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Crash Course for New Dads

Boot Camp for New Dads Share Tips for Knowing When Your Baby is Sick

With the threat of H1N1 flu, colds and other illnesses, it’s important to know how to tell when your baby is sick and when to call the doctor.

 

Greg Bishop, author of two books on fatherhood and the founder of Boot Camp for New Dads (http://www.bcnd.org), a non-profit orientation program for fathers-to-be, operating in more than 260 hospitals, clinics, schools, fire stations and churches around North America and internationally, shares tips from his second book, Crash Course for New Dads below.


  • Babies give signals when they are not feeling well. Watch for them. The most obvious are fever, runny nose, cough or rash. Less obvious signals are lethargy, crankiness, lack of interest in anything or anyone around him/her, little or no appetite, spitting up more often or very hard or runny stools.


  • Fever is how a baby responds to infection. If her/his temperature is over 101 degrees, he has a fever. If s/he’s younger than two months old and her/his temperature higher than 100 degrees, or if a low grade fever has lasted several days, or if there is a rash along with the fever, call your pediatrician.


  • Sniffles and respiratory congestion can make your baby miserable. Make sure her/his airway is clear and that s/he is not having difficulty breathing. Call the doctor if your baby’s cough comes from deep in her/his chest or if breathing is labored or s/he is wheezing.


  • Don’t administer medicine without first checking with your baby’s pediatrician. Some may think a small dose of pain reliever or decongestant may seem reasonable, but a baby’s nervous and immune systems are very different from yours and present special issues that you are unlikely to be aware of.


According to Bishop, “Whether it’s coughing, diarrhea, crossed eyes, not eating, or anything else, if you think your baby is ill for any reason then check with a nurse hot line or your pediatrician. When it comes to your baby’s health, err on the side of calling the doctor too often, as you may not be able to tell the big problems from the little ones.”


Dads should also get to know their baby’s doctor by going to well-baby checks. Either go with mom or take turns with her.


To help keep your baby healthy, dress your baby appropriately. If the temperature outside is 75 degrees, a diaper and t-shirt underneath a pair of footed pajamas is usually good enough. If it’s breezy, add a light jacket and a hat to keep the sun off your baby’s face and her/his head warm. Add layers as the temperature gets lower.


Boot Camp for New Dads

Now celebrating their 19th year, Boot Camp for New Dads is nationally acclaimed as the “Best Practice” for preparing men to be fathers and has been named a U.S. Navy Model Program. Boot Camp for New Dads has prepared more than 200,000 men for fatherhood over the years.

Today, Greg Bishop and 400 other Boot Camp Coaches conduct workshops in 44 states and the U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force.

 

With more than 4.1 million births (National Center for Health Statistics), and approximately 1.5 million men becoming new dads every year, it’s more important than ever for fathers to realize that being a “good provider” is only part of the very central role they have in their children’s lives.


For more information about Boot Camp for New Dads, visit www.bcnd.org. To arrange an interview with Greg Bishop, please contact sdubin@prworkzone.com, (781) 582-1061.

 

