Being a new dad
September 2nd, 2006 by Dave Cheong
Some of you may have noticed my posting frequency has dropped a little. There’s a good reason for this. Early last week my wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl - our first born.
We named her Amy.
Being a new dad is simply amazing. Sure I have to change dirty nappies and wake up at odd hours in the night, but the joys and rewards far out weigh these petty annoyances. There’s something magical about connecting with your child that I am at a lost to describe. A simple smile in an instant can wipe away all the worries of the day.
For the parents out there you already know what I’m talking about. For those of you who aren’t parents yet, once you become one, you find your whole perspective on life shifts - for the better. What used to be important, become less so. Suddenly, you find yourself looking forward to seeing your child, spending time with her and making sure she’s fed, warm and content. I find I’m less stressed out about things in general and I take the time to recount how lucky I am in so many ways.
Being a parent is a huge responsibility. You are responsible for ensuring your child is safe. You are responsible for the development of your child. How they grow up and what kind of person they become are your responsibility. I have been fortunate enough to be in a mentoring position with people I work with. I have experienced the satisfaction when I see someone I manage achieve their goals at work. Being a parent takes this to the next level. It is about nurturing your child’s budding personality, cultivating her curiosity to learn and grow as well as supporting her in the things she is passionate about.
Although Amy is only 1 week old, I already see how my focus in life will change. My dad always say in life you keep adding on instead of exchanging. What he means is life is about accumulating experiences. You don’t exchange a set of values for something else. As we grow, we add new beliefs to our belief systems. Sure I’ll still strive to improve myself and become an Entrepreneur in the truest sense, but I’ll also be dedicated to ensuring all the essential elements are in place in order for Amy to get all the opportunities she deserves.
The thing about personal development is it improves who we are, what we do and how we interact with people. No more so than now, I find all the years I have invested in developing myself, will become increasingly more useful, as I transition into my role as a dad.
The things I’ve written about are all equally applicable:
- How to encourage others
- Time boxing
- Accomplishing goals
- Overcoming self imposed limitations
- Being happy
- Step by step improvements
- Developing positive patterns
- Solving problems
- Waking up early
Not only will these lessons help me be a better dad but they will also be essential tools for Amy to obtain in her own journey through life. For all the parents out there, good luck. I wish you all the best. May your children grow up to be the best they dream to be.
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September 3rd, 2006 at 4:53 am
Congratulations, Dave!
For most people, a newborn is a pure inspiration! I wish you and your family all the best, and I’m sure the big changes brought in your life by your first baby will be the positive ones!
pS: The first 2 weeks are the hardest. Good luck!
September 3rd, 2006 at 8:15 am
Congratulations David! Amy is a beautiful baby. Gleb is right the first 2 weeks are the hardest but there is no other time in your baby’s life just like it. The whole thing goes by in the blink of an eye, so on the long nights when nothing consoles her, remember she’s on her way already. How wonderful for you to have this fun in your life. Lucky baby, too, she has a smart Daddy.
Best of luck, Linda
September 3rd, 2006 at 9:07 am
Hi Gleb and Linda,
Thank you for your kind words and warm regards. I shall pass along your sentiments to my wife. I’m truly lucky to have Amy in our lives. I look forward to learning with her and teaching her all the things that make life wonderful.
Thanks guys!
dave
September 3rd, 2006 at 12:15 pm
Congratulations Dave to you and your wife.
I am avid follower of your blog and try and fit in things your mention into my life.
VJ
September 3rd, 2006 at 12:17 pm
Hi Vijay,
Thanks for your well wishes… and for taking the time to read my posts!
dave
September 3rd, 2006 at 3:54 pm
Congratulations! You’ve got some great entries so get some rest and start blogging again. For us, the first three months were sleepless but our daughter is three now and nothing compares. Best Regards
JB
September 3rd, 2006 at 4:41 pm
Hi jb,
Thanks for the tip. I’m trying to get any snooze time I can get away with… It’s making my experiments on waking up early and consistently interesting.
dave
September 3rd, 2006 at 11:54 pm
Congratulations, Dave - I really appreciate your attitude. I’m sure she’s a lucky girl. Mine just turned 6, and I remember well those earlier days.
September 4th, 2006 at 12:02 am
A hearty congratz to you Dave!!
