For real advice, don't forget to take time for you and your wife.
I'm sure you'll be a great dad, so I don't feel any generic advice is necessary.
So I'm going to be a dad!
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For real advice, don't forget to take time for you and your wife.
I'm sure you'll be a great dad, so I don't feel any generic advice is necessary.
Till
Adventurer
That's awesome! All the best to you both.
Leifmk
Deity
Mazel tov, etc.!
Kids take all time and energy and make a hell of a mess everywhere but they compensate by being both loveable and hilarious. And sometimes infuriating. Myself, I've got a five-year-old and a two-year-old and a third little monkey on the way; so you can guess what life mostly revolves around these days. Wouldn't trade it in for anything, though.
Kids take all time and energy and make a hell of a mess everywhere but they compensate by being both loveable and hilarious. And sometimes infuriating. Myself, I've got a five-year-old and a two-year-old and a third little monkey on the way; so you can guess what life mostly revolves around these days. Wouldn't trade it in for anything, though.
Congratulations.
Kennigit's advice above is excellent. My parents were great believers in reading, and I often had more books in bed with me than I did teddy bears.
My dad was very supportive of what I found interesting. The two of us spent a lot of time on holidays going rock-hunting and beachcombing, and around home he bought me a telescope and we spent time outside watching the stars. He'd also help me with homework, from basics like "Daddy, I just don't get how to write the letter 's'!", to teaching me a way to tie my shoes that actually worked for me (I don't do it like most people), and on up to college when I was having trouble with the math part of one of my physical geography labs.
If your baby turns out to be a girl, don't just leave it to her mom to teach her things and play with her. Kids want attention and companionship from both their parents (although not always at the same time).
Do either set of grandparents live within a reasonable distance? It's important to maintain that kind of relationship as well.
Don't talk down to your kid(s). Give them age-appropriate explanations, but never assume they're too young to understand something if they want to know about it.
And never lie to them. If you do and they figure that out, you'll have damaged their trust in you. At some point, they'll wonder what else you've lied to them about.
TheLastOne36
Deity
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Congrats DT, you are going to be an awesome parent I can tell!
I'm obviously not a parent but I've been around a few new parents as of late and the one thing I have observed from their kids is that their kids as early as 6 months have become addicted and dependent on technology. I've seen a baby girl less than a year old actively navigate her way through an iPad and onto youtube to search for cartoons. She wasn't a unique super-genius as far as I could tell, all the small children I've seen were capable of navigating technology that young and all threw massive tantrums when they had the technology taken away from them. This is I suppose a very recent phenomenon in child-rearing and you might not even of thought about it, but I would suggest keeping an eye on potential addiction forming and to prevent yourself from using technology as babysitters.
Aiming for a boy or girl?
I'm obviously not a parent but I've been around a few new parents as of late and the one thing I have observed from their kids is that their kids as early as 6 months have become addicted and dependent on technology. I've seen a baby girl less than a year old actively navigate her way through an iPad and onto youtube to search for cartoons. She wasn't a unique super-genius as far as I could tell, all the small children I've seen were capable of navigating technology that young and all threw massive tantrums when they had the technology taken away from them. This is I suppose a very recent phenomenon in child-rearing and you might not even of thought about it, but I would suggest keeping an eye on potential addiction forming and to prevent yourself from using technology as babysitters.
Aiming for a boy or girl?
filli_noctus
Hmmn
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Congratulations.
Lessons I've learnt from raising my little girl...
You might like to set your alarm to go off at random times at night to get used to the inevitable sleepless nights, it's going to be worse than you imagine it will be.
Baby signing is a brilliant way to start communicating with your little one, babies can communicate with basic signs at around six months if you start early and it really helps cut down on tantrums around two when they can't talk but want to.
Bath time is a great to teach the alphabet. If you get some foam letters you can stick to the bath they'll see learning letters as a really fun game.
Lessons I've learnt from raising my little girl...
You might like to set your alarm to go off at random times at night to get used to the inevitable sleepless nights, it's going to be worse than you imagine it will be.
Baby signing is a brilliant way to start communicating with your little one, babies can communicate with basic signs at around six months if you start early and it really helps cut down on tantrums around two when they can't talk but want to.
Bath time is a great to teach the alphabet. If you get some foam letters you can stick to the bath they'll see learning letters as a really fun game.
classical_hero
In whom I trust
Congratulations. Now your wife is going to be ding the hard work. It is important to remember that the home is just as much the domain of the father as it is the mother.
Psalm 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Psalm 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Perfection
The Great Head.
Big gratz dt!
Ajidica
High Quality Person
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Congrats!