National and International Locations

Boot Camp For New Dads locations include ALASKA (Anchorage); ARIZONA (Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sun City); ARKANSAS (Jonesboro, Paragould, Springdale); CALIFORNIA (Apple Valley, Bakersfield, , Fresno, Garden Grove, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Madera, Merced, Mission Hills, , Oakland, Orange, Pomona, Port Hueneme, San Diego, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, , S. Lake Tahoe, Travis, Valley Springs); COLORADO (Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Fort Collins, Fort Carson, Greeley, Longmont, Thornton, Wheat Ridge); CONNECTICUT (Bristol, Danbury, New London); FLORIDA (Brandon, Clearwater, Hollywood, Jacksonville, North Palm Beach, Orlando, St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Sarasota, Tampa); GEORGIA (Atlanta, Elberton, Gainesville, Marietta, Savannah); HAWAII (Pearl Harbor, Schofield); ILLINOIS (Aurora, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, East St. Louis, Evanston, Freeport, Geneva, Great Lakes, Highland Park, Libertyville, Moline, Oak Park, Rockford, Springfield, Urbana, Winfield); INDIANA (Anderson, Bluffton, Hammond, Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, Kokomo); IOWA (Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Jefferson, Sioux City); KANSAS (Junction City, Topeka); KENTUCKY (Paducah); LOUISIANA (Covington); MAINE (Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Waterville); MARYLAND (Annapolis) MASSACHUSETTS (Beverly, Ipswich, Lowell, Nantucket, Plymouth, Weymouth, Springfield); MICHIGAN (, Ann Arbor, Bay City, Centreville, Iron Mountain, Ithaca, Kalamazoo, Niles, St Joseph, Ypsilanti); MINNESOTA (Brainerd, Duluth, Robbinsdale); MISSISSIPPI (Tupelo); MISSOURI (Jefferson City) MONTANA (Billings, Helena, Miles City); NEBRASKA (Kearney, Lincoln, Omaha); NEVADA (Las Vegas) NEW HAMPSHIRE (Manchester, Portsmouth); NEW JERSEY (Princeton) NEW YORK (Glens Falls, Little Falls, Mineola, Rome, Utica); NORTH CAROLINA (Burlington, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Concord, Ft. Bragg, Greensboro, Monroe, Raleigh, Shelby); NORTH DAKOTA (Grand Forks); OHIO (Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, East Cleveland, East Liverpool, Garfield Heights, Lima, Lorain, Mayfield Heights, Middleburg Heights, Orange Village, Portsmouth, Toledo, Warren, Westlake, Youngstown); OKLAHOMA (Claremore, Oklahoma City, Tulsa); OREGON (Corvalis, McMinnville, Salem, Silverton); SOUTH CAROLINA (Columbia, Pickens, Walhalla); TENNESSEE (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis); TEXAS (Amarillo, Dallas, Fort Hood, Longview, Lubbock, Plano, San Antonio, Texarkana, Waco, Webster); VERMONT (Barre, Brattleboro, Middlebury); VIRGINIA (Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Hampton, Richmond) WASHINGTON (Everett, Fairchild AFB, Longview, Olympia, Puyallup, Yakima); WEST VIRGINIA (Wheeling); WISCONSIN (Florence, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh, Watertown, Wausau); JAPAN (Atsugi, Yokosuka), ITALY (Sicily); UNITED KINGDOM [a.k.a. Hit the Ground Crawling] (Birmingham, Liverpool)


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Boot Camp for New Dads Offer Tips for Keeping Your Baby Safe Around the Holidays

Boot Camp for New Dads (http://www.bcnd.org), a non-profit orientation program for fathers-to-be, operating in more than 260 hospitals, clinics, schools, fire stations and churches around North America and internationally, has worked with hundreds of thousands of dads over the past 19 years. One of the most important concepts they teach new dads is how to provide a safe environment and keep the baby safe. The holidays are busy and it’s more challenging than ever to keep the baby away from choking hazards and other dangers.

Greg Bishop, founder of Boot Camp for New Dads and author of two fatherhood books, shares tips from his second book, Crash Course for New Dads – Tools, Checklists and Cheat-Sheets for keeping your baby safe around the holidays:

Toxins. Sprucing up the house before the holidays? Giving yourself a manicure before heading out to that holiday party? Paints and lacquers, even nail polish and remover should not be used in the vicinity of your baby. A newborn’s immune system is not fully developed, and these substances can be harmful even in small doses.

Smoking. Though you and your spouse may not smoke, visiting relatives may not have a problem with lighting up around your baby. Unlike you, your baby can’t move out of harm’s way. Ask visiting smokers to take it outside or to the garage, far away from your baby’s lungs.

Pockets. It’s always merry with a houseful of family and friends at the holidays. But, with so many people moving around; sitting down and standing up – be aware that things can fall out of your guests’ pockets without anyone noticing. You’re may grab hold of a small item and have it in her mouth before you know it. Even swallowing a single penny might require your baby to go through surgery. Stay aware and don’t be afraid to ask your guests to empty their pockets before holding your baby.

Salt and Honey. Though you know the rules about not feeding salt and honey to your baby; family and friends may not. Although you can’t keep sodium out of your baby’s food, excess salt is detrimental to his kidneys and blood pressure. And, up until your baby turns one year old, babies should NEVER be fed honey. Honey can cause infant botulism, which could lead to death. Be sure that well-meaning relatives who may not be aware of the rules don’t allow your baby to sample even a bite of holiday cuisine without checking with you first.

