Have fun with your baby right from the start. Even the mundane things can be a huge enjoyment for you both…..

Don’t be afraid to change your baby’s nappies right from the very first time she arrives home. Make it a fun time as well, by singing little songs, or tickling your baby’s feet or tummy while you do it. Subconscious bonding occurs while you do this, as she smiles at you, and you smile back at her. Each time you do this, you are reinforcing the link and love between you. Such a mundane yet intimate task as changing a nappy, lays the seeds for a very strong and involved relationship between you and your child as she grows up.

Whenever possible, try to be present for every bath time. Get used to holding your baby in the water, while you wash her. This will give you the confidence to handle her in a potentially dangerous situation, and create trust between you and your baby. It will be another reinforcement for your growing bond together as well.

Make sure you make bath time fun. This is a part of the day that you and your baby can really enjoy. Once the job of being washed is out the way, serious play time can begin, even when your baby is very small. Always keep little floating ducks or balls in the bathroom that she can push around the bath. When she is so small, you should always hold her very firmly with one hand.

Let her splash you while you pretend to be shocked. Your baby will love the staged expressions on your face as you get wet.

Should you leave your baby crying when you put him to bed, or always go and pick him up?

This is an eternal dilemma for you as a Dad with your baby. If you leave him crying, does it mean there is something wrong, or is he just trying to get your attention and testing the boundaries. So how can you settle him down?

It is of course normal that your baby cries when you first put him in his cot at bedtime, but if you spend some time with him before leaving his bedroom, it will always help. You can talk to him and tell him stories that you have made up, but what will work best is to sing him some songs. They can be lullabies or nursery rhymes and from you, not always his mother.

You may think that you can’t sing to save your life and that his mum sings much better than you, but don’t be put off. Your baby will love to hear Daddy’s voice before he goes to sleep. He will listen to and appreciate your dulcet tones as if you are the greatest Diva that ever lived. Your voice really is ‘music to his little ears’ and he will never be bored of hearing your voice.

You will be amazed just how quickly you recall the lyrics of the songs that you sang when you were a little boy. The more you sing the more you recall the words and the better you will become. In fact you will find it very soothing for you as well. You will find that this is very high quality time that you are spending with your baby at the end of the day and it will relax you both.

In fact, it is the start of a vital, intense and incredibly rewarding relationship, that you as a Father will have with your child, that will last for the rest of your life.

As a Father, are you Happy with the Nappy? If not, you soon will be

It may not seem like it at first, but getting ‘Happy with the Nappy’ is a key moment of high quality time with your baby. This can be really difficult to imagine, particularly at the beginning, as you change that first one while holding back the instinct to vomit. But don’t worry, you will get to experience some very intimate, funny and of course, messy times together with your baby.

At the time they may seem distressing for you, but not your baby, but they’ll also be times you will recount and laugh about for the next twenty years. Not to mention the potential of embarrassing your teenager in front of people, even if you don’t do it deliberately. They may not all be ‘rosy’ moments and absolutely nothing can prepare you for that first really smelly one, but treasure them nevertheless.

In fact, you’ll wonder how something so small and cute can produce something so toxic and revolting. When this happens, you may be tempted to let your partner take care of the nappy changes, but resist this. As she probably does most of the input, you should do your share of the output!

Of course beware of changing your child’s nappy just before you are going out. There is nothing more frustrating than having to change your suit and shirt as they have just been soaked by a jet of warm yellow liquid. Then to see the look of contentment on your child’s face, together with that little smile. It puts it all into perspective and you can’t stay annoyed for very long. In fact it then becomes one of those special moments to treasure.

So get involved with this important part of your baby and ‘Get Happy with the Nappy’.