I read and browsed through a lot of parenting books when I was expecting my first child. They were all geared towards mothers. In most of the books the fathers of the babies got a brief mention, or at best a chapter. The role of fathers has changed in the last few generations, and that leaves a lot of men without clear guidelines on what to expect, what to do, and how to be a good father.
Quarterback Dad: A Play-By-Play Guide to Tackling Your New Baby is a great book written just for new and expecting dads. Author Bobby Mercer takes the lessons he learned in coaching high-school football for twenty years and applies them to fatherhood.
It’s a unique approach. But it makes sense, even as a female reader who knows very little about sports. All the fathering advice comes in football terms. The mother of the baby is the “Head Coach”. The baby is called the “star” and the “#1 draft pick”. Fumbles are mistakes. Touchdowns are tips and great bits of information. Mercer covers an amazing number of subjects in this book. I think the small sections and to-the-point advice will appeal to busy young fathers.
The book is divided into Pregame which covers the pregnancy through birth, and Game Day which covers the first year. There is advice on announcing the pregnancy, how the mom’s body will change during the pregnancy, equipping the nursery, baby proofing the house, mapping a route to the hospital, naming the baby “Don’t choose a name that can easily be rhymed with something demeaning”, what to expect at the birth, APGAR scores, supporting nursing or bottle feeding decisions, diapers, grandparents, co-sleeping, picking out a special lullaby, first foods, bibs, choking hazards, traveling with the baby, celebrating the first birthday, and much much more. There’s a handy index for finding specific topics easily, and each section is summed up on an Extra Points page.
I love the way the dads are encouraged to participate, to respect the wishes of their wives, to parent children as a team, and to truly enjoy the experience of being a father. As Mercer says, “there are no do-overs in raising kids”.
If you know a new or expectant father, consider giving him Quarterback Dad: A Play-By-Play Guide to Tackling Your New Baby. The book is a great way to encourage fathers to be more involved and it gives them the information they need quickly and with a dose of humor.
Also See:
Nurture by Nature – Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger
Smash It! Crash It! Crunch It! – Rain Newcomb & Bobby Mercer