Micah's Tips for New Dads

In General

First of all, you have to come to a quick realization that you won't break your child! When you are first learning the best way to hold, burp, or play with your new son or daughter, it is natural to be afraid that they are so frail that you could easily break one of their bones. You have to be careful, but they are stronger than you think. As you become more comfortable holding the baby, you'll relax and become less worried.

Crying

Before I had kids, I always worried that when they cried, I would not be able to tell what their needs were. The good news is that babies are born with certain instinctual behaviors. Luckily, when they are very young, there are few needs a newborn has, so the signals are easy to read. When your baby starts to cry, the best thing to do, instead of panicking, is to take a deep breath, and think about what they have and have not done in the past few hours. Usually, you can pinpoint it to just a few possibilities, be it hunger, naptime, or just general attention. AS long as you step back and think, you will be able to solve the problem.

Changing

It is smelly, dirty, and messy, but it has to be done. If you are apprehensive about changing your baby's diaper, the best way to get over your fear is to just do it. If you use the typical disposable diaper/baby wipe combo, two wipes will always do the trick for the messiest of diapers. The more you do it, the quicker you will have your own system for changing. Just breathe through your mouth, be efficient, and you will have it down in no time.

Bonding

If you want to develop a good bond with your baby, the best thing to do is spend as much time as you can with them. Babies like to be held, cuddled, and smiled at. The more things you do, the stronger the bond will develop. There is no better feeling then having your kids smile when you walk through the door after a long day of work. Your hard work will pay off.

Development

One problem a lot of people have is comparing one child's development to another's. Do not feel discouraged if your neighbor's baby walks before yours. Every baby has their own genetics, and regardless of age, all children develop differently.