Ep 32 Part 1: New Teeth, Getting Bit & Being Peed On, Fatherhood Advice for the Viral Age

Cheese on the Forehead: A Gen X Dad's Take on Viral Videos and Raising Kids

Welcome back to the Gray Hair & Daycare: Gen X Dad, Gen Beta Baby podcast! Frank and Carlo are here after a short break, jumping right into the thick of Dad life and the unique challenges of being older dads in the digital age.

Book Report (A.K.A. The Viral Video Debate)

Frank starts the episode with a segment he calls "Book Report," which, as always, isn't about a book but an online article. This time, it’s about a Guardian article titled, "Parents who film their children crying for clicks should have a good look at themselves".

The article critiques parents who post videos of their kids in distress for online attention. Frank and Carlo discuss the viral trend where a piece of American cheese is thrown at a crying baby's head, which often causes the baby to stop crying out of sheer confusion.

Frank, while admitting he finds the humor in life in the baby's reaction , acknowledges the columnist's valid point: exploiting a child's emotional state for clicks is questionable.

• The Consent Issue: Carlo points out that nearly every video taken of a child before they are old enough to protest is "without their consent".

• The Future Reckoning: The columnist raises the question of how the child will feel seeing this video later in life. Frank counters with a crucial piece of fatherhood advice: if you've done a good job raising kids, they'll look back and laugh because it was funny. However, if they are raised to be offended by "anything and everything," they might sue their parents for emancipation.

"If you convince them that they should be offended by anything and everything that people do to them, then they're going to want to take you to court and sue for emancipation at 12 years old".

The hosts agree on the importance of being mindful of what you put out there but draw the line at extremist views, such as an article Frank read suggesting parents should ask for their baby's consent before changing their diaper. Carlo humorously notes, "The smell is the consent".

I Was Wrong (Sort of): The Apple Test Results

In this segment, Frank is gleefully performing a "variation on our normal theme of I was wrong". This time, he was not wrong, and neither was Carlo.

In the last episode, Frank and his wife, Kelly, disagreed with the Physician’s Assistant (PA) about baby Josie possibly having an apple allergy. Frank was more skeptical, believing the rash was irritation, not hives. He pushed for a more scientific approach rather than eliminating the food entirely based on incomplete information.

• The Conclusion: Baby Josie has had plenty of apples since the last recording, and there have been no problems.

• The Real Favorites: Josie's favorite foods, introduced through baby-led weaning, seem to be tomatoes and a chickpea/garlic "hummus". She also enjoys salmon, zucchini, cucumber, and carrot.

What Just Happened: Developmental Milestones and Emotional Moments

Frank shares updates on Josie, who is now seven and a half months old.

• Growing Up Too Fast: Josie is physically stronger and developing quickly. Frank shares a bittersweet moment when, while giving her a bottle, he realized she no longer wanted to be held the way he used to hold her; she preferred to sit up in his lap. He misses that stage and feels the urgency of raising kids as a father: "Let's stop here for keep it like this for a month because it just goes by".

• Physical Milestones: Josie has been scooting backward during tummy time, the beginning of movement. She can also stand with support at her hips, suggesting she might skip crawling and go right to walking.

• New Teeth and a Bite: Josie now has two bottom teeth. Frank describes the new phenomenon of her grabbing his nose and biting down with those tiny teeth.

• The Soaked Dad: Frank shares a classic Dad life story of holding Josie in her bathrobe (no diaper) right before bath time and being "very directly and thoroughly peed on by my daughter". He notes the unconditional nature of being a dad, where you let your own child get away with things you'd never tolerate from anyone else.

Frank also mentions his first use of a new, cute shopping cart cover for babies, which he called out for having a plastic sleeve designed to hold a phone in front of the baby—a practice he finds concerning.

Frank and Carlo reflect on the continuing journey of fatherhood tips and how every stage brings new excitement and challenges.