{"id":24981,"date":"2021-10-14T01:02:15","date_gmt":"2021-10-14T05:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucbaby.ca\/?p=24981"},"modified":"2023-11-11T00:40:46","modified_gmt":"2023-11-11T05:40:46","slug":"lessons-of-being-a-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucbaby.ca\/fr\/lessons-of-being-a-father","title":{"rendered":"Lessons of Being a Father"},"content":{"rendered":"

People say that becoming a father would change you and teach you some of your most important life lessons.\u00a0It would change your lifestyle. (Oh no! What would happen now to my drinking sessions every Friday night?<\/em>)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It would change your outlook on life. (Would it make me more \u2018mature\u2019? Yes! Finally!<\/em>)<\/p>\n

It would change your priorities (Would it make me spend less on Big Boy Toys like cars & gadgets?<\/em>)<\/p>\n

I am both excited and nervous at the thought that I would become a \u2018Dad\u2019<\/strong> in a few months. At first, it was a rush of excitement and elation when my wife showed me those two blue lines on the pregnancy kit.<\/p>\n

Later on, it dawned on me what those two lines would mean for me for the rest of my life. I suddenly felt nervous about what I don\u2019t know how to do (What does a dad do, anyway?<\/em>)<\/p>\n

I had not given much thought to the role my father had done all these years. I called him last night and, while stuttering, finally managed to say,<\/p>\n

\u201cDad, I am going to be a DAD soon.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I could hear the excitement and joy in his voice as he congratulated me.\u00a0I asked,<\/p>\n

\u201cDo <\/em>you have any advice?<\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He chuckled and said with a tone that made me feel like I was a little boy again,<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t let a dirty diaper stay too long on the baby. That could make or break your day!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

My mind experienced a rush of so many questions and diaper-changing scenarios.<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0Change a diaper? What do I do? How do I do it?\u00a0\u00bb<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I turned pale at the thought.<\/p>\n

\u00ab\u00a0Remove dirty diapers. Wipe clean with (what?) baby wipes. Hold baby\u2019s legs as I wipe baby clean. Fold the dirty diaper. Throw it in a trashcan (?)\u2026Wait! Wasn\u2019t I just holding the baby\u2019s legs? Should I put the clean diaper first? Which side should be the front or back?\u00a0\u00bb<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

My father must have felt that I suddenly turned quiet. He said,<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, son. Nothing can prepare you for fatherhood.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Here are some of the most important things I learned during those years\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \n
  1. Respond at the moment. Trust your instincts.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  2. Common sense and genuine caring<\/strong> for a child\u2019s well-being go hand in hand.<\/li>\n
  3. You will learn the things you need to know as you go along. Just enjoy the journey.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  4. You will learn the capacity of love<\/strong> one can have for another is<\/li>\n
  5. You will discover that you have more patience<\/strong> than you give yourself credit for.<\/li>\n
  6. Don\u2019t sweat the little things.<\/strong> It always gets better. And if it gets worse, just remember, tomorrow is another day.<\/li>\n
  7. You will learn to play again and discover the joy of unstructured leisure time with your children.<\/strong><\/li>\n
  8. Your priorities change, and your needs come last<\/strong>. Consideration of your spouse\u2019s needs matters. Share the responsibilities of taking care of the baby. You will learn about compromise, communication, and fairness in raising children.<\/li>\n
  9. You will learn that you could worry too much<\/strong> and learn to manage it and not let it stop your children from growing and exploring independently.<\/li>\n
  10. There are worse things in life than your baby\u2019s poop<\/strong> on your finger\/arm\/body. You can always wash it off. You won\u2019t get a memorable event like that every day of your life<\/strong>. Enjoy it!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n

    We asked other dads the most important lesson they have learned as a father.<\/p>\n

    Here are the lessons shared by other dads\u2026<\/h2>\n

    I have learned\u2026 what patience is and what love truly looks and feels like\u2026 the length I\u2019ll go to love and protect my daughter, and ultimately, discovering the kind of man I am because of her.
    \n\u2014 Christopher,<\/strong> father of a 1 and a half-year-old toddler | Ottawa, ON<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The most important lesson learned from my 10-month-old has been that no matter how overwhelming parenting can be at times, it would never be taken back.
    \n\u2014 Daniel<\/strong> | Victoria, BC<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    As a father of three, the moments I\u2019ve spent with my kids have been the most fulfilling years. I have been there to wipe my daughter\u2019s tears away and watch them succeed in their educational journey. It made me want to be the best father I can be when my children need me. Family is most important. And this new baby is making me excited to become a father for the third time.
    \n\u2014 Farell,<\/strong> father of 3 kids (2002, 2009, 2016) | Winnipeg, MB<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I have learned how much you care for your child more than anything in this world. I have more respect towards my dad now.<\/p>\n

    \u2014 Ridwan<\/strong>, soon-to-be-father \u00a0| Edmonton, AB<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I am not a father yet, but I learned that the right start would lead to a bright future.
    \n\u2014 Mohamad<\/strong>, soon-to-be-father \u00a0| London, ON<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    You are walking the path before them. Your children are following and watching. So which path do you want them to take?
    \n\u2014 Mark,<\/strong> soon-to-be-father \u00a0| St. Catherines, ON<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I learned\u2026never to say NO to my wife while she\u2019s pregnant!
    \n\u2014 Kevin,<\/strong> dad of one boy | Edmonton, AB<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I learned how important LIFE is.
    \n\u2014 Matthew<\/strong>, father of 2 kids | Edmonton, AB<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    You\u2019ve GOT to be able to go with the flow. Game plans are good, but your life and your child\u2019s life will be much happier and healthier if you can compromise and roll with the punches. Children don\u2019t read a manual!
    \n\u2014 Dan<\/strong>, expecting third child) | London, ON<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I learned to\u2026Expect the Unexpected!
    \n\u2014 Renee<\/strong>, expecting second child | Innisfil, ON<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I learned\u2026There is no love stronger than the love you have for someone who is a part of you.
    \n\u2014 Erich<\/strong>, soon-to-be-father \u00a0| Chilliwack, BC<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Seeing how fast my girls are growing up helped me realize that we need to slow down and enjoy every minute of life as every minute is precious.
    \n\u2014 Rob,<\/strong>\u00a0soon-to-father | St. Catharines, ON<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I learned that\u2026things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out.
    \n\u2014 Brett,<\/strong>\u00a0father of two, ages 3 and 5 | Calgary, AB<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

     <\/p>\n

    I will do anything to see a smile on my child\u2019s face.
    \n\u2014 Zeeshan<\/strong>, dad to a 5-year old | Calgary, AB<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    People say that becoming a father would change you and teach you some of your most important life lessons.\u00a0It would change your lifestyle. (Oh no! What would happen now to my drinking sessions every Friday night?)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":24987,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,555],"tags":[10,556,158,167,323,68,40,17],"class_list":["post-24981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-parenthood-experiences","tag-3d-ultrasound","tag-expecting-father","tag-fathers-day","tag-fatherhood","tag-fatherhood-lessons","tag-pregnant","tag-uc-baby","tag-ucbaby"],"yoast_head":"\nLessons of Being a Father - UC Baby<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Becoming a father is a life-changing experience that teaches valuable lessons. 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