How I make it work as a dwarf parent

We featured Phil’s amazing wedding on Offbeat Bride last week and now we’re getting a glimpse into his life as a parent. You can find Phil’s work here.

Being a parent to my daughter Zelda has opened my eyes to a lot of new things. I now have a child who looks up to me when she is in need of help or taking care of. I now have responsibility to take care of Zelda when my wife, Joi, is busy or needs assistance. It’s kind of mind-blowing to me, in a good way. We are now officially a family and a team who strives to help, learn, and care for each other through life.

I consider myself blessed to have met Zelda from her young age, as it’s beneficial we both learn to adapt together as she grows up. We have already learned so much from each other. She often asks me for help when it comes to getting dressed, putting on her socks and shoes, jackets, and so on. During bed times she enjoys settling down with me as I read her a bed time story, and we often have a giggle together before sleep.

I can be hard on myself and feel down about the fact that I wish I could do more…

Being a dwarf parent has its own challenges, as I do some things differently in comparison to an average height person. There are also situations where I cannot always manage. Often I can be hard on myself and feel down about the fact that I wish I could do more in the way of being able to pick Zelda up and carry her around when needed. I’m blessed to have my wife’s patience, as she reassures me that I am doing enough.

Here are a few things that we do to make it easier on everyone…

Pull-Ups Instead Of Diapers

Diapers are a real struggle! Mostly because I find it fiddly to deal with my fingers (born with no knuckles), so pull-ups are a great alternative that myself and Zelda can manage without too much of a struggle.

Using A Smaller & Lighter Stroller

My wife has an umbrella stroller in which I can easily manage to push Zelda around when it comes to getting out and about. It works wonders for me since the handles are low and the stroller is easy to push.

The Safety Harness

It’s not often Zelda will try to outrun me — she’s very calm and will stay close, but using a harness on her to keep her close is always handy. That way she is not needing to be carried and she’s also gets to walk around.

When I Use A Step

Keeping things out of reach from Zelda is important. I use steps to reach those particular things, to do the dishes, or when brushing my teeth. Sometimes Zelda will try to climb up on the step with me, so explaining to her that it’s not safe is important since we don’t want her falling!

These are some of the things I have experienced as a parent so far. I am excited about the journey of being a parent to Zelda as she gets older, learns, and grows. It is so nice and comforting to be able to form such a strong bond with her. I care so much for this child and for her well-being.

This post originally appeared on Little Philz and was reproduced with permission.