Let’s face it: there are no formal classes to prepare our husbands for fatherhood, nor is there a magic button that could instantly switch them from husband mode to dad mode.
Almost always, it’s us wives who are more open and vocal about welcoming the idea of motherhood. I remember how my husband and I would pass by baby clothes in department stores before – and I couldn’t help but touch the clothes and say, “So cute!” I also vividly remember asking him how he’d like to be called by our future children, only to be met with an “I haven’t thought about it yet” response.
Whether or not our husbands have outrightly expressed that they are finally preparing themselves for being a father (Take note: no one’s 100% ready for parenthood!), here are some hints or signs that you could watch out for to check if they’re more confident to be a dad:
It’s simple, but it’s important: by practicing this, he understands that he must look after himself and pick up his own mess, as you will not be able to attend to him as much when the baby arrives!
The punctuation at the end of a sentence is like the last bite of food to a meal – it’s bitin without it! When your husband lets his last bite go so you can have it instead, it’s a sign that he’s ready to share more and be more selfless, which are must-have qualities for parents.
When his routine includes washing the sink, cleaning the toilet, and sweeping the cat litter and he’s totally fine with it, you have a partner ready to tackle the “dirty” parts of fatherhood! It’s a relief to know that you have someone to rely on when you couldn’t change soiled diapers and wash soiled onesies and lampins for the time being.
As part of maintaining a healthy relationship, you allow yourselves to be away from each other once in a while. But when he starts to voluntarily give up his night out with friends because he’d rather be with you at home instead, it’s a sign that he’s not ashamed to be a homebody, too! There’ll be a lot of instances when he would need to bail out or reschedule with his friends when the baby comes, so it’s a good thing you know he’s willing to do it early on.
Have you ever heard your husband say it’s getting tighter in your bedroom or living room and you need to let go of a few things to make space? Chances are, he’s ready to accommodate another human being in the house! Your little bundle of joy would occupy much physical space in the house in the form of cribs, playpens, high chairs, and others, so letting go of a few possessions to make space may be a subtle way of saying, “I’m ready for a baby!”
Did you ever have a haircut gone unnoticed or a room cleaned and arranged but disregarded? One of the signs that your husband’s ready to be a dad is he starts to notice the little things and asks you all about it. Did you really have a pimple on your cheek? Was this rug here all along? Do you think our bathroom floor is too slippery? You need a partner in being meticulous with the baby’s body and the environment s/he moves in when s/he’s finally here!
You’ve heard it before – newborns come with an indefinite sleepless night’s package for the parents. Some nights are longer than others, and parents would not sleep or take turns in sleeping just so they’re sure the baby is taken care of. If he’s staying up late to finish a task at hand (unrelated to finishing a Netflix series), then he’s inching closer to embracing being part of #TeamNoSleep for your little one.