• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Because dads don’t always think like moms™

  • Dad
    • Celebrities
    • Gay Dads
    • Sex
    • Single Dads
  • Pregnancy
    • Labor or Delivery
    • Pregnant Wife
  • Baby
    • Baby Naming
    • Feeding
    • Sleep
    • Toilet Training
  • Kids
  • Teens
  • Activities
    • Local
    • By Age
    • Movie Reviews
    • Celebrations
  • Toys
    • We Recommend
    • Toys
  • Coaching for Dads
  • Great Dad Talks Podcast
You are here: Home / Baby / Five Parenting Skills Necessary for New Dads

Five Parenting Skills Necessary for New Dads

May 13, 2008 by Paul Banas 2 Comments

While being a dad may look daunting, unpleasant, demanding or frightening to the uninitiated, nothing can prepare you for how you’ll feel when it’s your baby. Before our first, my wife wanted to borrow someone else’s baby for a weekend to “try it out.”

Luckily, I nixed that idea or I’m afraid the experience would have kept us childless forever. Someone else’s child is bratty, stinky, demanding, squawking, a noisy nuisance …all of these things and sometimes at once. But your own is the little thing you’re sworn to protect. So, given that your attitude changes when it’s your baby, what parenting skills are most necessary?

Parenting skill 1: Patience
Probably the greatest parenting skill is the one that keeps you from screaming or throwing a baby across the room when he has been crying for a few hours straight. The good news is that being a dad puts a lot into perspective and places where you lost your cool before are easier to manage. Never downplay your own anxieties if you feel you can’t control your emotions. Everyone has moments where they think they might lose it. If you think you are about to do something dangerous, call for help immediately.

Parenting skill 2: Sense of humor
Keep laughing through all of it and repeating that it’s short and will end soon, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly diaper changing becomes a mere memory. Parents who are able to laugh when their hands are knuckle deep in a diaper genie are better able to weather the stress of sleepless nights and the drudgery of feeding-wiping-washing-swaddling.

Parenting skill 3: Consistency
Despite how babies seem to rule the house from the moment you bring them home, they actually thrive on consistency in routines. If you feed them and give them naps at the same time every day, they will be more secure and cry less. As they grow older, more routine (brushing teeth, family meals, daily piano practice and so on) gives them structure. Too much choice is hard for littler kids. This puts a big responsibility on parents who need to be present to “nag” about all the things kids need to focus on. There is a big payoff. Older kids appreciate this effort.

Parenting skill 4: Real skills out of a book
Changing a diaper, making formula, installing a car seat – all of these things take real learning to accomplish and do over and over again. The early baby years are all about learning a ton of new information and studying small print to build things for your baby or even feed him the right amount of medicine.

Parenting skill 5: Love and affection
Whether you call it a parenting skill or not, love and affection is the most important thing for your new baby. Many studies indicate that physical contact between parent and child is important for development. Dads, because they will engage in down on the floor “rough and tumble play,” play an especially important role in developing kids growing social skills. You’ll hear many people challenge this idea and suggest that babies need to be “toughened up” by letting them cry themselves to sleep or even go without a bottle to stay on a rigid schedule. This is plain wrong. While some animal babies are able to fend for themselves very quickly after they are born, the human baby is meant to be nurtured and protected for quite some time after birth. For example, human baby brains alone are only half the size they will be just one year after birth. Some say human babies complete gestation period should really be 21 months, combining nine months in the womb and another 12 months after birth. Babies need physical attention as much as possible during this time period, as well as for many years beyond. There is no such thing as loving a child “too much.”

Luckily for you, many of these parenting skills come naturally to new dads if you’re able to grow with the role of being a dad.

Filed Under: Baby

About Paul Banas

Paul Banas is happy married dad of two great kids living in San Francisco. He writes now about kids, new technology and how the two interact for GreatDad.com and for Pregnancy Magazine (pregnancymagazine.com) where he is also the publisher.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. sonnerie says

    November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    It’s really great post. I would like to appreciate your work and would like to tell to my friends. Thanks for sharing!!

    Log in to Reply
  2. rqzeiba says

    November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    vhsupfw

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks
Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews

Decoding Dad’s Mental Load with Zach Watson
byPaul Banas

In this episode of Great Dad Talks, guest Zach Watson dives deep into the often-misunderstood topic of “mental load” in modern partnerships and parenting. Zach, known for his educational and relatable takes on invisible labor in relationships, shares how the mental and emotional workload disproportionately impacts women—often in ways that go unrecognized by men.

Whether you’re struggling with household challenges, feeling disconnected from your partner, or just want to strengthen your role as a dad and partner, this episode is for you. 

Check out Jim’s website at zachthinkshare.com

Visit these links and embark on the path to becoming the best parent you can be:

– GreatDad.com/coaching 

– GreatDad.com/pq 

– Gratitude course: bit.ly/3NMLDNC  

50% off for podcast listeners with code PODCAST50

Decoding Dad’s Mental Load with Zach Watson
Decoding Dad’s Mental Load with Zach Watson
July 8, 2025
Paul Banas
152. Building Men’s Character and Legacy with Jim Tracy
July 1, 2025
Paul Banas
151. The Power of Playful Parenting with Dr. Larry Cohen
June 24, 2025
Paul Banas
150. The Power of Humor in Parenting with Gavin Bellour
June 17, 2025
Paul Banas
149. Winning College Applications with Hamada Zahawi
June 10, 2025
Paul Banas
148. Healing Generational Trauma with Dr. Sasha Reiisi
June 3, 2025
Paul Banas
147. Discovering Dad’s Purpose with Adam Landrum
May 27, 2025
Paul Banas
146. Balancing Business and Family with Dr. Travis Parry
May 20, 2025
Paul Banas
145. Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus
May 13, 2025
Paul Banas
144. Exploring Mindful Fatherhood with Odeani Mc Bean
May 6, 2025
Paul Banas
Search Results placeholder

More to See

5 Best Earhook Earbuds That Don’t Fall Out 2025

July 2, 2025 By Paul Banas

smart sprinkler controllers

10 best weather-based smart sprinkler controllers in 2025

July 1, 2025 By Paul Banas

Copyright © 2025 . GreatDad