How to be a present DAD + New Dad Responsibilities

A chance to be a present DAD

Prior to the birth of his sister’s daughter, my husband had no real experience taking care of a child.

The moment his niece was born, I saw a side of him I never really thought existed. He was always very concerned about her wellbeing, he would actually argue with his sister whenever he was told she came back late from work.

At that time, I was pregnant with Jason so you can imagine how delighted I was to see that I had indeed married a man who was compassionate and devoted towards kids.

A present Dad Lqueenwrites

If you are single and reading this, be sure to find out if the person you are with has the capacity to tolerate little children because it takes a certain level of patience to keep your cool when these tantrums and meltdowns come.

My relationship with my dad wasn’t that great while growing up due to the fact that for the most part, he was away.

Although in his defence, during my elementary/primary school period he was very busy with church duties which I did understand however that debarred me from getting a chance to bond with him properly before going into boarding school.

You know once you get into boarding house you instantly become a grown-up so that was that.

Raising my kids with the involvement of their dad had always been top priority for me,so I’m thankful that I have a partner who was willing to learn at the initial stages and is now a PRO 😁

A present Dad Lqueenwrites

My advice for new moms at all times, is that it’s very important to give some duties to Dads from the onset so they don’t think you are in it alone and you’ve got it all figured out.

Even if you do, you’ll need support at different points so the earlier they get familiar with the responsibilities they have towards their kids the better for you.

A present Dad Lqueenwrites

A present Dad ~ Lqueenwrites

Here are a list of things you can have him do for his child from Infancy to Toddler stage.

Infancy

Teach the Dad how to ;

Hold an infant properly
Give him a chance to do a skin/skin bonding with your newborn during the first weeks
Change diapers
Burp the baby
Put the baby to bed
Strap the car seat or stroller

Let him hold the baby while you guys are in church or out.

Ask him to read or sing to the baby.

Teach him to cheer the baby when he/she claps, crawls or walks

Encourage him to seat/lie on the floor while playing with the baby for eye contact.

Teach him how to babble along when the baby tries to talk.

A present Dad Lqueenwrites

For the Toddler stage you should ;

Teach him how to bathe the toddler and brush their teeth
How to get the child dressed
Teach him the types of outfits to put on in different seasons or for different occasions
Let him do drop-offs at daycare/school
Let him feed the child at the table
Teach him the differences between cereal and purees
Allow him take the child to the Park alone

These are just a few things, you definitely can add yours depending on your unique family.

A present dad

Sharing these responsibilities will not only give him more chances to bond with the kids, in addition, it would also afford you some free time to do your own stuff.

Don’t bring the whole Superwoman mentality into motherhood. You need support and you deserve to get at least 50% of that from your partner.

Co-parenting is what makes the entire journey a lot easier for us women. Try something different today, give your husband a chance to be a present Dad.

What are your husband’s duties towards your kids?