Expectant Fathers: 10 Tips to Becoming a Dad
Every person has a goal and to reach that goal a journey has to take place, and every journey has its chapter. One of the biggest chapters a man has to face is to become a father, as you may all know that knowing you and your wife or partner are having a baby, that moment alone is phenomenal! It's so magical that you feel that you're already over the moon! Just the thought of holding your own new born child was so surreal that you want to pinch yourself just to find out if that moment is real or not.
But out of all the joy and excitement, a thoughtful present for the dad-to-be would definitely make them feel appreciated especially if it came from his friends, these things don’t have to be expensive, rather they have to be something that can help them perform their new role as a father even better.
As an aspiring soon to be a father, there are things that you need to know in order for you to be a good father to your child and a successful husband to your wife and family. These 10 important but normally overlooked tips to becoming a Dad will definitely help you to prepare and get ready.
Tip #1: Sharing Household Chores
Start sharing household chores with your wife as early as her pregnancy days. This is very important as she will not just carry your child for 9 months, but also she will have about a month or two for full recovery. This will also benefit the both of you in the future as you and your wife will not only finish the chores faster since you'll be doing it together, but you will also have more time for your child.
Tip #2: Prepare the Room
As a soon to be father, you should start preparing the room for you child, this is important as your child will build his or her personality and preference depending on the environment. Make sure that you decorate the room with things that are rich in color red, yellow and blue as those three colors are the only color their eyes can see upon reaching their first month.
Tip #3: Buy the Right Tools
Buying items for your baby should not be rushed, you have to make sure that you are buying the right things like the bottle nipples, they have their own hole sizes depending on the baby's month age. It's important to know this as you have to make sure that your baby is using the right equipment and to let him or her have only the best.
Tip #4: Work Harder
You might be having the highest paying job on the block, but it doesn't mean that what you're getting will be enough once the baby is with you. You have to work harder to get that promotion in order to increase your income, sustainability is the number one priority if you will become a father. You have to secure your family’s future and even more, your baby's financial needs.
Tip #5: Drop the Vices
Every man has his own vices and hobbies, some of these hobbies are worth a fortune since they are normally a collection of something, probably your personal collection of your favorite superhero comic book or collecting trading card games or a collection of action figures or NBA cards. Unfortunately those vices and hobbies do take not only your time, but also your money as well. Having a baby is very expensive and therefore you will soon have to sacrifice your personal collection either you will stop buying them or you have the sell them all, either way, you have to drop them no matter what as your top priority now is your child.
Tip #6: Money Manage
Yes, you heard it right! You may have your wife to do the managing of your household finances but you have to make your own money management. It will not always be rainbows and butterflies when you have a baby, there will be times that the funds that your wife allocates will come a short, so as a father, you always have to be prepared to provide some extra money when the situation calls for it. Your child will not always be healthy at all times, there will be cases that your child will be sick and you have to take him or her to the pediatrician, so with those kinds of emergencies, you should always have to be prepared by managing your allowance that your wife will give you.
Tip #7: Learning Parenting 101
Being a father does not only revolves around you providing for your family, you also have to know how to take care of your child, learn how to hold them, carry them, learn how to put them to sleep, make milk in a bottle, giving them a bath and specially, changing diapers. It’s a whole new world once you get to experience them but it’s always best to be prepared so start learning them as early as possible.
Tip #8: Education
Now we are getting to the easy parts! You have to make sure that as early as possible, you establish your child's future and the best way to do it is by getting a full education plan from Grade School to College. This will not only benefit your child as he or she will have a smooth transition with her education but it will also benefit you and your wife in the long run by not thinking about your son’s college fees because you already prepared for it from the beginning.
Tip #9: Choosing the right Godparents
Yes, choosing the Godparents may sound easy enough, but you have to make sure that you choose the right one. The Godparents have to be a very close friend of yours for years and not just some co-worker at your office. You have to be sure that they are trustworthy and have the capability to act as their 2nd parent when you and your wife are not around.
Tip #10 Acceptance
Learning to accept that you are already a Dad is a step forward towards being a good parent. Always envision yourself on how you will act once your child grows up, what are the things that you will teach, will you become a strict father, are you going to be the coolest Dad on the block, it depends just as long as you make that vision, accept it and deliver.
At the End of the Day...
As a Dad myself, I can say that I’m successful with my kids, they’re very friendly to others but also very smart. I make sure that I’m their number one best friend and everytime they have a problem, their first go to person is their Dad, me. So to all the soon to be Dads out there, congratulations and always do your best to be the best Dad ever!