Bath Time Blunders & Baby Fears: Fatherhood Tips from Gen X Dads : Episode 33 Part 2

0:00 For Halloween were you like scary Halloween costumes, or was it just because I mean yeah I was a kid like this kid not like the devil. No None of that, okay Yeah, it's always like I always wanted to either be Batman like yeah Or like Captain Kirk because there's like that evil aspect of Halloween that I don't remember one year during the during the gas crisis I was a sheik Around the game Probably wouldn't be allowed anymore This is the gray hair and daycare podcast with a combined age of 111 years and a combined IQ right in that same range your hosts Frank Syrio and Carlo Russo Welcome back to episode 33 part 2 We've got a few more stories to cover that we weren't able to get to last week So we're back to finish up the job and get you all caught up Thanks again for sticking with us.

1:14 And here is the rest of episode 33 and now We will move on to this is a segment We have not done in a while and this won't be as horrible for you as it usually is Yes, so we're gonna do a crash test daddy So here we are so we decided I was talking with Kelly and I'm like, what are the things that are big? So one of the things we'll talk about later is we've made this big transition in bath time That one of the early very early crash test daddies was we had the the baby bathtub with the sling That you use instead of doing them in the sink like our parents We did the temperature one and we had the little the ducky which is still in use by the way.

2:00 Awesome even now but She is big enough. Baby. Josie is big enough now that we have transitioned to people tub to the people to the big the big girl tub, but that requires a whole series of Little things little accessories that you need to make that a little bit more fun sure, so this is gonna be our crash test daddy bath time product showcase and And the first thing you have I think well, you can kind of pick out let me pick out and then you'll yeah Let's start the basic. So now this is again. This is kind of the go-to right? So this is the Johnson's Kind of baby wash that what is it called head and toe?

2:42 Head to toe wash and shampoo good. That's what we used for a while. But the real deal the other bottle You can set that aside. So the stuff that you have there is baby dove Sensitive skincare baby wash. It's fragrance free and It's for bath time hypoallergenic This is the stuff that Kelly attributes Remember some of the confusion we had With the whole is she allergic to apples things or would break out? When we switched from the Johnson's to the baby dove cleared perfect skin So maybe sensitive skin not Apple not Apple sensitive Not allergic.

3:27 Why are we using this stuff? I don't know. Do we grow out of sensitive skin? I don't think so I am I don't I don't think sensitive. Yeah, I'm crying when I I I'm emotional. Yes, but that this is that is the stuff. So it is baby dove sensitive skincare Baby wash four point eight out of five stars on Amazon. Awesome. Not cheap 14 bucks for that. That's why we don't use them I'm like I go to the dollar store To get myself I use every soap. Yeah job is great though. Yeah, they know what that stuff I don't know how how Kelly discovered it, but that's that's the that's the hot setup. Yeah, they know what they're doing So there's that now the pad over there you can pick that up So this is very important to see if you can guess what this is Okay, should I open it?

4:12 Yeah, okay It's for the bath time, huh bath time Doesn't get wet these are Okay, it doesn't get wet part of another part of it does but not these accessories are not just for baby. Oh Oh For your knees, that's exactly right for your knees. I forgot you as a parent you're washing the baby on your knees So that is it is a combination I didn't bring the other part down because it's installed on our tub But basically this that that product is the comfortable baby bath kneeler and elbow rest pad set Oh my god, so much sense memory foam baby bathtub cushion It's available on the toodly.

4:56 T-o-o-d-l-y the toodly store on Amazon 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,800 reviews 42 bucks. So it's that piece and then you'll see I'll put up a picture I don't think she doesn't do that. So you just flip that open put it down Uh-huh, you kneel on that and then there's a thing that goes over the the side of the tub for your ribs For your hands and stuff and then it has a little pocket for a little like storage for Bath toys or things like that and and then it so it's padded on both sides So you're not leaning on the way what you used to get me is we have the bath That has the glass doors That I used to have to go over it.

5:40 Yeah, kill my ribs. I'm like, oh my god That's exactly what we have So the bathtub that we use we use our kind of our guest bath and it has the sliding door So that that thing covers it and it works great. No, so that that's another very awesome popular That's awesome popular with Kelly. Yeah, then you could do that guy next You can unfurl it Unfurl it. So this I think is very Adorable. So obviously that's the working side if you flip it over. It looks like mr. Frog mr. Frog. So that is the joy Cano j-o-y c-a-n-o bath mat for tub Non-slip baby 30 inch by 18 inch bathtub mat.

