Review of The First Time Father
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Zainab Wasif
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Review of The First Time Father
[Following is a volunteer review of "The First Time Father" by Thomas Alfie.]
In the past, fathers were generally considered as only the providers of the family, taking care of the financial needs of their children. There has been a shift in this trend and dads nowadays seek ways to connect with their children right from their conception to create a strong bond for life. The father-child bond has a huge impact on the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of a child in the long run. Thomas Alfie was raised by a single mom and struggled financially as well as emotionally. He feared parenthood and grew anxious when his wife became pregnant. He resorted to books to find answers but most books on pregnancy and parenthood lay focus on the mother. In his book, The First Time Father, Alfie has shared his journey of fatherhood and enlightened the readers through his experience and research.
The book is divided into three parts. The first part deals primarily with pregnancy, the terms you need to be familiar with, how to support your partner during pregnancy and labor, and setting up the nursery. The second part focuses on ways to support your partner as a new father and some practical ways to bond with the baby. It also educates new fathers about the basics of handling a baby such as diaper changes, feed times, burping, bathing, and dressing a new baby. The third part talks about the mental health of fathers and effective stress management. It also discusses ways one can groom their child in their formative years and financial management.
The author has adopted a conversational style and a straightforward approach throughout the book. The book is very well formatted and organized, with well-defined topics and sub-topics which would make future reference easier. It has a wealth of relevant information for first-time dads and even moms. Alfie has familiarised his readers with almost all the pregnancy and infant-related terms. He also answers a lot of frequently asked questions that new dads can have. Right from conception to delivery and beyond, almost all the dos and don’ts, tips, and advice have been discussed. I laud the author for his genuine and sincere advice and research whether it is about choosing the color of the nursery or using light dimmers at night to avoid waking up the baby during a diaper change. Being a parent myself, I can attest that every suggestion is very helpful and practical. The author’s suggestion on each topic is brief and to the point. Occasional humour is like the cherry on top and will not let the readers get bored.
Alfie has highlighted the often neglected need for dads to engage in self-development activities for stress management. He has also suggested some smart and realistic ways to manage funds and save for kids’ health and education needs. I liked the author’s pragmatic approach and sincere advice towards saving and honing some basic life skills and habits in kids during their formative years like time management, working independently, and decision-making that would prepare and empower them to counter future challenges.
There was nothing that I disliked about the book. The author has precisely covered all the important issues that first-time dads might face. The book is well-edited and the minor spelling errors that I encountered were probably because of the format in which I chose to read the book in. I would happily rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
I would strongly recommend all first-time fathers and mothers read this book. Couples planning to start a family can also greatly benefit from this book. It would serve as a quick guide about things to consider before, during, and after the birth of their child.
******
The First Time Father
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
In the past, fathers were generally considered as only the providers of the family, taking care of the financial needs of their children. There has been a shift in this trend and dads nowadays seek ways to connect with their children right from their conception to create a strong bond for life. The father-child bond has a huge impact on the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of a child in the long run. Thomas Alfie was raised by a single mom and struggled financially as well as emotionally. He feared parenthood and grew anxious when his wife became pregnant. He resorted to books to find answers but most books on pregnancy and parenthood lay focus on the mother. In his book, The First Time Father, Alfie has shared his journey of fatherhood and enlightened the readers through his experience and research.
The book is divided into three parts. The first part deals primarily with pregnancy, the terms you need to be familiar with, how to support your partner during pregnancy and labor, and setting up the nursery. The second part focuses on ways to support your partner as a new father and some practical ways to bond with the baby. It also educates new fathers about the basics of handling a baby such as diaper changes, feed times, burping, bathing, and dressing a new baby. The third part talks about the mental health of fathers and effective stress management. It also discusses ways one can groom their child in their formative years and financial management.
The author has adopted a conversational style and a straightforward approach throughout the book. The book is very well formatted and organized, with well-defined topics and sub-topics which would make future reference easier. It has a wealth of relevant information for first-time dads and even moms. Alfie has familiarised his readers with almost all the pregnancy and infant-related terms. He also answers a lot of frequently asked questions that new dads can have. Right from conception to delivery and beyond, almost all the dos and don’ts, tips, and advice have been discussed. I laud the author for his genuine and sincere advice and research whether it is about choosing the color of the nursery or using light dimmers at night to avoid waking up the baby during a diaper change. Being a parent myself, I can attest that every suggestion is very helpful and practical. The author’s suggestion on each topic is brief and to the point. Occasional humour is like the cherry on top and will not let the readers get bored.
Alfie has highlighted the often neglected need for dads to engage in self-development activities for stress management. He has also suggested some smart and realistic ways to manage funds and save for kids’ health and education needs. I liked the author’s pragmatic approach and sincere advice towards saving and honing some basic life skills and habits in kids during their formative years like time management, working independently, and decision-making that would prepare and empower them to counter future challenges.
There was nothing that I disliked about the book. The author has precisely covered all the important issues that first-time dads might face. The book is well-edited and the minor spelling errors that I encountered were probably because of the format in which I chose to read the book in. I would happily rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars.
I would strongly recommend all first-time fathers and mothers read this book. Couples planning to start a family can also greatly benefit from this book. It would serve as a quick guide about things to consider before, during, and after the birth of their child.
******
The First Time Father
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