You got an angel.. take your time.. we can wait
September 4th, 2006 at 12:08 am
[…] Not that anyone out there else keeps track of things, but I’m always interested and curious when I see other blogs which are posting nearly every day for a certain amount of time who certainly have fans and inbound links also have a page rank of zero. […]
September 4th, 2006 at 8:23 am
Hi Matthew,
Thanks! I’m sure I’ll be walking along the same path as you as I learn more about my Amy. People keep telling me to treasure these early days because they grow up so quickly. I’m taking heed.
Thanks for leaving a comment.
dave
September 4th, 2006 at 8:24 am
Hi Rise,
Thanks for the congratz and for understanding. I’ll try to keep posting but the frequency may be a little erratic.
dave
September 4th, 2006 at 8:32 am
Congratulations!
September 4th, 2006 at 8:32 am
Hi Trudi,
Thanks!
dave
September 6th, 2006 at 5:48 am
I just wanted to say congratulations on the birth of your daughter. There’s no better job than being a Dad!
September 6th, 2006 at 6:54 am
Hi Mickey,
Thanks for taking the time to drop me a message! Much appreciated.
dave
September 6th, 2006 at 10:52 am
Congratulations David! Wish you and your family all the best and I’m sure fatherhood will be a wonderful life changing experience for you.
September 6th, 2006 at 11:18 am
Hi Tez,
Everyone has been so wonderful in their congratulations. I am truly touched.
Many thanks for your kind words.
dave
September 6th, 2006 at 1:59 pm
Happy Parenting Dave..
Congratulations.
Birth is always amazing.
My wife is being pregnant now, and we are expecting our first baby.
So, dont forget to blog about Amy..
September 6th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
Hi Arief,
Thanks! I wish you and your wife all the best!
Good luck with the birth and everything after that!
dave
September 7th, 2006 at 6:30 am
Congrats!
Welcome to the club. I’m a fairly new dad myself with an 8-month old. I’ve been using some of your techniques to help manage my tasks and stay focused. You’re definitely going to need it. Notwithstanding #17 on your list, a bunch of us fairly new dads hang out at http://ricedaddies.blogspot.com. Come on by when you get a chance.
September 7th, 2006 at 8:25 am
Hey Michael,
Thanks for the link. It is good to see what other new dads are going through. I will be keeping an eye on it.
Belated congratulations to you also!
dave
September 7th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
Congratulations to you and your wife. Amy is a cutie. I’d wondered where your regular updates had gone. Good to know that you are still around and that will write as you have time. Great stuff here but you certainly have your priorities right!
Best to you and your family.
September 8th, 2006 at 3:43 am
Hi Cathy,
Thanks for the well wishes! So far being a dad has been great though frequent nappy changes and interrupted sleep is reminding me of the movie Groundhog Day!
dave
October 4th, 2006 at 7:32 am
[…] First of all, let me begin by apologising for not having posted an article for the last couple of weeks. In many ways, that’s a bad thing because there is a backlog of semi-finished articles I have planned to publish which are begging to be finished. In many ways though, that’s a good thing because it means I am busy, being productive and have other things (like a screaming baby) to occupy my time. […]
May 23rd, 2007 at 1:57 am
thank you every thing because i was thinking about losing the baby i didnt wont it untill i read this. Now i see that i need to be there for the baby in not try to lose it thank you alot.
Dave
May 23rd, 2007 at 8:44 am
Hi David,
Belated contratulations!
I just wanted to say that the responsibility rests on our shoulders as parents to provide for them and to give them all the essentials to be successful and happy in life.
I know at times, taking care of the baby can be rough (time consuming, frustrating, tiresome etc). But don’t lose sight of what’s important. You are truly blessed and each life that enters the world is a miracle in itself. Be thankful you have the opportunity and privilege to be a parent.
So good luck. I wish you all the best at parenthood. As they say, it does get better…
dave
July 10th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Hey Dave,
Congratulations for lovely Amy.I was just going through your posts and found this really cute and co-incidently resembling to one of my post on the very similar lines when I became a dad.
-Harshal
December 21st, 2007 at 12:34 am
I just wanted to say congrats on the healthy baby girl I wanted to give you a tip it might work when shes fussie whisper in her ear and let amy know that you are there they usualy cant resist the comfort. congrats again and goodluck.