Last week we put out the call to our readers for questions from our readers. Questions about what? Well, anything, really. We had no idea what to expect, but the bottom line is that we've got some great questions that really run the gamut from serious to zany. Which is generally how we like things around here. We had a lot to choose from, so thanks to everyone who sent questions in.
So here's our first batch of questions! Remember if you'd like to ask something, just email AskGeekDad at gmail dot com or reply to us on Twitter @askgeekdad.
And here we go!
We're Expecting Twins--What Kind of Monitors Should We Get (If Any At All)?
Mike: In October I will be a brand new father of not one but two children. I love my technology but haven't yet started to do the research on baby monitors. Since you offered, I figured I'd take you up on it. Two real questions: 1 - should I even buy a baby monitor and 2 - if yes, which one? Below are the details on our situation.
Live in the city of Chicago in an early 1900 building with 7 other units (and not a lot of soundproofing between the floors). We have a 1500 square foot three bedroom condo (all on one floor) and the babies' room (they will both be in one) is closest to the living room and furthest from our bedroom. However, overall distance, as you might expect is not that significant, hence the question of if I really need one.
We currently have a Panasonic DECT phone and a wireless router on the 2.4Ghz spectrum. So we'll need to avoid the 2.4 Ghz spectrum unless I upgrade the router (which needs upgrading because it has a high pitched squeal - seriously - what's that about?).
I believe in finding the best value when tech shopping... In this case I think all I need is for it to broadcast the babies' noises and preferably only to our receiver not the neighbor's cordless phone. Are there other bells and whistles I should be looking for? Video seems really cool but not sure the price makes sense.
Corinna: Congratulations on the being a father two-times over all at once. My own twins are going to be eleven years old in June. As a result, my technical knowledge about baby monitors is a little out of date.
But on Question 1: Should I even buy a baby monitor?
I say YES. Emphatically. This is because with two babies, there are going to be times when one of them will demand your complete attention. This includes times when they spit up on your or you're bathing one of them...basically, any time you need two hands for one baby and the other baby is in the crib, out of sight.
Because it's inevitable that one baby will fuss when you're tending the other. If you have a baby monitor, you can at least have some idea if it's normal fussing or a real emergency of some sort.
There will also be times when you're so exhausted that you might sleep through the crying. Keeping the monitor close ensures that you can hear the crying through your exhaustion. At least, most of the time. :)
I'd also highly recommend a portable playpen of some sort. I know it seems redundant with cribs and in such a small space but it's a safe place to put one or both babies down within eyesight when you have a task that demands two hands, such as fixing dinner.
On the tech side, I got along just fine with a basic audio monitor.
Good luck and, again, congratulations!
So, Seriously--If You Use Poison Dart Frog Poison to Kill Your Prey, Why Don't You Die From Eating It?
Martin: As a Stay at Home Dad My kid and I spend a lot of time at the Museum of Life and Science. The last time we were there we were lucky enough to see them feeding the Poison Dart Frogs. I asked the lady who was doing the feeding this question and they did not know the answer, so I put it to you...
If you use the poison of the Poison Dart Frog to kill your prey, then consume said prey for dinner, why don't you then die from the poison? If this poison is so potent it can kill several people I would have thought that there would be enough left in the prey animal to cause you harm, but since the tribes in South America have been using this for eons it is obviously safe. How?
Curtis: The frog with the highest concentration and deadliest poison is the Phyllobates terribilis (actually one of three Phyllobates frogs), generally found in the rainforests of South America. While the frog kills anything that eats it, it's poison is routinely used by the Embera Indians of western Colombia as the extra special ingredient in blow gun darts. To understand how they are able to then eat the animals killed by the toxin, we have to understand the toxin itself.
The toxin is a steroid alkaloid, batrachotoxin. The toxin is nearly an instant killer, attacking the central nervous system and causing paralyzation and heart failure. The poison prevents nerves from electrically transmitting to muscles. But it does have a weakness. Maximum activity for the toxin runs at about 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.)
British naval Captain Charles Stuart Cochrane (1) wrote in his journal while travelling through Columbia in 1823-24, “A tiger when hit, runs ten or a dozen yards, staggers, becomes sick, and dies in four or five minutes. A bird is killed as with a bullet; and the arrow and wounded part of the flesh being cut out, the reminder is eaten without danger.” I'm guessing they probably cooked the meat first. Since the tribes of South America don't keep very detailed records, there is no real way to tell if any untimely deaths have been caused by not properly handling the toxin.
Additional fun fact: the frogs don't make their own toxin. They eat beetles, insects and plants which contain the poison. The frogs just store it up because of a genetic immunity. The same frogs, raised in a zoo or captivity rather than the rain forest, aren't poisonous at all.
(1) Cochrane, Capt. Charles Stuart 1825. Journal of a residence and travels in Colombia during the years 1823-1824. In two volumes. London, Henry Colburn, vol. 1, xvi + pp. 524.; vol. 2, xvii + pp. 517.
Anonymous: My son is 7, and I don't know how to draw a line for him about violent play. He'll have his Bionicles etc. attack each other, and if I'm not monitoring it, heads and limbs get sliced off, and so on. I worry that if I don't set limits, it will get more out of hand, darker, creepier. Yet I don't know where to set a line that's not too "babyish." I've struggled with this for several years, and still haven't found a comfortable solution. But I trust GeekDad to give me more relevant advice than most parenting magazines.
Matt: I have a nine-year-old boy, and I've been in your shoes a lot the past few years. It's tough to see your kid, who in your mind is still sweet and innocent, creating play scenarios that challenge that image. I find a useful way to deal with this feeling of shattered innocence is to remember that when I was his age I did the same thing, and I've become a reasonably well-adjusted adult.
That being said, you shouldn't ignore the way he plays, either. It's to be expected that geek kids will pretend to have a lightsaber duel with a friend, or have a laser gun battle. In most cases, there's really nothing to worry about unless your child starts to take things past the usual quick "death" to something really disturbing like torture or sadism. If his pretend play starts to go that far, it might be prudent to do something, but be careful how you do it. Simply forbid him to do something and he's likely to want to do it even more, so it's probably a better idea to have a frank discussion with him, explaining that cruelty is never OK, even in a war. If you're open with him about it, and answer any questions he has, he's more likely to internalize the message you're trying to get across. If you can, try to put a positive spin on it, talking about the values you consider important as a family, and why — talking about it only from the negative side is more likely to stir the rebellious streak all kids have.
Think of this as preparation for when he's a teenager, and will start to do things specifically because he knows you don't want him to. Wait to react until there's something that really requires intervention, because otherwise you risk encouraging him to rebel even more.
