Category Archives: Child Development

As a Doctor of Physical Therapy, I see everyone through my clinical lens no matter how much I try not to. So, of course, I have little daddy freak out moments as I observe my kid (and others) grow.

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August 28, 2016

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Child Development, It's A Phase...

A Wedding and A Surfboard

So…! It’s been pretty busy. There is constantly stuff I want to share. Honestly, I’m starting to consider switching my format into a video blog vs. written content. Two reasons: (1) it’s faster, and, (2) it’s just faster. LOL! If you’re a parent… you get it. Which reminds me of a funny thing I saw on Facebook re: people saying they are “Tired” & don’t have kids.

And, in case you want a quick laugh, check this one out. Nathan cannot get enough & will dance exactly like it!

Okay. Enough distractions. On to the post!

So, my best man got married! CRAZY. Haha, it all went so fast. I found out. Three months later. Boom. Married. I also had the pleasure of being his wedding MC. I probably should’ve jabbed a bit more at him; but, honestly, I prefer weddings to be clean, joyous, and a pure celebration. No need for shenanigans… no matter how socially expected it may be.

All to say, seeing my best man married got me thinking about my boy. In as possibly quick as 15 years, he could get married. That, was a daunting thought. It means I have 15 years to make sure he turns into an honorable, kind, caring, self sufficient, and socially contributory man.

I am VERY glad I have my wife in this quest. After all, she is a #HeroWife.

In addition to that big development, I also recently took up surfing.

See… years ago, I was a hardcore surfer. I mean, when the surf advisory was up, that means I was out surfing that nonsense. There were waves I rode that I had no business even thinking about. Many times, I’d come out of these obscure local spots where only a few people were looking on. After I was done, people would shake my hand and tell me I did great.

I was all confused. They were just waves. That was, until I turned around… and, saw the MONSTERS I was riding. Surfers were like little dots. And, I was one of those dots!

Ultimately, back in 2009 or early 2010, I went out to one of my favorite spots. Unfortunately, things went poorly. Tide went out, reef got exposed, and the waves jacked up 50% higher than anyone was prepared for. I sat there, bobbing around and dodging huge waves… wondering if I would ever get back in. Plus, we were getting swept out to the kelp beds due to the current. NOT GOOD.

After that time, I basically quit surfing. I felt it was too selfish of me to go on doing stuff like that.

Well… this summer, one of my best buds dragged me back into the water. The water temperature in San Diego was 75 degree F… warmer than the air temperature, many mornings and evenings.

Suffice to say, surfing is back in my life. And, it’s really nice to be back in the water. It’s also nice to feel like a smarter/wiser surfer. I feel I’m actually better at surfing now, even after taking such a long break. I think what has changed is that I’m much more judicious of the water conditions and the waves I go for. I need to be safe as much as I need to be having fun.

It’s not about me, anymore.

What connects surfing and fatherhood came when I started noticing a LOT of dads taking their kids out to learn how to surf. It spanned all ages; from 7-8yo to mid-teens. It was really cool to see. The kids were TALENTED, too. Now, other than teaching Nathan about the world at large and introducing him to martial arts… I can’t wait to take him surfing!

Oh, it was also kinda cool to see this blog on Top Dad Bloggers, again!

And, this…

Yup. #dadblogger #parentingblogger #Snapchat #starwars #starwarsfan #chewbacca

A video posted by Ben Fung (aka @DrBenFung) (@daddyintheraw) on

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April 15, 2016

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Child Development, It's A Phase...

Joy And Sadness

So, as you can imagine, the 1st week away from home… working in clinic full time (for just that week) was rather “life changing” for my family. Rather, it was changing in terms of the fact that my being gone shuffled EVERYTHING around. And, it accentuated certain parenting patterns.

During one our play times last week, I realized from tussling with him along with a reaffirming conversation with my wife… that I am truly Joy & Sadness to my boy.

Whenever I get a chance, I try to play and be as happy as possible. So, whenever I’m stern… it MEANS something. My wife takes the brunt of the disciplinary presence… remorse comes from me… she get’s anger and resentment from our son.

*sighs*

I suppose that’s just how it kind of “is.” It’s a bit emotionally tragic as Nathan basically gets the “best” and “worst” emotions from me. It’s a huge responsibility. When I rebuke him, it basically shatters his soul. But, if I don’t, then we reinforce bad behaviors. For the moment, I guess this is how things are going to go down. Hopefully… it’s just a phase & these toddler emotions will even out.

Until then… I remain yours, emotionally dynamic…

Joy/Sad/Dad–dyInTheRaw

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March 5, 2016

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Child Development

W-Sitting

As a Physical Therapist, child development in terms of physical health and muscle movement comes very naturally to my clinical eye.

W-sitting scares the crap out of me.

From the perspectives of joint positioning and stress forces: It’s the equivalent of a reverse heel hook in BJJ… the worst of the leg locks in terms of destructive power to the knee and ankle joints.

While I hate seeing W-Sitting, I know it’s not the WORST thing in the world. At the same time, it’s one of those things where healthcare providers are taught to LOOK OUT FOR!

Here’s one perspective:

If You Ever See Your Kids Sitting Like This, Be Sure To Stop Them. This Is Why…

And yet, here’s another perspective from one of my favorite pediatric PTs. So… maybe it’s a problem. Maybe it isn’t so bad. So long as it doesn’t cause HARM… then, we’re okay.

My final take on the matter is this: If you can get your kid to stop it, do it. If they seem hell bent on w-sitting, it may be worth to have them checked out — and, after — if there really isn’t any red flags, it may not be worth a battle royale for… just so long as it doesn’t last too long. For this, my guess is that your parenting instincts will take over.

If anything, I’ve seen my kiddos cousins, playmates, and even other children in the playground up to age 7, 8, and 9 demonstrate W-Sitting. None of theme seem to have self destructed or demonstrated developmental issues.

So, again, just so long as no harm is done & your parental instincts aren’t waving red flags… your kiddo should be fine.

Also, remember my thoughts on seeking a professional eye??? Boom.

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February 1, 2016

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Child Development, It's A Phase...

Beating the Binky

So, we weren’t the most disciplined going into age 2 with dealing with the “binky.” He really relied on it a lot during the teething stages. And, well… life. So, we weren’t disciplined. We chose not to. Eh.

However, come early January, our entire family caught the flu. We were all sick for 2 weeks. In fact, Nathan even got an ear infection. Funny enough, all this got us to beat the binky, coooooooold turkey. This is how it went down: