Dads Career Advice

Anything that improves you as a person will undoubtedly improve you as a father. It's definitely hard, especially early on with competing priorities but I've found that my 'fathering' always improves in line with my physical activity, nutrition and sleep. I don't think that's a coincidence.

Everything will not go to plan and babies do not care about your schedule or outlook calendar. Remember that your kids are your “why” and that will put things in perspective. They don’t know how much you earn, they just know how much time you spend with them. Learn to work flexibly - be opportunistic with your time.

Embrace the change. With the birth of my first child I was adamant that nothing would change and the baby would fit neatly around my then way of life....there's nothing neat about parenthood. It turned out that for the first few years my life needed to fit neatly around the baby not the other way around. Once I embraced that, the ride became much more enjoyable.

Go lightly on yourself and on your children. They are not mini-me's and they are discovering the world and themselves through untrained eyes. There will be mistakes, there will be clashes and invariably frustrations. But you're both trying your hardest - build that understanding and bond.

Don’t wait to take a break. Time speeds up when kids arrive… blink and you’ll miss it! Being there to support you partner & newborn is important for them but just as important for you! They are only little once…

Oh and frills out!

Figure out a way that both you and your partner can have dedicated 'me time' so you can both do whatever you need to do to feel like a whole person, not just a parent.

When the baby arrives you will probably realise very quickly that life is not just about you anymore and the sense of extra responsibility can be a shock. It's a big shift but also one of the most rewarding experiences life can give you.

You are already type-cast as a father from your upbringing by your own father and other father figures in your life - take the good bits - leave out the bad - although you'll say something one day and think - wow - I sound like my dad.

Enjoy every single minute you are with your kids. They grow too quick

I reckon it's helpful to have a plan for who you will talk to, or what you will do to look after yourself in the good moments, and the tough ones too.

Make sure you have a support network.
Talk to your manager about the expectations during paternity leave and when you come back to work. Make sure you can manage your workload and have someone to share the workload with.
Look up support networks for dads and ask questions.

There is nothing more special than on Monday and Tuesday when it’s daddy day care and mum goes into the office, seeing the joy on his face 🤩

Find a balance of spending time with your baby with your partner, with your baby alone and with your partner without baby. When you get this balance wrong, it leads to fatigue and resentment.