Points to Consider When Expecting as a Father, Essay Example

Fatherhood is often recognized as one of the most important gifts of a man’s lifetime. Alongside such a gift also comes the excitement from the idea of rearing another person from childhood towards adulthood; making that little person realize what life is and helping him grow up into a better man. True, becoming a mentor is a great gift that comes along with fatherhood. Nevertheless, not everyone is practically fascinated with the idea, especially if there are instances that fatherhood comes at an abrupt timing. At this point, being nervous and practically in denial could be a common response among young men who are facing the challenge of being a father. Although such doubts may be valid, there is no reason to take such challenge in the back seat; everything could faced and everything could be won, and fatherhood could be successfully embraced by a man who is willing to adjust his life for the sake of his family. What then should an expecting father prepare for?

Transition between being a man of your own towards the man of your family; this particular point of change specifically defines the foundation of a man’s acceptance of his being a father. The willingness to leave his old ways of living his life for his own, perhaps working for his own pleasures and putting self satisfaction at the first list of his priorities, an expecting father should be able to put his family’s needs and welfare in front of his goals. Preparation for the future is important, and being able to prepare for such future requires full acceptance of the responsibility of being a father.

Transition between being the lover towards becoming the helping hand; an expecting mother needs all the support she can get. Travelling through the journey of pregnancy shall provide both the mother and the father the right chance to get acquainted and probably become excited with the idea of becoming parents. The father plays a great role in making sure that everything goes smoothly for his partner, during and even after the birth of their child. Talking things through especially when it comes to disciplining a child even when the infant is not born yet would not only keep both parents busy, but would prepare them for greater heights of their married relationship later on.

Weighing responsibilities; a father is expected to provide financially for his family. Nevertheless, it is not the only responsibility he carries. Being the home’s stronghold, he must be able to set aside some time to be with his wife and his young child. This practice does not end; instead it should continue towards the latter years when the child or the children become older. A good father is notably always ready to serve as a helping hand to his partner and his children, no matter how long such a responsibility may seem.

Devotion to family and the role of being a mentor; fathers need not be overly concerned with the responsibilities they have towards their family in such an overwhelming manner. Doing so will only put pressure on him and those who he is supposed to give attention and support to. Taking things one step at a time is the best solution to the doubts and the dwindling thoughts about becoming a successful father. What makes a good father is his willingness to take on the challenge as it comes and learn from every turn that life offers him. Saying that ‘this is a hard thing to contend with’ will not help at all. Complicating things instead of compromising for the sake of the family’s happiness will not help either.

The more positively a father would take on his considerable role in the family and make sure that he is able to respond to the situations presented to him by life itself would help a lot in defining the path he takes towards successful fatherhood. The support from mothers helps a lot. True, when it comes to establishing a good path of parenthood, both the mother and father need to support each other; they need to understand each other in every single detail. Communication is important and it is only through this that the relationship between a husband and wife could be better strengthened instead of being broken at the onset of rearing a child or even a number of children in the house.

References

Diamond, M.J. (2007) My Father Before Me; How Fathers and Sons Influence Each Other Throughout Their Lives. New York: WW Norton.

Garfield, CF, Clark-Kauffman, K, David, MM (Nov 15, 2006). “Fatherhood as a Component of Men’s Health”. Journal of the American Medical Association 19 (19): 2365.

Kraemer, S. (1991) The Origins of Fatherhood: An Ancient Family Process.  Family Process 30 (4), 377–392.

Mendoza SP, Mason WA. (1986). Parental division of labour and differentiation of attachments in a monogamous primate (Callicebus moloch). Anim. Behav. 34:1336–4