The Baby Show asked some experienced dads to offer their best bits of advice to dads to be. From doing all those outstanding DIY jobs before the baby arrives to making sure you take a packed lunch to the hospital when your partner’s in labour, there’s a great mix of practical, personal and funny advice for dads-to-be everywhere.
The tips were gathered as part of a survey that asked dads to share their experiences of fatherhood and found that seven out of ten dads want to spend more time with their children.
Fourteen top tips for dads-to-be from other dads
1. Prepare yourself. In today’s technological era, everything you need to know is available on the internet. I still use it now – Amit Kumar Mehta
2. Get all the DIY done BEFORE the baby comes – Tama Kingston
3. Book a surprise dinner date for you and your partner just before the big day, including a movie night (if she can stay awake). – Tama Kingston
4. Make sure you’ve got a packed lunch for when you go to the hospital in labour (they don’t cater for the dads) – James Robinson, dad to Elsie
5. Make every moment count and keep the mummy happy; remember that all children need is love and attention – Ben Kirkham
6. Don’t listen to advice, just go with the flow. Nothing is right or wrong. Just remember to always be there for the mother as she probably needs you the most – Ranjiv Sadarangani
7. Look at your life and prioritise everything towards your family. But leave some space for yourself – I took up golf after the birth of my daughter which seems odd but it gave me some time to think about how my life is changing day-to-day – Robert McLaughlin, dad to Charlotte
8. Enjoy every single second and listen to everyone’s advice, you never know when you might hear a little gem – Christopher Winton
9. Don’t be scared and keep yourself as involved as possible – David Kalandad
10. Get your sleep while you can! – Faiyaz Bobat
11. Don’t panic; whether it is worrying about not being ready for a baby or financially stable enough, you will make it work, you just need to adjust – James Robinson, dad to Elsie
12. Allow an hour and a half to prepare to leave the house each time! – Darren Annani, dad to Olivia
13. Go with the flow, each baby is different. Get to know and enjoy your baby for who he or she is and not what you expect them to be – Kevin Smith, dad to India
14. Hang in there, it gets easier – Willem Mybugh, dad to William
The Baby Show takes place in London from 20-22 February, 2015
In the run up to launch of the film Down Dog on 13 February, insideMAN is running a series of articles about fatherhood and we’d love you to get involved. You can join the conversation on twitter by using the hashtag #MenBehavingDADly; leave a comment in the section below or email us with your thoughts and ideas for articles to insideMANeditor@gmail.com.
For more information about the film see www.downdogfilm.com