Coping with the new challenges of being a Dad

There is no doubt that Moms have it hard when it comes to raising a child, especially being a mom for the very first time. Despite your planning and multi-tasking abilities, this is a whole new adventure you are about to embark. With a child you can never be ready and despite the emphasis made on Moms, who said Dad has it easy?

Well if you thought so, think again. With the world growing and evolving, people are moving away from the traditional ways where men finance the expenses of the home, while women are expected to just sit at home and procreate. It is the reverse now, women are now able to work hard and provide for their family while Dad stays at home to care for their kids. It is all about compromising and finding balance in what works for your family. 

Being a Dad can be challenging, not because you carried the child physically for a period of nine months, but because you are carrying the child at heart and emotionally for as long as you can. Research has shown that Dad finds it hard to have quality sleep, eat healthily, exercise and do all the normal things they would normally do before becoming a dad. All these changes in a sudden can be too much for a person to handle, therefore causing a significant effect on their health.

Seeing your little one for the very first time can be very overwhelming, you are overjoyed, happy and anxious all at the same time. All these mix’s feelings can be overpowering. From the moment you hold your little one in your arms, you feel a love stronger than you’ve ever felt. With all these beautiful experiences comes reality, now the responsibility and well being of this little human all fall in your hands. Making decisions for another being who can barely talk or give suggestions can be nerve-wracking. It becomes the priority of the both the Mom and Dad to continue to make decisions that will impact the child positively. 

Even though doing things for the first time can be kind of scary and parenting doesn’t come with a manual, you basically will be doing things based on instincts and feelings. It’s okay to take one step at a time, not everything will go well as planned, and when that happens, don’t be hard on yourself. Even though Dads are superheroes, always remember that even Superman makes mistakes. 

Even though being a dad will require changing a lot of diapers, making bottles, burping and all the not so cute things, you get to watch your little one grow up and transit from achieving one milestone to the next. Nothing beats the moment when your child call you “dada” or daddy for the first time. You are going to be witnessing a lot of first in their lives. First steps, first tooth, first food and a lot of first you can't imagine. Capture every moment and live every day like it was your last by making the most out of it. Kids at a young age are more curious and inquisitive, they get to show their little personality and interest when young, this is the most crucial phase of their lives, therefore making it important to document such moments. 

Despite all the adorable and beautiful moments we get to share with our kid, not all activities are fun and rosy. Just when you thought you’ve done the hard work of feeding a child, you face the reality of changing a poopy smelly diaper. Even though being a Dad is fun, there are a lot of things that Dad are not so thrilled about, and below are a list of them:

Most men create excuses to avoid being responsible for putting the baby to bed especially at night. Not all babies are peaceful sleepers, in fact, some infants and toddlers make it a habit to wake up at least 2-3 times at night before daybreak. This can be extremely challenging for both parents, Dad especially, because it can leave you sleepdeprived despite the facts that you have to go to work early in the morning.

Kids are messy, you can't help it but to constantly clean, change the diaper and keep them free from germs. Even though the washing machine handles all the washing, sorting by colors and bleaching clothes can be too much for a man to handle, and constantly changing diapers isn’t ideal for anybody. These chores make becoming a Dad even more complicated for some men.

As much as dad loves their kids, this activity alone can be exhausting. To constantly drop off your child either in the daycare, dance class or sports activities can put stress on a Dad’s health plus its time-consuming.

Babies are expensive. I don’t need to mention how much it costs from clothing, food, diaper, healthcare and so much more. You need to be smart and strong financially to be able to afford and provide for a child.

Some men are like big babies, they crave the love and attention of their wife all the time. With a child on board, it becomes incredibly challenging for the attention of Mom to be all on them and not the child. The feeling of neglect can be a little hard on them.

There are a lot of things Dad need to be aware of and prepare for before the arrival of their child. The minute your wife conceives, even though the feeling is exciting, you quickly snap out of it and start making plans and arrangements for the arrival of your little one.

The following are some of the things "dummies" Dads need to first and foremost always consider in order to make the journey through fatherhood a little easier.

As a first time dad, even though you’ve probably seen a lot of men raise their kids, you need to ask questions and join forums and resources that are being made available mainly to help and support men who are becoming parents for the very first time. You are going to be informed about all the beautiful and not so beautiful things as your baby grows in the belly and enters into the world.

Find out about all the necessary essential gear and accessories your little one will be requiring over time.

It doesn’t take long before babies to become mobile and active. Your little one isn’t going to stay little forever. Therefore it is the responsibility of a Dad to think about the various ways he can safely baby proof the house and ensure the environment is safe for your child.

It will be nice to learn some basic solutions to some of the practical problems that can arise with raising a child. From learning CPR to learning bedtime poems and dancing steps, all these things might seem little at first, but it goes a long way. 

Learning how to manage your work commitments and being a dad all at the same time. Sometimes you need to make compromises in order to be able to be there for your child effectively.

Let’s take a look at some of the most hilarious yet interesting being a dad quotes;

1. “My father confused me. From the ages of one to seven, I thought my name was Jesus Christ!” — Bill Cosby

2. “Whenever one of my children says, ‘Goodnight, Daddy,’ I always think to myself, ‘You don’t mean that.” —Jim Gaffigan

3. “Children are a great comfort in your old age. And they help you reach it faster too.” – Lionel Kauffman

4. When you’re young, you think your dad is Superman. Then you grow up, and you realize he’s just a regular guy who wears a cape. — Dave Atell

5. Me and my dad used to play tag. He’d drive. —Rodney Dangerfield

Being a Dad is as challenging as being a Mom for the first time. Lots of ifs, buts and hows and it’s okay to not feel prepared or be overwhelmed. The key to successful parenting is taking one step at a time. There is no such thing as perfect parenting or a perfect child, it’s all about making genuine efforts and sacrifice towards the wellbeing and happiness of your child. Where unclear, don’t be ashamed to ask questions or make research.

Being a new dad requires lots of patience and tolerance, with little or less rest in between. Always be optimistic even when it looks impossible, remember that the stress is going to ease as the child grows up and wiser.