First-time dads are full of questions as they wait to welcome their little ones to the world.
And today we’re gonna get some good advice from men who have already been there and done that.
Doesn’t that sound great?!?!
What are some good tips for soon-to-be fathers?
Dads took to AskReddit to share their advice.
1. Truth.
“”No baby has ever d**d from crying” really put it in perspective for me.
If you’re too frazzled, it’s okay to step back for a few minutes to collect yourself and calm down.
In fact, it’s not just okay, it is what you should do.”
2. Calm down.
“As your kid becomes a toddler, you will notice that they get upset over what you assume is the littlest thing to them. Try to remember that this might actually be the worst thing that’s ever happened to them until now.
My only other piece of advice is to calm down before discipline begins. Even if they are being the biggest s**t in the whole world. You are their role model and they will mirror how you react when you are angry.”
3. Save yourself some money.
“90% of the toys and accessories ‘you must buy’ will go unused.
It’s a cliche but your kid will play with the box more than anything.
I highly recommend books as it’s good learning and bonding time.”
4. Easy!
“Babies LOVE it when you (safely) tie a helium balloon to their foot. They’ll kick and kick and coo and have the best time and all for a $1 dollar tree balloon.
Also, once they’re old enough, frozen waffles are fantastic teething cookies. Just break off a chunk of waffle and give it to them directly from the freezer.”
5. Patience is key.
“Be patient.
Every skill you want your child to master needs time to develop and space to flourish. They can’t just “copy” your way of doing things, because they won’t make sense to the child the same way they make sense to you.
Always discipline out of love, never h**e! Never forget that you’re a parent first and a cool friend last, though.”
6. Good to know!
“For a boy, wipe his lower belly with a cold wipe before taking off the diaper, most of the time it tricks him into peeing most of the time.”
7. Pro tip.
“No matter how frustrated you get, remain calm and remember they have no way of communicating how they feel or what they want.
It just takes time.
Bonus: a excellent pair of noise-cancelling headphones can be a life-saver the first 3-6 months.
Not to ignore them obviously, but if you need to walk them around to calm them down it helps A LOT.”
8. Parenthood.
“The first 8 weeks are not representative of the overall experience.
Some people say the first 8 weeks are the hardest. Some people say it gets easier after the first 8 weeks….but that’s almost…an oversimplification of the transition to “parenthood”.
What in trying to say is: there will be days during the first 8 weeks that you think things are going badly, don’t despair in those sleep deprived emotional moments: you’ve got this!”
9. Let them belt it out.
“My daughter screamed at us for 6 months. I learned quickly to walk away and let her exercise her lungs.
Lack of sleep, stress over new responsibilities and other children will cause some very uncharacteristic responses if not caught beforehand and dealt with.”
10. Get moving.
“Bouncing is your BEST friend!
Many a cry has been turned around by some goofy noises and some good light bouncing.”
11. Yup.
“Babies can’t fall off the floor. If baby just won’t stop crying and you reach your limit, but you’re worried baby might fall/harm themselves if you set them somewhere that’s not their crib, set them in the floor.
My mom taught me that when I started babysitting and it helped SO MUCH. If you place the baby on the floor in a safe location (ie a playmat or somewhere clear of items and easily seen) and step outside for 5 min with the door cracked, you’ll feel so much better.”
12. A few things…
“Don’t spend money on clothes because they’ll outgrow them in a matter of weeks, and they’ll systematically get s**t in. Get the cheapest onesies you can get and instead spend more on a good car seat that’s safe, practical and will last.
The first poop (that consists of meconium) is especially bad. It doesn’t smell, but it’s like tar, sticky and dark. It will ruin anything it touches so resist the urge to put them in cute clothes until it’s completely out, and have a pack of baby wet wipes (to clean the baby) and a roll of paper towel (to clean everything else) ready to go.
If people are going to gift you baby clothes, try to make it so that some people get you 3-6 months, others 6-9 months, others 9-12 months and so on. Otherwise you’ll have a lot of clothes that will only get used (shat in) once or twice.
Take pictures and videos. It sounds cliche but they do grow so fast…
Avoid screens completely. When they get fascinated by things like a red ball with a funny texture, a screen is like LSD to them and after that everything seems boring.
When it comes to strollers, practical beats fancy. Make sure it’s easy to fold, as flat as possible, and easy to clean (by that I mean the fabric can be taken off the frame and washed).
They’ll have a favourite toy and it won’t always be the one you expect. My kid would spend hours looking at the shiny chrome logo on the fridge.
Challenge them and stimulate their curiosity.”
Do you have anything to add to this conversation?
If so, please do it in the comments!
We can’t wait to hear from you!
