Greetings Life of Dad community!
I am so happy to see all the Dads signing up to the first social network for fathers, on a daily basis. There’s no place like this on the Internet. I’m also excited to see guys joining us who are about to join the ranks of fatherhood, the new Dads. Congratulations! We will do our best to make you feel welcome and help to show you that being a Dad is fun and cool…but emotional, trying and heartwarming at times as well. Life of Dad is here to help you, guide you, inspire you, make you laugh (and maybe cry)…and provide an avenue for you to share it all.
Now with that, I am happy to announce that last week I became a Dad for the third time. Kyle is the third boy my wife, Elizabeth, and I have been blessed with. 3 boys at 3 and under in age, mind you. I met a new Dad, Jeff, in the hospital. He just had a baby boy. Of course, I told him all about Life of Dad…it’s the place to be. I wish I could have told him about all the other things that he’ll face during the minutes, hours & days that followed his first child being born. Although I cannot share it with him, I can certainly do so here at Life of Dad. So for all you new Dads out there, here’s some tips.
(Current Dads: I encourage you to contribute with comments on YOUR tips & tricks as well.)
There is no doubt this guy would shoot the car seat had he not read the instructions.
Tip #1: You’re Superman to your kids…don’t play Superman to the new things you have to put together
The most immediate thought I have after writing that header is the car seat. It can’t be that hard, right? “This must go in this part of the back seat, and I must put the seat belt here,” I think to myself. (Stretch, click, pull…car seat installed) Not so fast…that seat is still shaking back and forth. TIP: READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!! This will make your life so much easier. I can’t tell you how many minutes (or hours) I’ve spent trying to install a new car seat into our car, a new car, a rental car, etc. With our third, I thought I could be Superman again. Heck, I had done it before at least 5 times. 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes… Frustration set in. I had no clue how to do it. Alas, there were instructions. 5 minutes later and the car seat was installed. Lesson learned: Don’t be Superman. (Note: This also applies to child furniture, toy kitchens, Radio Flyer cars, etc. Day 1 out of the hospital, though, the car seat is your main priority.)
Not an actual re-enactment. At least I don’t think. (Courtesy of Dan Kunka...wherever he got this image from
Tip #2: Do ya like your chances? Don’t play oddsmaker.
Ok, so this tip applies to Dads of boys, only. At least, I think that’s the case. As I said, I’m the Dad of three boys. We haven’t (yet) been blessed with the addition of a girl, so I don’t know if the same rule applies. I think most current Dads have experienced this within the first week, though…the time when your baby pees on you. OR, you may even be graced with what Man Cave owner, Dan Kunka, calls “The Rocket Poo.” Note to self: Avoid the Rocket Poo. You can avoid the pee as well. How, you ask? Easy…See all those diapers right underneath the changing table? Use one and cover your baby up. Sure, you might still have some “accidents” when doing this, but would you rather have it in a diaper and mostly contained…or all over you, the wall and everywhere else in a 10-foot diameter of the changing table? The answer is simple. Don’t play oddsmaker, or you will be peed or poo’d on very, VERY soon.
And finally…something new that occurred during the Baby #3 experience…
Tip #3: Hospitals are now competing against each other. Cash in!
That’s right. In our area, there are at least 3-5 hospitals parents can choose from to give birth to their child. What does that mean? Competition! What does that mean for you? Free stuff! Something must have happened between Baby #2 and Baby #3 because this time, I got warm, lavender washcloths for the face, free snack/soda tray (Tip 3b: It’s like a Southwest Airlines airplane cart…get as many snacks and sodas as you can. Don’t let them just walk away.) and free coffee, juice, jello and custard in the hallway refrigerator. Thank you free market competition. Nothing’s free in life…unless you’re having a baby, I guess.
So these are just a few tips for the soon-to-be-dads. For those of you that recently had a kid, sorry these come a few days late. I’ve been meaning to share them. It’s just that I’ve just been busy with my own kids. Enjoy fatherhood! For experienced, Dads, share your own tips & tricks here at Life of Dad. There will be future soon-to-be-Dads coming here shortly…and I’m sure they will appreciate your help & guidance too.