On the subject of dads and kilts, I stand corrected--and with a cool, comfortable breeze between my legs. Utilikilts apparently mentioned my previous post--"Real men change diapers or wear kilts, but not both?"--in their recent He-man Pants-Hater's Club newsletter. The result: I've been getting mail from guys who tell me they can appreciate a tight swaddle just as much as a free-ballin' kilt. Here are some examples, along with the guys' minimum kilt/kid ratio:
Mark [3/1] - For the past eight months, I have been a stay at home dad. I live in Cincinnati (yeah, not the most liberal city in the world) and am starting to wear my kilts more and more. I have worn my kilts while taking myKeep'em coming, fellas, and may the wind always be at your back--and from above.
son to the zoo, to the Cincinnati Museum Center, and to the Newport Aquarium. So yes, I do carry sippy cups and other baby supplies in my kilt pockets. I have teething toys in there while I change my son's
diapers. I only regret that I don't yet have a baby-sized kilt to dress my son in for the overwhelming cuteness factor.There is one other utilikilted stay at home dad here in the greater Cincinnati area that I know, I'll see if he'll write to you too.
Ben [2/2+1 on the way] - What are you talking about Greg? Are you nuts? As a father I couldn't live without my UKs! Let me point out the following:
A) When my wife delieved there was a full moon, about 35 other women came in the same night and the ward was chaos. But, guess who was wearing his UK when we went to the hospital? For 3 days we were there, and EVERY SINGLE NURSE IN THE HOSPITAL knew exactly who I was. We got excellent service because while other dads stood there unnoticed in the hustle and bustled I stood right out. No matter what you think about kilts you have to admit one thing, people don't forget you, and no place is that more useful than a busy hospital.
B) My daughter loves to grab the pleats (she's 18m now) and when I sit down cross-legged it makes a nice little seat for her.
C) The cargo pockets on my NeoTrad and Workmans are perfect for baby gear. The NeoTrads more flexable (and comfortable) making it best for hauling gear, but the stiffness of the workmans means you don't have to freak out when a gust a wind comes by and your holding your child, unable to hold your kilt down. So you choose which kilt based on the conditions. In my NeoTrad I can easily put an Avent 10oz bottle, extra Onesey, 2 pacifiers, and a wad of napkins in one pocket, and then wallet, keys, and a sweater in the other. Especially when you go to the beach its handy not to have to haul stuff, since your already gonna be chasing the kids, so having a garment that is flexable, comfortable, fun for them, but also stylish, manly, and extremely efficient is awesome.
I made sure to get a really kool baby carrier for her early on, so I got this really kool black-and-silver front carrier that looks like tactical US Ranger gear, which looks kool with my kilts but also has another pocket for a pacifier (can't have too many) or hairclips, but also has some loops on the straps for radios (I'm also a HAM). Uber-kool.
Mark [1/1] - I wouldn't wrangle the young'un without one of my trusty Utilikilts. I favor the survival model which, in my pre-daddy days was used to carry its maximum capacity of 20 bottles of my favorite micro-brew. It can now hold everything but the baby, and the kangaroo korner sling takes care of that better than anything else.
I, too was kilted at the birth of our son. The survival's huge elasticized pockets kept everything I needed to keep my wife happy and comfortable close at hand. It allowed me to keep water bottles and the digital camera where they were easy to access.
For those having trouble conceiving, my advice would be to give those boys some air, UtiliKilts style!
Adam [1/1] - [left] OK, it's not loaded with diapers, but I do have the baby. [And true to her kilted origins, she loves the brew. -ed.]
Previously: Real Men Change Diapers or They Wear Kilts - But They Don't Do Both?
I started wearing my kilt every day in the hopes that it might help get my compromised sperm count up--my wife and I had started trying to conceive at 40 and it wasn't going well. I got checked and came up a little short. So why the hell not.
Long story short--no baby the natural way, so we ended up adopting from China. But in the meantime I'd become a full-time kilt wearer.
And I must concur that I both enjoy changing diapers [it's not nearly as icky as I had feared and it's a nice opportunity for a little focused one-on-one time with our bundle of joy] and the kilts do serve wonderfully as baby gear carriers. I like to hook a sippy cup on one of the pocket loops and those linking chain toys in the key clip. I can have a ziplock with a couple of diapers and wipes in one pocket, a ziplock with cheerios or goldfish in the other. And a toy stashed somewhere, if needed.
The kilt also works well as a screen to block a toddler from going where they shouldn't. It's also really cute when she crawls under it.
Cheers,
Eliot