6:21 That's awesome So we have the sections on the bottom so it doesn't get right to the bottom and then the baby sits there and isn't sliding Slide around and slipping away Look cute. And yeah, four point. I'm sorry four point five out of five stars 180 reviews 19 bucks Works late late. So the tub has some like non Like non skid on the bottom, but this is way better. Yeah, you can and it's a little froggy So good for us Every once in a while in the shower, I do a little you know, we like our whiskey sometimes a little shower drink So there's that and then that goes with mr. Matt. So that is the little foot nation Fun heavy-duty bathtub stopper for kids So it just covers the water for the drain.

7:09 Yeah, so four point six out of five stars like that But now pick that thing up $11 What do you think that? That should be $3.99. It probably cost like a dollar cost not a dollar. This is 11 cents. Yeah $11 11 bucks. This is it. The next time we do check, please all this stuff is gonna be in there and Yeah It's crazy and then the last thing there it is It's a little blowfish and he squirts It's a little bath toy, but it is part of a set Of course, so the set is the munchkin baby bath toy squirts for babies and toddlers.

7:53 It's an 8-pack So there's that guy and a bunch of others but mr. Blowfish is the favorite or puffer fish, I guess I'm not sure. I would love baths if we can just have toys in there Oh, you know, why did that stop? Let's keep playing in the bathtub. I don't think I did You have toys in the bathroom toys Toys in the toys. Yeah. No, we didn't have any of that We played I swear to God this sounds so horrible as as I recall it as my parents We at one time we played. Do you remember a thing called house when you played house? Yes, right Yeah, I played adults or whatever you wanna.

8:34 Well, we would play house and then we'd also play house with Dolls, but we didn't have dolls. So we used screwed screws and like Remember you telling this story Bad this was I think my experience would have probably been much like yours if it hadn't been for my adult siblings Right got me cool stuff. Gotcha Because if it was up to my parents, it probably bad time toys would be screws. Yeah thrown into the water with us Yeah, that was people probably thinking what the hell are you talking about screws Yeah, like yeah, there would be like little screws and there'd be people we would play with the play school things except more dangerous That's a Natural selection at work.

9:28 So anyway, those are some of the highlights of bath time with baby Josie all this could be yours for $600 Time is very expensive But no that stuff really helps. So we have that and that was our crash test daddy Don't miss any of the fun subscribe on YouTube. Follow us on Facebook Instagram and tick-tock one of the things that I mentioned this to Kelly earlier We've talked about the Aiko Puka Cloud the pink cloud that we put on the shopping cart. Yes Yes One of the things that I'm now entertained by is I think because it's so you know She's little and the shopping cart is wide and this thing covers the whole thing and now it's so soft and comfy She just sleeps now Baby, Josie does the north side lean?

10:19 And I Said that she's like what what's the north side? Yeah, but I don't know if that's just a Syracuse But so the when we were growing up or when we were young Yeah, we would call it the north side mean where everybody be driving around left hand on the wheel right hand like right elbow on the center But so now she kind of does that I Always I don't straighten her up because it's just look so cute. Yeah, it's kind of hanging out there. So funny So she does the north side lean which I think is really cute So that we have that going on the other thing I think that is very interesting Rumpel Went to so rumple is the smaller of our two dogs and older of our two dogs Rumpel has some some medical issues That she's he goes to the vet for and she just went for a normal checkup and I think mostly due to baby lit weaning Rumpel has gained.

11:24 I think she said she gained two pounds Her last weigh-in now before we got Watson Rumpel was 32 pounds and A little doughy the vet would be like, you know, she could lose a little weight Then we got Watson who's so much bigger and younger and was playing she runs around 32 to 38 pounds Solid muscle. Yeah, when you feel she's not luxurious She's cute, oh, yeah, but she's solid expecting very soft. Yeah, she looks like a stuffed animal It's like picking up a ham. Yeah, it's like she's there So now she's put on a couple pounds she's two pounds up and it you and Immediately Kelly was like, well, we've been doing she has an interesting relationship with my daughter their best friend Oh, yeah, as soon as the baby is done with whatever it is She's like she leans over the side of her her high chairs like where's the dog?

