An Interview With Daddy Simply: Martial Arts, Sleep For Kids, & Seaweed
Daddy Simply is a blog which was started by Patrick, a father raising a son in Korea. The blog covers everything from issues of raising a biracial child to stress management techniques, to fitness. He writes,
”We believe that being a dad is anything but simple, but with our unique
blend of insights, experiences, and a dash of dad humor, we aim to make
your fatherhood adventure a little more manageable and a lot more fun.”
Patrick is also a weekly contributor to the Good Men Project and he was chosen as the 48th best Dad blog on Feedspot.
Patrick gave me insights on the benefits of eating seaweed, the best martial arts to start with, and how to get kids to do chores.
5 Questions For Patrick From Daddy Simply
1. I discovered edible seaweed shortly before my son was born and now we like eating it as a snack. I see that this is on your list of kid-approved healthy snacks. Can you talk about the benefits of seaweed?
Seaweed snacks offer great benefits for kids that can't be overlooked.
Most seaweed snacks have vitamins and minerals, they support healthy
growth and development. The high fiber content aids digestion, while
omega-3 fatty acids promote optimal brain development. As a low-calorie
and nutritious snack option, seaweed treats are a parent's dream come
true. Also, the natural antioxidants enhance the immune system, and the
presence of calcium and magnesium promotes strong bones. There are many
varieties of snacks with seaweed in them, so simply read the back to see
if they are deep-fried or not. Some are more geared towards a chip-like
snack which would not be as wholesome as the regular seaweed sheets.
In our home, we often wrap our white rice with seaweed as well for a
meal. Seriously, if you're searching for a wholesome and tasty snack for
your little ones, reach for seaweed snacks and let them enjoy the
benefits. It's a common treat here in Korea, and it's also eating in
soups and as side dishes as well. Check it out!
(Brian: if you’re intrigued enough, here’s a good one to start with.)
2. I like your approach to getting kids to do chores early. What are
some of the strategies you suggest to get kids eager to help?
As for my son, we started very small with his chore list. From the age
of 5 or so, we started giving him chores to do such as: making his bed,
picking up his toys, getting the wet laundry from the machine, watering
plants, help us with sweeping, dusting, and many others.
Our approach was not to make it an "I don't want to do it kind of job' but more like
a 'let's help each other out' kind of technique. Sure, he sometimes did
not want to do it with us, but overall he's been very helpful around the
house and when he does well we give him a 'good job' sticker on our
chore chart. When he accumulates a certain amount of stickers, he can
get a small gift which is always the same gift... a pack of Pokemon
cards.
3. I’m excited to get my kids started in martial arts. Of all of the different types, what do you suggest they start with?
Well, we live in Korea, so needless to say that we started him in Taekwondo, the
national martial art, here. He's been doing it for about 2 years. We
started him when he was only 4.5 years old. As soon as he finished his
kindergarten class we walked him to his dojo across the street. Cool
stuff. On Tuesdays, they do jump rope competitions and on Wednesdays,
they integrate Dodgeball fun into their workouts.
As for me, I've done JiuJitsu back when I was 10 years old or so and
I've dabbled in Hapkido here in Korea as well as getting my black belt
in Pro-Kickboxing in 2004 here. I can't speak for kids around the world
but I do personally think that Taekwondo brings an all-around incredible
workout for the younger crowd as well as build confidence along with
great self-defense techniques. Taekwondo is a respected Olympic sport
and brings with it a great way to build a solid foundation for strength
and flexibility. I might be a little bias too.
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4. You and I write about sleep a lot, underlining the importance it plays
in our life. What are some lesser-known strategies you use to improve
quality sleep?
I love sleeping! We all do. But I'm also an early bird...so ever since I
was a little boy I used to wake up uber-early. My mother was a nurse and
woke up before 6am during her shifts. I guess that made me the early
bird I am today.
So, with that said, I really want my son to follow in daddy's footsteps
and be diligent in waking up early in morning to workout or study...
