How to not be a terrible dad

How do you become a great dad? Who knows? I have been working my ass off just to not be terrible. There is no bar / measuring cup that can assert your goodness of being a dad. But there are so many ways you can be a terrible dad.

Here is my take on some Dos and Don’ts that will help you from being a terrible dad:

• Support your wife as much as she needs to recover and get back to her normal self

• Do not let your wife be a linear dependency for any of the baby’s needs

• Take care of the baby, not just make sure she is taken care of

• Time spent with baby is more important than gifts

• Babies will age so fast that you will literally miss whatever you are missing out on

• Babies are gross. Deal with it.

• Be there for both good and the bad times

• Do solo parenting occasionally or with wife (without grand parents and nannies)

• Your weekends are your kids’ childhood memories together, so plan them wisely

• Do not blindly take advice from others

• Manage your frustration actively by communicating with your wife instead of ranting or yelling at her or the baby

• Give 120% in all things about the baby, no point in half-assing it. Can give 95% in other things for a while to compensate.

• Make sure the baby meets family/friends/strangers regularly instead of just 3-4 people in their lives

• Try to communicate with the baby through eyes / gestures instead of just following a rulebook