12:24 Unfortunately, that's probably never gonna end. No that little love between the dog You know, yeah, I look forward to seeing their relationship blossom you pork dogs gonna be a hundred pounds, but it's cute There'll be a rolling around the house. So there's that we have had Which I'm not I'm know it's like it's completely normal But we have had the arrival of a couple interesting fears for baby Josie Yeah, two weeks ago was me. Well, that's true. But you did much better today. Everything came up for dinner Crying and today was that was good. So took your advice. Yeah, remember when I used to come in into dogs I was down down. Yeah, and then they'll get everything Nothing.

13:05 Yep. You also did the thing I think that was that was smart When you came for dinner was you didn't really pay attention, right? I think there is there is female wiring at the heart of my daughter That's like there's a man and we had to get he's not paying attention to me Right, like I get that all the time like when I'm working during the day the baby's with Carrie I'm down in my office. I come up for lunch and I purposely let her hear me Yeah, but I don't go where she sees me and then when I show up I get the big I'm gonna play hard-to-get. I'm not gonna be like yeah, right in your face worked like a charm. It was like hey What am I chopped liver over here?

13:47 Come on. Look, I smile a lot and then she was smiling. Yeah No, we did very well with that, but the fear it's funny so do you remember this is I think a really weird thing Did the boys have anything that they all of a sudden when they were little were afraid of I'm sure that I'm not remembering But what do you have? maybe that'll so the thing that has happened with me is so what one of the things we do in the morning is When I have the baby before Carrie gets here I've got about an hour and a half from when I take the baby to when Carrie shows up Okay, and usually that part of the morning. I'll prepare her bottles and we'll do this stuff together So I'll have her in her in the baby carrier and I call it her jump seat She's in her jump seat and we're doing stuff.

14:34 So I'll make a salad You know, I'll make a salad. I'll prep whatever I'm gonna make for dinner and she's there So this one time I've been trying to be more like we sadly we blow money on Like instead of buying a bag of onions and chop on up onions for a salad We buy like the container of diced on you which yeah Which I do the same thing in my wife's like why do you buy this stuff? It's rich chop it up because it's so easy and fast, right? So but we got I wanted to get a better food processor. I got a food processor Okay, okay, we are we are the same person we were very Can we take our food processor out?

15:18 Because I've been seeing all these things put it on the car because if it's not on the car, you know Yeah, so I get the thing so it has the different doesn't it chops it slices. It's great It's all that stuff. So I'm using it to very quickly Slice up chop up the onions. So I get I buy a bag of onions. I feel like I'm being like a pioneer See like doing it the old-fashioned way, I'm not gonna spend the money on the stupid You know on the $6 little can point size container of chopped onions that goes bad instantly So I do that I start doing it and she all of a sudden hates She started a sound shit as soon as I started As soon as I started running it and I was like batch feeding a couple chunk of onion Did not like it started crying Does not like it now to the point that if I take it out if she sees it Yeah, she does not like it does not like it So there's there's that so she's a little bit afraid of the the food processor Which makes it a lot harder to be economical, but it's okay So I got that then the other thing that has come up which I think it's kind of it's cute Because it's not a big thing yet.

16:37 And I and also Kelly's reaction to it. I think it's cute. Okay, she has started to show Mommy separation anxiety. Oh, really like when when when Kelly passes the baby off to me and goes into another room she watches where she makes the She kind of makes the apprehensive sound when she leaves in the morning She makes it now. It's an instant recovery. So I'm like, hey, I'm right here. We start doing stuff and she's fine, but That and we were talking about that and I can see the Kelly's reaction to it. I'm like, wow, this is new like she's like, yeah, that's that's kind of cute She said what I thought was funny was she attributed it immediately to her hitting a milestone early She's like separation anxiety usually starts at nine months.

17:31 So she's a little ahead But you could also see yes. Yeah, you could also see that. She's like, yeah like yep She doesn't do it with you takes it in. Yeah, she's like and I can one on that Yeah, I completely like I get you give it to you. Oh, yeah, that's that's her like that's awesome. How about How about the vacuum cleaner Nope, she actually she loves like when Bridget is here cleaning Carrie will follow she wants Carrie to follow. Yeah Yeah, she likes it. Hmm, and I use power like I use power tools stuff. She didn't know nothing Never know. I got a sander. I'll go in the other day. She's looking at like it's just maybe it's just new I don't know.

18:13 So I'm not used to the sander was new So, I mean everything's new for her so but yeah, no, it's just a weird thing with the with the Maybe she just doesn't like Cuisinart. I should have got the KitchenAid. I don't know So but yeah, so there's that I don't I don't remember. I'm sure there was something that the kids freaked out about My mind wants to say vacuum, but I don't think I think I'm just thinking that I was trying to remember there were things when I was a kid that I was afraid I don't remember. I remember when I was living in Italy my brother Got loved horses, and they gave him a toy horse and this actual horse Stood about this high.

19:00 Okay, and the legs moved. Okay Okay, and I was petrified of this thing really coming at me. I would just freak out It's so that's you know, it's funny as you mentioned this I do remember something but it wasn't it was an image more than a thing Okay, I was Terrified terrified of back then my sisters had LP vinyl records and the image on the Jethro Tull album Aqualung I can picture you picture that absolutely I was terrified of aqualung It was right you with that picture.

19:44 I know they were they were never crew. We did that. I have a story after years But no, I just remember if I happened to see it like it was so cousin Eddie Rockstar Eddie Yeah painter Eddie. Yeah, same person all three when he was young he was He couldn't even you couldn't even say the word Ozzy Bark at the moon when he's like, oh, yeah, we would give it to him and he was He could be robbing a bank and you go I see you'd be like, I'm sorry you run out I mean, it was better than I'm gonna call the cops. I'm gonna tell your mother Get Ozzy that's hilarious pick up the album.

20:25 It was so funny. That's what I just thought of something about that horse story About this thing moving it the horse and then it kind of makes sense because growing up in the 70s Dogs were never on leashes. Yeah, so I was definitely afraid of I couldn't I couldn't walk down the street Really if I saw it didn't matter what size if they were a loose dog and Getting bit in the face didn't help you. Yeah, that's right But I don't know if that has anything to do with that that horse goes back to the toy horse. Yes That's interesting So anyway, so there was that We we had Halloween happen.

21:09 Yes, and so we we put on our little outfits We talked about in the last episode I said you thought you were gonna go to your sister's So our neighbor across the street Sandy who's very nice That told us to stop over so we stopped over there On our way and she had a little bag of goodies for the baby and for us as well And we checked in with her. She has her grandson who was coming over. She was dressed up like Minnie Mouse It was very nice. So we popped in there and then we went over to Paul and obvious I was not feeling well, but we visited with Paula for a while and Paula I'm a better for I say auntie Paula. I think of course And how we we so we checked in she got to see that and then for some reason or another We ended up letting letting baby Josie try Kiwi There for the first she had okay, and she loved Kiwi and now that's a another thing that she eats So we just cut it in half and she just kind of like digs it out So you have to go to like you have to do the whole because it was raining that day We just we didn't do the actual We went there.

22:19 I took some of my sister's candy and we hung out there for a while For Halloween, were you like scary Halloween costumes or was it just because I me? Yeah Like the devil None of that. Okay. Yeah, it's always like I always wanted to either be Batman Thanks. Yeah, or like Captain Kirk because there's like that evil aspect I don't remember one year during the there was during the gas crisis. I was a sheik Probably wouldn't be allowed anymore. No, but yeah, no, I never did any I was never into scary stuff.

23:03 Yeah I don't I don't get into snow movies. No, none of that. Halloween's not really never It's great when you have kids You are a kid, I guess from a from an economic perspective Halloween is on a trajectory to eclipse Christmas Really? Yep It's it's it's I know that I think another sign of the end times coming But this is the first year in a long time treat and I went out to dinner on Halloween and kind of And again, it was raining it was not a great year kids have stopped coming anyways, yeah Yeah, we're like, okay rain and the way it's been going the last 10 years.

23:49 No one's coming to the house So we're like, you know what let's and we don't have the kids and that we're empty nesters Yeah, so we're you know, we went to try a new restaurant. That's it. That's okay. You can come with us next year That's right. Oh, yeah, we used to do that, too That's fun, too. So there was our neighborhood. Oh, yeah, we can all yeah. Yeah, we could do that cool So we talked about we had dinner with the godparents. Yeah, I think you're we that worked very well We had a nice dinner. We got to talk about it was fun. I got to read you My project I'm telling you once you get this project. It's gonna treat and I were in the car uh-huh, and we're like It's gonna she's like this It's amazing what he couldn't come up with. Yeah, I've been amazed for 40 It's gonna be fun.