He's only 6.5 years old now so I don't expect him to come to the gym
with me at 5:30am but I do expect him to head to bed early. We
implemented a great routine ever since he was an infant with a strict
sleep-early mindset. He's in bed at 7:45pm most weeknights and after
reading a book or two and chit chat about his day, he's usually sleeping
before 8:30pm. He wakes up at 7:30am for school most mornings thus giving
him the importance of 'that' 11 hours of sleep that doctors talk about
for kids.
I'm not a tall guy at 5'8" so I want my son to be much taller than me.
After reading that sleep plays a big part in children's growth, I made
sure that my 'routine' to put him down early worked wonders and stays in
place as long as we can make stay. He's never fussed about going to bed
early, even in summertime, while the sun is still up.
To improve out quality of sleep, we black out our windows as much as
possible. Here in Korea, light pollution is a real thing. It doesn't get
'pitch dark' like in the countryside or small towns. The lights from
neon signs, neighbours or cars play a big part in our REM, deep sleep,
so I black out my son's bedroom with hanging a blanket above his
curtain. Yes, you read that right. It makes it pitch black which gives
him deeper sleep. That's one good reason he sleeps all those hours.
My wife and I sleep in our bedroom and its curtains are dark-coloured
which helps tremendously. After writing on Daddysimply.com and putting
in work on my blog I usually go to sleep at 10ish and wake up at 510am
for a workout.
Just a little inside note. Although my son is 6.5 I always put on
lullabies for him. It soothes the night and it's an easy way to tell him
'It's sleepy time buddy!' Works wonders. I also have my own Youtube
lullaby channel I made for him.
5. In your book you write about the importance of the ever-stressful morning routine with kids. What are some of the strategies that you've found to be most successful?
So according to what's going on in our home, this is what works all the
time.
1. Wake up 1 hour before departure
2. Shower at night(kids)
3. Make sure that all bags, and clothes are ready to go in the morning.
Hack! Purchase this hanging shoe rack from Amazon. Don’t use it for
shoes, use it to prep your child’s clothes. Roll up their outfits for each day of the week and place those clothes in each opening. The top one starts on Monday and work your way down to Friday or Sunday, all up to you. Boom! Do this on Sunday evenings and now your kid is dressed right through Friday without wearing the same thing twice. Awesomeness!
4. Make sure the child goes to bed early to get at least 10-11 hours of
shut-eye.
5. Keep breakfast dumb and not fun. It's not a hotel... Keep the fun
breakfast times for Sat/Sun with pancakes and other time-consuming stuff.
6. Know the precise time everyone should be at the door with their shoes
on. If everyone leaves at 8:30am well that's at the door...not looking
for their phones, or brushing their teeth.
7. For the parents...wake up at 5 am so you can get a workout in before
the kids wake up. You'll be in a great mood and that'll be passed down
to the kids prior to their school day.
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8. The first 3 minutes of a child's day... This is so CRUCIAL. Please
read here for more on this. I'm so obsessed with this 3min x3min in my son's day that my whole day revolves around this. So when it comes to the 3 min in the morning, your attitude will dictate his attitude for the rest of the day. Powerful and True. Try it out...
9. Coffee! I did not get into the coffee part in my book, but hey, we are
human and we need it! So get a coffee machine with a timer or make it as
simple as possible for yourself.
My routine is different from yours, but at the end of the day, we are
all parents. We want the best for our little ones and starting the day
on the right path is an exceptional way to (almost) guarantee your kids
a cheerful day. Just because YOU are having a bad morning, don't rub
that off on your kids, it'll reflect on their attitudes at school. Try
to purposely be happy in the morning although you detest this time of
day. Try waking up 2 hours earlier than anyone else. It's lovely! Make
it lovely! Stop watching Netflix until late at night and make your
mornings awesome... Remember~~Monkey See, Monkey Do... Kids are always
imitating.
If you want to learn more about Daddy Simply you can follow him on DaddySimply.com or his YouTube page. His book, Stories and Strategies for New Dads, is also available on Amazon.
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