FATHERHOOD

Well as an expectant father, I have decided to share the bit I know about fatherhood because so far so good, a lot hasn't been the same starting from the way i dress, to the time i get back home, to avoiding feuds with outsiders so i dont get into a fight and the likes of it all coming down to being RESPONSIBLE.

“It is much easier to become a father than to be one,” wrote author Kent Nerburn. It’s true. Even for men who really want the job, it feels intimidating. We can master a career or some kind of hobby or rven the names of every car that pass by. But it’s hard to control much of anything in fatherhood. For instance, when the baby starts wailing, we can’t make him/her stop compared to how the mother would. It all boils down to patience and understanding and also acknowledging the well known fact that it ain't easy on we men.

Preparing for fatherhood is way more than watching Dr. House or Scrubs, childproofing the electrical outlets, and buying a cute ball signed by Messi himself. That's the easy stuff; the important lessons are those that most first-time dads learn along the way.

And what does it mean to be a father today? Today’s “traditional” family looks very different than in previous generations. The father’s traditional roles of provider and protector have seen great change. Often, both parents work outside the home. The dangers we face are the more subtle and insidious attacks from a culture hostile to families. While we still have a need for nurturing, care-giving mother inside the home, a father’s traditional duties have undergone a transformation. His role as a provider has been split between parents. His role as a protector has grown less obvious.

It still beats my imagination that in this generation, there are still men who decide to sit home and do nothing and yet produce kids like they are pumping water into the tank. How do you intend to be a "father" when you can't even father yourself and is still baby sitted by your wife? LOL

Being a father for the first time goes a long way. Everything changes way up from the way you react to situations, hangouts with the guys, keeping late nights, getting drunk etc. All of those have to change because being a father is one hell of a responsibility you would have to channel all of your energy to. As we go talk am for Naija, "To be papa no be beans".

Major characteristics to becoming a father and a great one at that are;

Power of LOVE:

Ever wondered why the bad guy in movies, when faced with the challenge of his daughter or son taken away from him if he doesn't co-operate, you get to see them surrender no matter how big or strong they ar? Take for example- Fate of The Furious ( Fast and Furious 7); Dominic Toreto (Vin Diesel) only succumb because the lady had his "SON". What happened after he got his son back? Leave that for you to see for yourself when you get to watch the movie.

TRUST yourself:

You will be more important to this baby than you will be to anyone else in the world. That idea can be intimidating and scary. For me, it hit home one day while my pregnant wife and I went to a relaxation spot and I lit up a cigarette. She pointed out that my smoking habits would have to change when the baby arrived. Well of course, I said. When I had the time out with the guys and she wasn't there, I'd cross do it and top it with menthol. But she meant I couldn't smoke either even when I was alone; the baby would depend on my staying alive. Ooops!

The point is, your baby needs you, and the quicker you get down to the business of raising her/him, the better. "It's on-the-job training -not just for you but for the mother too," says Glenview, IL, psychologist Robert Frank, Ph.D, author of Parenting Partners. "Fathers are always afraid that they won't know what to do in that early time. But just jump in there, like you were pulling up a carpet or ripping down a wall. Jump in there and learn. The more you do it, the better you'll be at it."

...so sorry, i have to continue on the next article on fatherhood as i have to attend to certain duties as a father - to - be. LOL