Decorations. Holiday decorations are a feast for the eyes. Unfortunately, they are also a choking hazard to babies and toddlers who may find small pieces and put them in their mouths. When decorating your home, use the “slide-and-hide” technique. Take a toilet-paper tube and use it as a measuring device. If an object can slide down the tube, it can also slide down your baby’s breathing passage. Put those decorations that don’t pass this test away until your baby is much older. And, of course keep a watchful eye on your baby when visiting relatives or friends with older children who may have decorations and small toys around their home.

About the Boot Camp for New Dads Program

Boot Camp for New Dads has worked with more than 200,000 new dads at their workshops held over the past 19 years. After attending a Boot Camp for New Dads “hands on” educational workshop, dads-to-be are better equipped to face the challenges and opportunities of fatherhood. Men attend the class when they are expecting their first baby, and are joined in the workshop by “veterans” who had previously attended and have returned with their two to four-month-old baby in tow. They are able to give the dads-to-be a realistic idea of what to do and what to expect when their first baby comes. For many men attending, it’s their first time holding a baby.

Boot Camp for New Dads

Now celebrating their 19th year, Boot Camp for New Dads is nationally acclaimed as the “Best Practice” for preparing men to be fathers and has been named a U.S. Navy Model Program. Boot Camp for New Dads has prepared more than 200,000 men for fatherhood over the years.

With more than 4.1 million births (National Center for Health Statistics), and approximately 1.5 million men becoming new dads every year, it’s more important than ever for fathers to realize that being a “good provider” is only part of the very central role they have in their children’s lives.

For more information about Boot Camp for New Dads, visit www.bcnd.org. To arrange an interview with Greg Bishop, please contact sdubin@prworkzone.com, (781) 582-1061.

National and International Locations

Boot Camp For New Dads locations include ALASKA (Anchorage); ARIZONA (Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sun City); ARKANSAS (Jonesboro, Paragould, Springdale); CALIFORNIA (Apple Valley, Bakersfield, , Fresno, Garden Grove, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Madera, Merced, Mission Hills, , Oakland, Orange, Pomona, Port Hueneme, San Diego, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, , S. Lake Tahoe, Travis, Valley Springs); COLORADO (Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Fort Collins, Fort Carson, Greeley, Longmont, Thornton, Wheat Ridge); CONNECTICUT (Bristol, Danbury, New London); FLORIDA (Brandon, Clearwater, Hollywood, Jacksonville, North Palm Beach, Orlando, St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Sarasota, Tampa); GEORGIA (Atlanta, Elberton, Gainesville, Marietta, Savannah); HAWAII (Pearl Harbor, Schofield); ILLINOIS (Aurora, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, East St. Louis, Evanston, Freeport, Geneva, Great Lakes, Highland Park, Libertyville, Moline, Oak Park, Rockford, Springfield, Urbana, Winfield); INDIANA (Anderson, Bluffton, Hammond, Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, Kokomo); IOWA (Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Jefferson, Sioux City); KANSAS (Junction City, Topeka); KENTUCKY (Paducah); LOUISIANA (Covington); MAINE (Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Waterville); MARYLAND (Annapolis) MASSACHUSETTS (Beverly, Ipswich, Lowell, Nantucket, Plymouth, Weymouth, Springfield); MICHIGAN (, Ann Arbor, Bay City, Centreville, Iron Mountain, Ithaca, Kalamazoo, Niles, St Joseph, Ypsilanti); MINNESOTA (Brainerd, Duluth, Robbinsdale); MISSISSIPPI (Tupelo); MISSOURI (Jefferson City) MONTANA (Billings, Helena, Miles City); NEBRASKA (Kearney, Lincoln, Omaha); NEVADA (Las Vegas) NEW HAMPSHIRE (Manchester, Portsmouth); NEW JERSEY (Princeton) NEW YORK (Glens Falls, Little Falls, Mineola, Rome, Utica); NORTH CAROLINA (Burlington, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Concord, Ft. Bragg, Greensboro, Monroe, Raleigh, Shelby); NORTH DAKOTA (Grand Forks); OHIO (Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, East Cleveland, East Liverpool, Garfield Heights, Lima, Lorain, Mayfield Heights, Middleburg Heights, Orange Village, Portsmouth, Toledo, Warren, Westlake, Youngstown); OKLAHOMA (Claremore, Oklahoma City, Tulsa); OREGON (Corvalis, McMinnville, Salem, Silverton); SOUTH CAROLINA (Columbia, Pickens, Walhalla); TENNESSEE (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis); TEXAS (Amarillo, Dallas, Fort Hood, Longview, Lubbock, Plano, San Antonio, Texarkana, Waco, Webster); VERMONT (Barre, Brattleboro, Middlebury); VIRGINIA (Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Hampton, Richmond) WASHINGTON (Everett, Fairchild AFB, Longview, Olympia, Puyallup, Yakima); WEST VIRGINIA (Wheeling); WISCONSIN (Florence, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh, Watertown, Wausau); JAPAN (Atsugi, Yokosuka), ITALY (Sicily); UNITED KINGDOM [a.k.a. Hit the Ground Crawling] (Birmingham, Liverpool)

