Insights from a 30-Year-Old Father: Valuable Life Lessons and Parenting Wisdom.

30 years has a good ring to it, right? 30-year-old Daddy! A bit too suss. Okay, 30-year-old father to an amazing daughter. That’s the right spot. I have convinced myself that if I say my age enough times it will sink in and I won’t get to have a mid-life crisis. So are you convinced?

Okay enough of that, I am a father with 3 tattoos and soon to have fifty, I met the perfect mother to my daughter… you know the end product and yeah all this didn’t prepare me for fatherhood. You know the kind of talks that mums and dads have with their kids about parenthood? I didn’t get any, just a bunch of congratulations … what was I meant to do with that? Not saying that congratulations are bad, not at all. All I am saying is, let a brother know when to brace himself.

Valuable Life Lessons and Parenting Wisdom

I love the messiness that fatherhood has because it keeps you on your toes. With that said here is the first lesson. For the first time, you will suck at it! I sucked badly and was always afraid of failing and hurting the baby and also failing to take care of my wife. It doesn’t come naturally neither does motherhood so give yourself grace and time it helps.

Immediately I got the news ‘we are pregnant’, from my wife, there was an awakening in my mind. Pregnancy is not a woman’s only, it is a two-party agreement to bring life into the world and both of you have 9 months for preparation. This meant that I had to prepare myself mentally and her physically, besides all the other things that are to be prepared.

Be a present father. This is one thing most men struggle with, it is not a fault but you can do better. This has always been one of my superpowers showing up and being there for the ones I love. As a result, my wife did not get postpartum depression and this meant the world to me because she was okay. To date, I make sure to do my best not to miss dinner and bath time. This is because these are my duties and I love being involved. There have been days that time just flies and I can’t be there but I make up for it.

Make sure to read my next piece to get more insights into fatherhood and read about the journeys different dads have taken and the lessons they have picked up as fathers. Until next time, cheers.