Heinz - Tinytums

Getting Involved

With so much advice and information directed at mums, it can be easy for dads to feel a little excluded. Yet being a dad is every bit as important as being a mum and now your baby is getting older, it’s a perfect time for you to get more hands-on; changing nappies, feeding, giving bottles and getting baby up and dressed or putting them to bed.

These are great ways for dads to spend time with their new baby and are just as important as playing for bonding with your child.

Here’s a couple of dads’ advice for enjoying time with a little one.

“It’s surprised me how much you can do as a dad. Jackie breastfed Kieran from the word go, which made me feel a little bit left out. So I helped where I could, doing more things round the house. One of the best things I could do to help Jackie was to cook her healthy, nutritious meals. That way I was looking after her and Kieran at the same time. I also made sure the freezer was well-stocked, so that when we were too busy to cook, we had a supply of wholesome, home-made meals to choose from.”
John, dad to Kieran, aged 9 months.

“I think it’s so important for dads to share some time alone with their babies. That’s why I really enjoyed putting Milly to bed. It was a great chance for me to be on my own with her and spend some special bonding moments together. Doing things with Milly on my own, such as changing her nappy, or cuddling her to sleep also gave me more confidence as a father. And it gave my wife some time to herself to enjoy a bit of a break.”
Pete, dad to Milly, aged 11 months

“Lucy and I found getting even a bit of sleep was almost impossible. So we learned to split the night into shifts. One of us looked after Amy between bed time and three and the other took the three to eight o’clock shift. And it worked! It did Lucy the world of good getting some sleep and it was a great chance for me to feel involved.”
Frazer, dad to Amy, aged 6 months