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Founder of Boot Camp for New Dads Helps New Fathers Deal with Economic Realities

Working with more than 200,000 new dads over the past 19 years, Greg Bishop, founder of Boot Camp for New Dads (http://www.bcnd.org), a non-profit orientation program for fathers-to-be, operating in more than 260 hospitals, clinics, schools, fire stations and churches around North America and internationally, offers advice for new dads who are dealing with economic realities in his latest book Crash Course for New Dads – Tools, Checklists and Cheat-sheets.

Today’s economic realities create difficult circumstances. Many careers demand long working hours and a new baby adds to your financial requirements. Two income families may find they now have to rely on just one income which further puts a strain on the amount of time a working parent can spend with baby.

Bishop explains, “The first three years of a child’s life are the most vital in shaping who s/he will become later in life. A parent will never have other opportunities like those when a child is an infant, so a working parent must make sure that s/he does spend time – even if it is just a couple of hours a week – alone with baby now.”

Many veteran dads have faced such circumstances. Bishop shares strategies from Crash Course for New Dads for when a working parent’s time is short:

· Hardly home? Make the time you do have count as much as possible. Change those diapers. Set the tone that despite work obligations, you are here to be a player and be involved.

· Play with your baby before you leave in the morning and just after you get home. It has been found that babies sleep longer when a parent plays with them at night.

· Strive for solutions that enable you to spend time with your child. Be creative. Figure out how to work from home; even once a week is better than nothing.

· Play a strong role in providing emotional support for your partner who is home with your baby most of the time. Call, email or text each other to ask how s/he is doing and get the update on junior’s accomplishments of the day.

· When home, spend time alone with your baby. Don’t let your limited experience as a care giver interfere. Send your partner out with friends so you can enjoy some one-on-one time with baby.

· Don’t allow yourself to feel diminished because you can’t spend lots of time with your new child. Your work and income is your family’s lifeline.

Bishop continued, “Finding time to spend with baby is often an ongoing challenge for many working parents. Two-thirds of Boot Camp veteran dads reported that they would spend more time at home with their children if they were financially able to do so. Even though the time spent with your baby may be brief, it is well-spent and benefits both parent and child.”

Fatherhood Books Serve as a “Play by Play” Guides

Greg Bishop offers strategies from more than 200,000 new dads that have gone through the Boot Camp for New Dads program in both of his books, Crash Course for New Dads: Tools, Checklists and Cheat Sheets and his first book, Hit the Ground Crawling, which covers work balance, being a dad, caring for a new mom and much more. Both books are available online at www.DadsAdventure.com.

New Dads Learn What to Expect at Boot Camp Workshops

Dads-to-be will be better equipped to face the challenges and opportunities of fatherhood after attending a Boot Camp “hands on” educational workshop. Men attend the class when they are expecting their first baby, and are joined in the workshop by “veterans” who had previously attended and have returned with their two to four-month-old baby in tow. They are able to give the dads-to-be a realistic idea of what to do and what to expect when their first baby comes. For many men attending, it’s their first time holding a baby.

Boot Camp for New Dads

Now celebrating their 19th year, Boot Camp for New Dads is nationally acclaimed as the “Best Practice” for preparing men to be fathers and has been named a U.S. Navy Model Program. Boot Camp for New Dads has prepared more than 200,000 men for fatherhood over the years.