24:32 I think so. We haven't talked about this part of it, but Eventually, I will be talking about it. So so we talked about the the mouse house and the mouse house made me think about Well, you made me think about making Something more Yeah kind of create maybe creating a kit so that people who wanted to have a little mouse house in the nursery for their kid they Could do that and I was thinking about different ways I could do that and then I thought well, you know How it's kind of hard to market and how would you do it? And then I thought well, you know if there was a some kind of a Character that you could associate with it and I and my Carrie told me about Told me about some stories that were big for Christmas for her kids and it got me thinking I thought you know I could write a little story So I am working on I actually just had contact today.

25:28 I'm super excited with an illustrator I found an illustrator whose work is absolutely beautiful. Awesome. She is in Vienna. There's all kinds. It's interesting I mean the sausage. Yes, the sausages are fantastic But I've been going back and forth an email with her and and if boy if I could get her I have no idea how expensive it would be but the story is written it's a Christmas story and I want it to be like an illustrated picture book a children's book and If I can find a good illustrator, I'm gonna try to self-publish excited for you I am I'm super excited. It's been a lot. I was like learning and I'm learning all kinds of things about Printing and publishing and all that stuff.

26:08 So we'll see what happens, but You'll be hearing a lot more of this We'll talk about it a lot because this will be a one of the many marketing vehicles. You'll be hearing this a lot and Bye. Bye merchandise Christmas 2026, you can show people and yes and how it all makes sense together. Yes Yeah, that's the best part I think the the Element of it the low effort elf on the shelf. I love on the shelf I neither Kelly nor I I've never done it have any interest in doing it. I was like it doesn't first of all and I it seems It seems like a lot of work Right just to do it Memory work.

26:51 Yeah I just learned this is the 20th anniversary of the Elf on the Shelf 20. Yep It's been around for 20 years. I feel like it was like seven years ago well, they so this was I don't know the names but the Elf on the Shelf was written by a Mother and daughter. Okay, they went to every publisher in the world and everybody said no, thanks couldn't get it done They published it themselves the whole Beatles story and they started selling Basically at like craft fairs and stuff like that direct to consumer They weren't even selling it on the internet just direct to consumer selling a different things Do you know what made the Elf on the Shelf take off?

27:35 Was it a show? No, what made it? Did some president have it? It was a star Jennifer Garner Right. She apparently was photographed by a paparazzi and had a copy of the Elf on the Shelf book in her hand and She has such a following on social media with Instagram and people looked into that people asked about it Started getting chatter on on the internet and they got ended up getting an interview on the Today Show Wow, and it just blew up from there And it just that's all it took was Jennifer.

28:15 We didn't even know If you're out there, please pick up this book Send you a copy of my book and just please be photographed We're gonna have to have uncle Louie photographed with one of his head But yeah, it's like that's how it that's how it happened Wow It got that's how it blew up and it kind of looks like the Elf on the Shelf Kind of reminds us something that you would make and crap like you would make that elf yourself It looked like it was a handmade. Yeah, I mean eventually now it's like a whole thing Like they have a website you go you order the book It comes in a box set and you can order you either want a boy elf or a girl elf and they can have brown Eyes or blue eyes. He's So it's very very detailed, but it's their 20 now.

28:56 They have a whole website and all kinds of other products It's called Christmas world. I just remember parents going. Oh my god. I forgot and my daughter my son good And I'm like, yeah, it's a lot of work, bro There's two things it's a lot of work Yeah, and it also makes you like I don't like the idea that he's watching the children It's a little creepy. Yeah, and I can see some parents leaning on that like all the Elf is gonna see it if you're bad Ozzy's coming. Yeah, but yeah, so Anyway, so there's that project that will that will be coming But other than that, that is that is everything we are a lot of stuff that happened Yeah, a lot of stuff that is going on but all good stuff.

29:38 Yeah so thanks again for making it all the way to the end with us and We hope we'll see you Well folks, that's another episode of the gray hair and daycare podcast in the books Thanks very much for tuning in and spending this time with us. We hope it was fun If you enjoyed this week's descent into the madness of dadness be sure to subscribe to the podcast So you don't miss any of our future adventures while you're at it Give us a like and share the cast with your friends on Facebook Instagram Twitter carrier pigeon, whatever you crazy kids are using Have any hilarious parenting stories of your own questions about navigating fatherhood later in life or even when normal people do it email us at ghdc.podcast at gmail.com We'd love to hear from you.

30:26 And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going