring at his pacing dog while the baby wails in the nursery

Why Your Dog Freaks Out When the Kid Screams (A Father's Log)

Dear Marcus from exactly six months ago, You're currently sitting on the hallway floor at 3:14 AM. You have the tracking app open on your phone, verifying that the nursery is exactly 69.5 degrees with 44 percent humidity, and you...

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Sweaty baby wearing a sustainable mustard yellow bodysuit at a theme park

Why Cheap Theme Park Outfits Crashed My Baby's Operating System

I'm currently standing completely motionless outside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, holding an eleven-month-old who's vibrating with pure, unadulterated rage. The humidity is sitting at what feels like two hundred percent, my shirt is glued to my spine, and...

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Dad holding a chilled silicone panda teether in a dark nursery at 3 AM.

Dad-Tested Home Remedies for a Teething Baby Waking Up at Night

It's 3:14 AM and I'm standing in the kitchen holding a partially frozen blueberry mini bagel. The baby monitor on the counter looks like a jagged red soundwave of pure agony. The bagel is currently defrosting and dripping a sticky...

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An exhausted dad looking at his phone while a sick baby sleeps on his chest

Exactly How Long Does RSV Last in Babies? A Dad's Viral Data Log

My mother-in-law texted me at 6 AM asking, "how is the babi doing?" because she stubbornly refuses to use autocorrect on her iPad. Two hours later, the barista at my local coffee shop confidently informed me that respiratory viruses are...

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Grandparent holding baby playing with wooden gym

How Old Are Baby Boomers? A Dad's Guide to Grandparent Rules

"Put the quilt down, Mom." I was standing in the doorway of the nursery at 8:00 PM, physically blocking my mother's path to the crib like a bouncer at a deeply uncool nightclub. She was holding a blanket that weighed...

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Portland dad looking confused at a massive wall of baby strollers

How to Choose a Baby Stroller Before You Completely Lose Your Mind

Hey Marcus from six months ago. You're currently sweating through your flannel shirt in aisle 14 of the massive baby gear warehouse, staring at a wall of aluminum and canvas like it's a server rack that just randomly caught fire....

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A vintage plush camel sitting on a high display shelf out of reach of a baby

Why Humphrey the Beanie Baby Is a Hard No for My 11-Month-Old

I'm currently holding a beige, slightly cross-eyed plush camel that smells faintly of an attic and 1996. My mother-in-law just proudly handed it to me across our kitchen island. Apparently, she unearthed this thing from her garage after solving the...

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Tired dad reading consumer reports baby formula data on a laptop in the dark

Consumer reports baby formula data broke my brain as a dad

Last Tuesday, at exactly 2:14 AM, I found myself standing in the kitchen illuminated only by the harsh green glow of the microwave clock, staring at a plastic scoop of white powder like it was radioactive material. Before my son...

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