I realize that the journey to becoming a better dad does not start when your child is born. it actually starts the moment you decide in your mind that you want to become a dad. It can be when you and your partner start trying or when you decide to adopt. Whatever may be the case, this journey starts way before the little one arrives. It was with this thought in mind that it dawned on me that I was already late on my journey.

Over the last few years, a lot of my friends have transitioned from bachelors to married men and now to fathers. Most of us have been friends for several years since we were kids, high school mates, university students and young professionals. Looking back through our life journey, we had a lot of formal and informal trainings to prepare us for dating and careers but we had no training to prepare us for fatherhood. All we had to go on was what we got from observing our fathers, uncles and maybe from television. Our dads also did not get any formal trainings so the chain just continues. With just a few weeks left to the birth of my first child, I have a lot of catching up to do.

That is the reason I would like to start my better dad series with a call for help to you experienced dads out there. Do you have any particular advise or resources that has helped you on this journey of fatherhood? Something you can share with us newcomers to give us a head start or something you wish someone had told you at the beginning of this journey that would have made the journey more blissful. I understand that just like marriage, nothing can truly prepare one for the experience until you're in it, but I have also realized that lessons from pre marriage counselling sessions and books I read on marriage have proven to be valuable resources so far. So please, drop your wise quotes, reading list, link to articles, blogposts etc... You never know who you might be blessing with it.

Until next time. Continue to be a better dad.