Father's Forum

Father’s Forum

Dispelling some common mistaken notions about DADS

Meet the new age father. He’s usually extremely informed, involved and indispensable in his children’s lives. However, like their spouses, most new or expectant dads do carry around their own silent assumptions about what parenthood could mean.

It’s very natural for the woman to attract a lot of concern and attention during the pregnancy. But men have questions of their own that they may not know whom to discuss with. To make the shift from husband to father smoother, here’s a look at some of the mistaken pre-conceptions on the same.

Only the expectant mother’s feelings are important

The many changes that your partner’s body goes through during pregnancy may make it easy to assume that her feelings are the only ones that count. Concern for her physical and mental health is extremely important, but don’t let it overshadow yours. The wait before parenthood is often the time when doubts and nagging questions creep into one’s mind. What is important is to communicate. Many men tend to keep their fears to themselves. However, experts stress on the need to talk and share feelings, more so during this period.

Newborns need the mother more

Right from the pre-natal stage to the first contact while breast-feeding, the mother tends to bond quicker than the father. However, this does not mean that fathers have to take a back seat. Fathers-to-be can be with their spouse throughout the delivery and request to hold the baby immediately afterward. Spending time together and being involved throughout will make all the difference.

Men don’t know how to care for young children

This is probably the greatest misconception that keeps many fathers from having a primary relationship with their babies. Often, many new mothers fear that men aren’t capable of handling newborns. But parenting is something that is learned on the job.

Men who focus on their children can’t make it in the work world

Man as the provider and woman as the child-bearer? We believe that this trend is changing in metropolitan cities. Since mothers work these days as well, the question of one having more time than the other does not usually arise. Besides, an increasing number of men seem to be finding parenthood more fulfilling, with an easy balance being achieved between their personal and professional lives.