It is official im about to have a Grimlen....

Well I officially got the news today I’m a soon to be father!!!!!! To say that I am excited is an understatement but on top of the excitement is an ounce of dread, dread of the unknown that is. My wife and I have long discussed having a child and have even came up with names for a boy or girl depending on what we are to have. But I have come to realize that even though I have spent time around babies and children I don’t know the first thing about raising one properly. I know that there are people here that have raised children so I come to you for your words of wisdom and advice. WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I look forward to your responses as I have a lot to learn before the big day comes in early February.


Thank you and Good day/night depending on your location in this universe.

Most of parenting comes naturally... for example, chasing a toddler around the house (for fun) like a wild animal.
It will happen and you won't even think twice about it.

Just treat the child the way you'd want to be treated if you were young and defenseless and you'll do fine!

reply to post by crimsongod21


Congrats!! Parenthood is the hardest thing I have ever done!! AND the BEST BLESSING EVER!!!
Read a lot of material!
Get plenty of sleep before the baby is born, because it will be roughly 3 years of sleep deprivation!!!!
Encourage your wife to PLEASE BREASTFEED!!
Umm I could go on and on lol.........Good Luck!

reply to post by Starwise


That is already planned my wife is avid about breast feeding, and i support her fully. All the information that i have read and that she has provided me links it to a healthier child and thats a good thing. My wife brought home a bunch of books yesterday for us to read so i got volumes to pour through in the next nine or so months.

Lucky for me i am used to being sleep deprived so it shouldnt effect me too much, other then not getting to sleep in tell 8 am on the weekends. lol for some reason i think thats going to be out the window.


thank you and good day/night depending on your location in this universe.

remember if its a girl keep a shotgun above the fire with a label that says 'only to be used on boyfriends who i don't like - and i dont like boyfriends' to provide a bit of fatherly love but if its a boy make sure the label says 'if you get get it in the family way i'll bust your ass back to when you were that small'

congrads buddy!!! !!!
i have 2 kids,and i felt a lot like you did before my first one!
but, i can assure you as soon as you hold your baby for the first time,YOU WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO! i promise you
mothers arent the only one who have instincts!
new borns are the best kids to have. they only want 4 things.
food
burping
clean diapers,
love and warmth!
thats it!!!
its wen the start getting older (as soon as they can hold their head up on their own older!)thats when they go from needing to wanting! long nights of crying/feeding.
they wanna party all nite when you need to sleep!
climbing and crawling and picking things up off the floor and putting them in their mouth...
that stuff will drive you batty!
but by then,you will be used to your little bundle of 'joy'
it is a true miracle a new baby,it will soften even the hardest heart.
i love my kids with all of my essence,and would have a very hollow life with out them. (i can't even imagine that!)
i also learned why my parents got so worried when i wouldn't come home for a few days,i really did learn.
listen friend,there is nothing any one can tell you how to be ready for this,it is something you will have to experience your self.
but i tell you,you will know what to do. when your new baby comes,a switch turns on inside of you,and from then on your daddy!

i wish you all the luck in the world buddy,and i pray to the Gods that you and your wife have a beautiful,healthy,
baby!!!
unconditional love begets unconditional love!
peace

reply to post by Maxatoria


I have already invested in both male and female chastitiy belts...Jk...

Originally posted by reficul

climbing and crawling and picking things up off the floor and putting them in their mouth...
that stuff will drive you batty!

OMG you nailed that one! That has got to be the worst! All the baby proofing of the household....... I am so glad my kids are out of that stage.

Lets not forget about all the body orifices.... things up the nose, in the ears, the butt........And diaper changing lol, be sure to cover the private part well so when the spray springs, it wont hit you in the face

Ahhh babyhood....those were some good times indeed! Lots of memory making!

Hey congrats. I'm happy for you, but moreover I'm happy that you're happy. I feel obligated to post here because my wife is ready for kids too. We're both at the point in our lives where it's now or never with kids. It's going to happen soon weather I'm ready or not. I feel more ready for kids now than I ever have before. But I am still terrified. You have no idea. Maybe you do. But it sounds like you were at least a little bit excited before you got the news. I don't think I'm excited. Just really scared.

