When you're a new dad, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is not connecting enough with your newborn. "Every bit of research that we have says that the more time men spend with their children, the better it is for the dad and for the child," says Jerrold Lee Shapiro, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist and author of Becoming a Father, The Measure of a Man. "It's about just being in the same room with them." He urges men to form their own relationships with their children—the earlier the better. The baby doesn't belong only to Mom, after all.
According to Shapiro, another common mistake is for new dads to get so overwhelmed by financial concerns that they start working more hours or at another job. "They then lose time connecting with the baby, because they are so into the protect-and-provide mode," he notes.
Read more advice from Jerrold Lee Shapiro, Ph.D. on being a new dad.© 2009 The First Thirty Days, Inc.
