Pregnancy Advice

[Jazzrat]

Congratulation ! Best wishes to you and your wife.

Be ready for many sleepless night after the baby is born. It would be good to have your in law over with your wife to help take care of the soon to be mom and baby.

When my sis was pregnant, she spent most of her time at our place and the family helped took care of her which i felt helped her a lot. It's always good to have someone experienced around for help and advice especially for your first child.

[Amray]

My mother is currently pregnant with my much anticipated little sister. There are many pregnancy books and magazines around our house with some good advice in them regarding pregnancy, the deliverence of the baby and different ways to do it, a weekly guide to what the woman is likely to feel and encounter on that specific week, et cetera. Indeed, I did find myself reading one or two of them due to boredom even though I am male, although it may be useful in the future.....somehow.

It is also a good idea to have talking sessions with your midwife as they are vital to the pregnancy and have much experience from committing their help to many different woman. They are always the ideal people to talk to and ask questions when needed.

[ClockWorkAngel]

Originally Posted by HayashiTakara

I personally hate the concept of using a book to raise a child. Go with your instincts on this one. Allowing the child to become his/her own individual is the best gift you can give him/her. Also, don't try to be a friend. You're the parent and he/she is the child, and it should stay that way. Discipline appropriately, show the child that there is a consequence to every action. Many children this day and age grow up without proper discipline, so they think they can get away with anything. And one last thing, make sure your child knows how to treat their elders, it makes me cry inside as to how kids nowadays treat their elders.

Odd, my father always emphasizes that he wants me as a friend, as a "brother" as he says, and I felt that to made me closer with him. But then again I'm quite disciplined. Treat your children as children until they grow mature enough to be your friend. If you try to grind into their heads that you're "The man" you might be begging for a more aggressive rebellious age. But yes teach them respect, because once they learn respect and discipline they won't get into the bad crowd enough to get hurt by it.

Practice what you preach, you never want your child to be able to call you a hypocrite. And most important of all, talk to them, if you don't talk t them they'll never respect you. I remember my father talking to me during long car rides home etc. Teach them character, give them reasons to be disciplined, to have morals. As my father calls it learning how "To be a person"

Congrats though, it'll be an adventure I'm sure.

[ChainLegacy]

Not a father, but I am an eldest brother of four and the most important lesson regarding children I've learned thus far is to encourage and praise them often. Kids are like un-molded clay in many respects, and doing so helps them establish a positive self-image that can live with them for the rest of their life.