I'm afraid I won't be a good dad

I'm afraid I won't know how to handle all the crap I made my dad put up with

I'm afraid the kids won't like me

I'm generally afraid of babies because they're so squishy and easy to break. I'm sort of clumsy

I could go on. My wife and I have been talking about this for a while now. She always just says don't worry you'll be fine. That advice may have worked for me before a patrol in Iraq, but I'm more afraid of children.

Just know that there are other terrified new dads/potential new dads here. Strength in numbers right? How bad could a couple babies be?

ive been dad for 6 years now, and i didnt know sh*t , ive now come to the conclusion that our main job is to 1. keep them alive
2. bath them when there dirty, feed them good food when there hungry
3.make them smile and laugh when ever possible
4. teach them whatever values you want to be in this world when your gone

the rest is just deatails

reply to post by crimsongod21

Congratulations!

Just don't drip him/her is about all the advice you probably don't need. The rest you'll learn along the way. (Pro Tip: Ear plugs might be handy while your ears become accustomed to the pitch of a baby wail.)

Congrats,man!!

Before the child arrives,here are some helpful tips to guide you through the pregnancy phase of it.

What ever the mother asks,do it,no matter how crazy it sounds.
Buy a hat that you can through through the door when you get home,if it comes back to you in shreds,walk away.
Be there for her and support her,at the mean time secretly creating some sort of space or mancave for an escape.

Now ,the little buggers aren't so bad until they become mobile.
When that happens,ain't nothing safe.

Good Luck!

Originally posted by ZeroReady

I'm generally afraid of babies because they're so squishy and easy to break. I'm sort of clumsy
could a couple babies be?

not true babies and kids in general are built to last, its when we get older that we become more breakable

reply to post by DocHolidaze


Jeeze you make it sound so easy. My wife can do that too. Really I mean is that it? Food, warmth, love, happiness, cleanliness? I guess I can do that. It just always seems so much more complicated.

reply to post by ZeroReady


its only complicated if you make it complicated, like the others were saying before once u hold ur baby u will know what to do, word of advice if u got a squeamish stomach don't watch ur baby actually come out of your wife there i s so much blood, but definitely be there with her in the room just position yourself up next to her head

reply to post by ZeroReady


It will come to you.
You see this newborn baby ,and it's from your flesh,and you are the soul caretaker for it.

Our first child,we bought some baby book,read it front to back.
After the second child we no longer needed a book.

It is very terrifying at first, but the baths in a sink,that first smile and laugh from your child .
That first word,that first step taken.

My kids are 10 and 13.
My daughter just graduated from middle school today,going to highschool next.
Then comes the boys and she wanting a car.
Thats the scary part for me,is letting them grow up and letting them leave to explore the world.

reply to post by Starwise


ha ha ha thats funny!. heres a short episode with my first born.
we had him home for a few days and he wouldn't pee.by day 4 me and my wife got scared and called the health hotline.
the nurse told us to hold his foot under some warm tap water,and he shoul pee then.
well my son was naked,and my wife was holding him while i put his foot under the running water.
within 2 minutes,he let rip a stream that would embarrass old faithfull!!!
and guess who bore the brunt of the 'stream of relief'? me of course!!!!
i didn't care,he went!!!! and he had the most adorable smile of relief on his beautiful little face!
me and my wife cried after that!!!

reply to post by crimsongod21


The thing about advice is, always take it with a grain of salt. Only YOU are going to know what's best for your kid.

People love to give advice, listen to it, and think about it before doing it.

The best advice I can give is, give your child lots of love and hugs.

Now you're in trouble.

Be forewarned though. You're going to have a lot of people poking their nose in your business more than ever before because they think they have to make it their business to monitor how you treat your kid.

Originally posted by kdog1982
Congrats,man!!

Before the child arrives,here are some helpful tips to guide you through the pregnancy phase of it.

What ever the mother asks,do it,no matter how crazy it sounds.

Good Luck!

edit on 30-5-2012 by kdog1982 because: (no reason given)

Too Funny....
Absolutely True!!
Your wife will be sick one minute, hungry the next, tired, grumpy and a whole other range of emotions that will quite literally catch her off guard! And quite honestly, you can do whatever she says, get her whatever she wants, but be warned, even that wont make her happy at times......Chalk it up to hormones and don't take any of it personal....

And if you want to be the most caring husband ever who will get you tons of brownie points: BUY HER A BODY PILLOW!!!!