Some things I’ve picked up that wasn’t my daughter.

I’ve always been a visual person when it comes to learning, picking up things quicker if there is an element of physical activity. Reading to learn or remember something always was hardest for me, unless it was a book that actually interested me then it rarely stuck in my head. So for me learning was more about doing than studying, and fatherhood is definitely a learn as you go full time job.

You can read all the books you like on how to raise a baby, you can watch all the YouTube videos you want and you can listen to the parents down at the nursery till they are blue in the face, but it doesn’t change the fact that all this raising a small being is a learning curve we must handle head on with both hands and possible feet as well.

So even though she is only two weeks old, here are a few things I have learned over these fourteen days.

Ante-Natel Class – The wonders of knowledge

So I have seen in a number of films and TV shows where the parents expecting there bundle of joy rock up to a hall, a house, a room or a park, filled with other parents expecting babies and learn all about what to do. These sometimes include funny moments or serious moments depending on the show or film we are watching but what they show is people becoming friends at the end of it all, sometimes finding their best friends for life..

I was expecting a class that was going to run over a number of weeks, one evening a week, where the same group of worried and scared faces would appear, talk, learn and laugh with one another. I was also expecting, due to seeing this in films and TV shows, to sit behind my partner while she sat on a cushion and breathed, a lot.

After experiencing my first, and what I believe to be my only, Ante-Natal class, this is what I found and what I thought of it.

A few tips for new fathers, as found on the world wide web of wonder.

Once again I have been looking on-line for advice and assistance on this new exciting, terrifying, scary and wonderful stage of my life. There are hundreds of websites and articles for new fathers, Google knows what it’s doing when you type into it’s search engine, who knew?

Anyway, below are a couple of tips I have found on the good old internet web for new fathers. Read them, digest them, ignore them, listen to them, follow them, agree with them, disagree with them, argue about them, love them, do whatever you want with them, but remember these are my opinions and not things I am telling you to do.

Things I want to (hopefully) teach my child

After my last post about rules for raising a girl it got me thinking about the things I want to teach my own child. Things that I have learnt, or that my own parents taught me but things I think are important to me and my child as we take on this journey together.

So below is a list of things I want to teach my child and maybe even things that I want to learn or teach myself. I will no doubt come up with more as I approach and tackle fatherhood so will add another post when that happens. Please let me know by commenting on the post if you think of anything you wish to teach your child that I have missed.

Films to watch and films not to watch when expecting your first child.

Being a huge film fan (I studied Film studies at college and university level don’t you know?) and having a wealth of useless film trivia and knowledge rolling around in this head of mine I started to wonder about films that I should watch in preparation for the little one’s arrival. I then thought about films that I shouldn’t watch in preparation for the little one’s arrival. I thought maybe that some of these films might give me some advice and tips on raising my child, and they may also give me ideas on what not to do when raising my child. 

Below are a list of films that I have found or watched that you SHOULD or SHOULDN’T watch when expecting your first child, or any child for that matter. If you have any other films that should be included please leave a comment. 

Rules for raising a girl – a man’s way

While looking on the inter web at various things to scare and worry me about raising a girl, I came across a few fun rules about raising a girl for dads. We have a few people who are pregnant around the same time as us (and I am sure there are hundreds if not thousands who are expecting a bundle of joy at the same time all over the world) and some are expecting boys and others girls, and a few who have no idea and want a surprise. When I was told we were having a girl I knew that my life was now going to be one big worry, same to be fair if I was going to have a boy, however a friend of mine who is having a boy said ‘I think a boy will be easier the first time round.’ Excuse me what?? I understand where he’s coming from sort of but when they are little people, does the sex really make a difference?

I have also been told that it takes a real man to raise a girl, which is rubbish as my dads a real man and he raised two boys. I know men, real men, who have raised boys and girls so I don’t agree with that statement. I think they just tell expecting dads to ease the panic of raising a daughter. I have found some fun rules for raising a daughter, a man’s way which are listed below and to be honest most of these are rules that both me and the other half have discussed and agreed on, see for yourself…