Nine Things You Should Do While on Parental Leave
If you are a soon-to-be father and work for a company that offers you paid parental leave, you should take advantage of it. According to one study, only five percent of working fathers took more than two weeks off after the birth of their youngest child. However, there are huge benefits for fathers (and their children) who take advantage of this, including improved relationships with their families.
But what exactly should you be doing at this time in your child’s life? We’ll take a look at how you can make the most of your parental leave.
Take care of your partner
While you may think this is a time for you and your baby, it also touches your partner and allows them to focus and bond with your new family member. Especially if your partner has given birth, now is the time to cook dinner, do the dishes, do the laundry, and serve them from hand to foot. If you have adopted or your child was born by a surrogate mother, now is the time to take care of each other and work together. More on this later.
Make appointments and visits
Your baby needs a lot of attention, and not just from you and your partner: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends visiting your pediatrician a few days after birth. They will then need to be seen at 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 24 months. The appointment schedule fills up fast, so call your child’s doctor now to make sure he’s healthy and has his vaccines updated later. And if you’re still looking for the right pediatrician, here are a few ways to do it.
Learn the practical tasks of childcare
Through movies and television, men have been taught that changing a diaper or feeding a baby will lead to a mess. While there is some truth to this, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times my sons peed on me. Take the time to learn the most basic tasks of childcare, either while on maternity leave or at a daddy boot camp at a local hospital before they are born. You never know when they will come in handy.
Looking for Kindergarten
If you and your partner are planning to return to work after the holidays are over, you need to find the right daycare that will not only look after your child, but also make sure they reach the proper developmental milestones. You can always search Google for information, but another option is to get recommendations from friends and neighbors. And if you haven’t found what you’re looking for, there are other ways to find good, reliable childcare.
Schedule your care
Your baby will dictate the schedule for you and your partner for the first three months of their lives, but that doesn’t mean you can’t plan ahead. The Texas Department of Family and Welfare recommends taking a few minutes each week to prioritize and write down what needs to be done and when. Then check in with each other throughout the week to see how things are going and make any necessary adjustments. The agency even has a printable calendar.
Create a college fund
If you haven’t heard, college is expensive. To avoid burdening your young man with lifetime debt to pay for his education, you should consider investing in a 529 savings plan with tax benefits. For more information about these programs , visit this page on the Securities and Exchange Commission website. The more you save now, the less you and your child will have to spend later.
Change your workout routine
“You have new responsibilities when you have kids and you may not have the time to take care of yourself like you used to in terms of exercise,” said Dr. Craig Garfield, study lead author and associate professor of pediatrics and health care. social sciences. at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and as an attending pediatrician at the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago. “Your family becomes a priority.”
Consider a home streaming workout like Apple Fitness+ or Peloton to stay in shape. Spending at least a few minutes on the physical form, you will be surprised by the results.
Connect with other dads
Being a new father can be isolating and overwhelming, with one in ten new fathers experiencing depressive behavior after having a baby. Anxiety can lead to panic attacks and paternal postpartum depression. One way to feel less alone is to connect with other fathers. City Dads has chapters in cities across the country and offers everything from boot camps to field trips.
Go on a date
Hire a babysitter or call your in-laws and have a good time with your partner – you never know when another opportunity will come your way. This will not only strengthen your relationship, but it will also remind you both that you are together.