Much like Top Gun’s Maverick, I’ve always been confident in my own abilities. I don’t let new challenges faze me too much, and I like to think that I’ll always step up when required. My newborn son was three weeks old, and so far I’d considered myself to be a hands-on dad. I’d been changing … The post My first time alone with our newborn appeared first on Direct Advice for Dads ..read more

When I casually suggested to my wife that we should think about when to have baby number two while she was convulsed in petrified agony, biting chunks out of a blanket her mum had knitted as we entered the 46th hour of epidural-less labour, she had a suggestion of her own about an alternate use … The post Another baby? Are you for freakin’ real?! appeared first on Direct Advice for Dads ..read more

Well, strap yourselves in fellow dads, as there is much to learn and even more to do when it comes to making sure you’re dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s when it comes to keeping baby/toddler happy, healthy, and most importantly of all, safe from mishap. Even more importantly, this is all coming from … The post Childproofing your home – a self confessed DIY rookie goes through what you need to consider appeared first on Direct Advice for Dads ..read more

I’ll never forget the moment I got the call. There I was, sitting in the rain with the old man, watching a rare Fremantle Dockers win at Subiaco Oval when the phone beeped. It was my newlywed wife on the text, she’d been trying to call me, and I’d missed the calls amongst the flurry … The post Dealing with the other “M” word: Miscarriage appeared first on Direct Advice for Dads ..read more

What we learned is it’s nearly impossible to predict the results from year to year. Australian companies are moving fast to improve parental benefits, especially for dads. The top dad-friendly companies in Australia have picked up the pace and commitment to gender-neutral policies in their workplace, with nearly half of the companies listed making no … The post New Research: Top 20 Australian Workplaces for Dads in 2020 appeared first on Direct Advice for Dads ..read more

HBF’s Direct Advice for Dads commissioned original research from CoreData to learn how Australian workplaces support dads as they become first-time parents. We also wanted to hear from dads about their knowledge of workplace benefits for working fathers and how much value they placed on those benefits. The third annual study of paid parental leave policies in Australia … The post Working dads win with paid parental leave in 2020 appeared first on Direct Advice for Dads ..read more

  Elf.On.A.Shelf There, I said it. I can feel the dread start to set in. It’s a bizarre concept, I have to admit. Mind you, all the rituals we go through with our kids could be lumped in the same basket, when you take a step back and think about it. A bunny rabbit that … The post The curse of the elf, on the shelf! appeared first on Direct Advice for Dads ..read more

You might find you have depression in numerous ways; there’s no straight line or standard formula for this. You could be feeling a bit numb about everything, having mood swings, not sleeping, not eating, having some self-destructive behaviour, which lets’ face it is no good for anyone. It could be even feeling sad a lot, … The post How I dealt with depression as a father appeared first on Direct Advice for Dads ..read more

  1. Educate yourself Becoming a pending dad of twins exposes you to a plethora of terminology you will not have heard before. Unfortunately, your high school female reproductive tutorials or the general chat you have with your mates who’ve had singleton babies simply won’t cut the mustard. Terms such as ‘zygosity’, ‘mono-chorionic, mono-amniotic’, ‘di-chorionic, … The post 6 twin dad hacks to help get you through pregnancy, birth and those crazy first 6 months appeared first on Direct Advice for Dads ..read more

The Spanish Inquisition was using sleep deprivation as a form of torture in the 1400s. This is how you know it’s excruciating, because at least sometimes they decided to use it instead of, say, ramming a hot poker up somebody’s bottom. Or the iron maiden. Or the rack.   Sleep deprivation is hell. It’s been … The post A dad’s guide to sleeping on the floor appeared first on Direct Advice for Dads ..read more