Being a new father is going to be difficult!
You have to take care of yourself, but you also have to take care of a baby!
Oh, and mom, if she had arduous labor.
As fathers, we must be available, calm, and willing to help with anything at first. If you are not a seasoned pro, you will require more assistance!
Get accustomed to it because your life will never be the same. You’ll be exhausted and fatigued, but you’ll be overjoyed! Now all you have to do is figure out how to survive…
Before we begin, one tip is for you to put together a new dad survival kit! Now, onto the rest of the tips for a new dad!
10 Top Tips For New Dads
There is no doubt that sharing the load was one of the best decisions we made when my son was born.
It is not just during the day but also during the night. The night is probably the most crucial time for load sharing.
Babies wake up numerous times during the night, and to stop impromptu disagreements at 3 am, discuss which feeds you are both doing and stick to them.
I did not sleep much when my wife was in charge of feeding, but that is just me!
While there are plenty of baby tips for fathers, this is the one that stopped many arguments between two exhausted people.
Get Sleep When You Can
Being a dad to a newborn will reduce sleep, so get used to it!
When your baby is asleep, there are times when they are likely to be asleep for a couple of hours at least. That is the time when you need to get your head down.
Sleep deprivation can result in a low immune system, mood changes, weight gain, amongst other things!
Those symptoms are not good, but they are even worse when you are a sleep-deprived man!
First-time dads need to be on the top of their game, alert, ready for anything. Your little one may ruin your nights, so sleeping during the day is an excellent way of topping up the hours.
Learn The Basics
You must learn the basics for two reasons:
- You do not mess things up
- To share the load
Basics include:
- Changing the baby
- Bathing the baby
- Feeding the baby
- Getting the baby to sleep
- Entertaining the baby
- Taking the baby’s temperature
- Applying the medicine to the baby
- Learning what you need to take out with the baby
Although it is not exhaustive, that list will see you well into the toddler years.
Get to know how to care for your new baby, and in turn, you will also be caring for mom while she recovers from the ordeal of childbirth!
Know Where Things Are
Babies need:
- Changing
- Medicine
- Feeding
- Winding
- Sleep
To perform these tasks, you need to know where things are and how to use them. Do not get caught short; when your baby needs to be changed, they may need to be changed pretty quickly! For example, if you spent 10 minutes looking for the diapers, you are already on the back foot.
Always make sure the items above are topped up. You do not want to run out at 2 am!
Prepare A Routine
Change, eat, sleep, repeat. If you wonder what to do as a new father, that is pretty much it.
Routines are KEY to successful parenting. Without routines, you are ruled by the demands of a baby/toddler.
Create a routine for sleeping, create a routine for eating. Create a routine for creating routines!
Speak to mom to ensure she is cool with the routines and stick to them.
You and mom need to be a well-oiled machine. Being organized will build confidence in you both as parents and help the new baby settle into life on this planet.
Find A Dad Friend
Being a dad is tough, and it helps if you have someone to speak to. If you work with many people, the odds are that you will work with someone who has recently become a parent. Talk to them.
Find out how they have got on. Find out if they have any advice for new dads they can share with you.
Experience can teach you so much more, so why not learn from the experience of others around you.
If you do not work with any fathers, think about any family members who have recently become new parents. Tap them up for some advice, or even use them as a sounding board when you get stuck.
Fatherhood advice is free; all you need to do is ask!
Get Equipped
You must get equipped to be a dad.
Mentally, yes, physically too, though.
Throughout my time as a newbie, I was helped by a few items. I will name a few things here that helped me through the early stages:
I am talking about technology here, not equipment like diapers, wipes, etc.
The movement monitor helped me get some awesome sleep. Many people argue that they do not like the fact it could false alarm, but I genuinely believe that I had a better sleep because I knew it would wake me in an emergency.
As for the light projector, that helped my son get some awesome sleep!
Don’t Forget The Push Present.
I made a colossal error when my son was born. I did not get my wife a push present!
This is not simply one of my tips for a new father, it will get you some serious husband points too! I lost a lot of husband points when I forgot the push present!
Mom has just been through the terrible ordeal of childbirth, which makes her feel special. Think about the kind of things that she likes. Even something small will show your appreciation for what she has just been through.
Telling mom that you have just given her a new baby is not enough of a gift!
Some women like jewelry, some like to relax in the bath. It is pretty simple, get mom something that she will love to receive as a gift. You could even think about getting something with a personal touch.
Relax
This is one of the most important tips for a new father!
Chill out, man! You’ve got this.
Being a dad is easy (mostly); all you need to do is learn the basics (see tip 3). Once you have those tips covered, you can do it.
Your baby is not going to like stressed dad. Not. At. All. So, why don’t you be one of those ‘no-stress’ fathers?
Being stressed will affect the two people you have in your new family, mom and baby. If you are stressed, you will pass that stress on to your family. Do not do it.
Find a happy place, find a calming song, become more organized, and do these 3 things to ensure you remain as calm as possible.
Get Stuff Done
Broken things through the house? Fix them.
Does the trash need taking out? Do it.
Does mom need some time on her own? Take the baby out.
Has a light bulb blown? Change it.
Dads need to be on top of ‘stuff.’ It does not matter how little these things seem to you. Just get them done so there are fewer things for mom to get upset about.
There are some huge health benefits attributed to being well organized, including making better food choices and getting better sleep.
Conclusion
Above are the 10 top tips for a new dad; read them, and then reread them.
I was once a new father, and now I am a slightly more experienced dad. You never stop learning. The things you know when they are a baby are cool, but they will not help you when they are 3 years old.
Some might be, but for the most part, they will not.
Approach parenting with an open mind and a willingness to learn all of the time and you will find it difficult to fail.
Good luck! And if you need a rookie dad’s guide to newborns, check this out.
Good luck!