As my parents discovered with me an my sister, a visit to a museum with Childrens Activities is a great way to spend a weekend afternoon. I can't remember how many times I went to the art museum and came back home with craft projects.
Also, be sure to explain somewhere along the line that just because an area on the door is called a kickplate, you really shouldn't be kicking it.
As my parents discovered with me an my sister, a visit to a museum with Childrens Activities is a great way to spend a weekend afternoon. I can't remember how many times I went to the art museum and came back home with craft projects.
Also, be sure to explain somewhere along the line that just because an area on the door is called a kickplate, you really shouldn't be kicking it.
trust me, over the next month you'll hear plenty of hot parenting tips to the point where you'll be passing sick of them? and about half of them directly contradict each other
The only real advice I can think of is rather vague: spend as much time with them as possible - the worst parenting is no parenting. Play with them, spend time with them, do things together. There's no point in teaching/lecturing kids (especially if small), you just have to live what you preach and they'll understand it a lot better.
The thing I can say is that parenting is exhausting but great and that you'll get used to the things that seem overwhelming at first pretty fast. oh, and if you get a second kid at some point, having 'just' one kid will seem like a vacation afterwards
And it's similar when you get a third...
Farm Boy
run boy run
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Ermergerdemermergerdermergerd! Congrats DT!
Let me take the unpleasant parenting advice you almost certainly won't need since you are awesome.
If Mrs. DT works, takes FMLA time, and then goes back to work after 3/4 months or so, DT Jr. very well might not like daddy time too much. Was particularly an issue with Farm Boy since his wife works off shifts and FB needed to take solo childcare shifts...but... when infant doesn't sleep and therefore you don't sleep, and when infant cries and slaps and doesn't like you, there very well may be moments when the most dangerous thing in the room is you. Learn when to put your child in a swingy restrainable seat and walk to the next room for a couple minutes. Learn when to just hold him/her and sing even if he/she is trying to give themself a hernia screaming at you(on a high point, my kid still really likes me singing the couple verses of Amazing Grace I actually know). You're big, your love will see it through, you'll get some sleep later, and it'll be fine. Wonderful even. Don't wish it away, even when you're really ready for that particular night to be over. You'll miss even the hard stages as your kiddo's growth continues to mark how quickly time passes for ya.
Let me take the unpleasant parenting advice you almost certainly won't need since you are awesome.
If Mrs. DT works, takes FMLA time, and then goes back to work after 3/4 months or so, DT Jr. very well might not like daddy time too much. Was particularly an issue with Farm Boy since his wife works off shifts and FB needed to take solo childcare shifts...but... when infant doesn't sleep and therefore you don't sleep, and when infant cries and slaps and doesn't like you, there very well may be moments when the most dangerous thing in the room is you. Learn when to put your child in a swingy restrainable seat and walk to the next room for a couple minutes. Learn when to just hold him/her and sing even if he/she is trying to give themself a hernia screaming at you(on a high point, my kid still really likes me singing the couple verses of Amazing Grace I actually know). You're big, your love will see it through, you'll get some sleep later, and it'll be fine. Wonderful even. Don't wish it away, even when you're really ready for that particular night to be over. You'll miss even the hard stages as your kiddo's growth continues to mark how quickly time passes for ya.
duckstab
Child of Noble Family
What, we're not going to have a CFC poll to name your baby?!
But seriously, warmest congratulations. There is nothing in this life that requires more hard work and dedication, or which provides greater rewards, than parenting.
I'll also echo the advice about reading to your children. It's not just really important for their cognitive development, but it's a great way to ensure you're spending time with them every day.
The only other piece of advice I'll offer to you and your wife is to ignore any advice, especially unsolicited, from people who tell you to do things that go against your own instincts or values. You'll probably find that as soon as the little one arrives that you're suddenly surrounded by self-appointed child rearing experts, many of whom won't have cared for anything more challenging than a chihuahua. Remember, it's your child, you're the experts!
You're life is about to change, pal. Kids are high-maintenance. Get your family on a budget. Start saving for college. Good luck.
Sesame Street would be the exception. It's useful for supplementing alphabet and numbers, and whatever else the American version teaches.Only advice I can think of, no TV, candy, or sweetened drinks before age 6. Maybe 8.
If you get stuck, there are a half-dozen or so name generators linked in the NaNoWriMo thread in A&E.
Loppan Torkel
Deity
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Congrats!
My loaned words of wisdom:
My loaned words of wisdom:
Take it one step at a time would be my advice. That includes step one: the pregnancy over the course of the next 8 1/2 months. Support your wife and enjoy each other's company. Stay healthy and happy.
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