With more than 4.1 million births (National Center for Health Statistics), and approximately 1.5 million men becoming new dads every year, it’s more important than ever for fathers to realize that being a “good provider” is only part of the very central role they have in their children’s lives.

For more information about Boot Camp for New Dads, visit www.bcnd.org, or to visit Dads Adventure, go to www.Dadsadventure.com. To arrange an interview with Greg Bishop, please contact sdubin@prworkzone.com, (781) 582-1061.

National and International Locations

Boot Camp For New Dads locations include ALASKA (Anchorage); ARIZONA (Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sun City); ARKANSAS (Jonesboro, Paragould, Springdale); CALIFORNIA (Apple Valley, Bakersfield, , Fresno, Garden Grove, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Madera, Merced, Mission Hills, , Oakland, Orange, Pomona, Port Hueneme, San Diego, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara, , S. Lake Tahoe, Travis, Valley Springs); COLORADO (Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver, Durango, Fort Collins, Fort Carson, Greeley, Longmont, Thornton, Wheat Ridge); CONNECTICUT (Bristol, Danbury, New London); FLORIDA (Brandon, Clearwater, Hollywood, Jacksonville, North Palm Beach, Orlando, St. Petersburg, West Palm Beach, Sarasota, Tampa); GEORGIA (Atlanta, Elberton, Gainesville, Marietta, Savannah); HAWAII (Pearl Harbor, Schofield); ILLINOIS (Aurora, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago, East St. Louis, Evanston, Freeport, Geneva, Great Lakes, Highland Park, Libertyville, Moline, Oak Park, Rockford, Springfield, Urbana, Winfield); INDIANA (Anderson, Bluffton, Hammond, Indianapolis, Jeffersonville, Kokomo); IOWA (Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Jefferson, Sioux City); KANSAS (Junction City, Topeka); KENTUCKY (Paducah); LOUISIANA (Covington); MAINE (Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Waterville); MARYLAND (Annapolis) MASSACHUSETTS (Beverly, Ipswich, Lowell, Nantucket, Plymouth, Weymouth, Springfield); MICHIGAN (, Ann Arbor, Bay City, Centreville, Iron Mountain, Ithaca, Kalamazoo, Niles, St Joseph, Ypsilanti); MINNESOTA (Brainerd, Duluth, Robbinsdale); MISSISSIPPI (Tupelo); MISSOURI (Jefferson City) MONTANA (Billings, Helena, Miles City); NEBRASKA (Kearney, Lincoln, Omaha); NEVADA (Las Vegas) NEW HAMPSHIRE (Manchester, Portsmouth); NEW JERSEY (Princeton) NEW YORK (Glens Falls, Little Falls, Mineola, Rome, Utica); NORTH CAROLINA (Burlington, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Concord, Ft. Bragg, Greensboro, Monroe, Raleigh, Shelby); NORTH DAKOTA (Grand Forks); OHIO (Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, East Cleveland, East Liverpool, Garfield Heights, Lima, Lorain, Mayfield Heights, Middleburg Heights, Orange Village, Portsmouth, Toledo, Warren, Westlake, Youngstown); OKLAHOMA (Claremore, Oklahoma City, Tulsa); OREGON (Corvalis, McMinnville, Salem, Silverton); SOUTH CAROLINA (Columbia, Pickens, Walhalla); TENNESSEE (Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis); TEXAS (Amarillo, Dallas, Fort Hood, Longview, Lubbock, Plano, San Antonio, Texarkana, Waco, Webster); VERMONT (Barre, Brattleboro, Middlebury); VIRGINIA (Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Hampton, Richmond) WASHINGTON (Everett, Fairchild AFB, Longview, Olympia, Puyallup, Yakima); WEST VIRGINIA (Wheeling); WISCONSIN (Florence, Green Bay, Madison, Oshkosh, Watertown, Wausau); JAPAN (Atsugi, Yokosuka), ITALY (Sicily); UNITED KINGDOM [a.k.a. Hit the Ground Crawling] (Birmingham, Liverpool)

Founder of Boot Camp for New Dads Helps New Fathers Deal with Economic RealitiesRead More