A Dude’s Guide to Baby Size: What to Expect and How to Prep, for Dads-to-Be by Taylor Calmus
4 out of 5 stars
I admit it. I started this book assuming I wasn’t going to like it. My eyes were ready to roll. And yes, he hit lots of stereotypes (Veggie burgers are gross! Hooray, my wife has bigger boobs! Dudes don’t know how big a kumquat is! Watch out for those mood swings!), but I was also surprised at how much resonated with me. It was light-hearted and approachable without sugar-coating the experiences to come.
It’s structured by week, with a short chapter giving general information about the size and development of the baby as well as the changes that the mother is going through. He provides concrete examples of things you can do to support your pregnant partner, but also gets to the core issue: “Here’s the simplest, most important thing - listen to your wife. Don’t try to fix everything. Just listen.”
As far as the “How to Prep” part of the book, there was not very much about the physical aspects of parenthood. No checklist of equipment to buy or information about normal baby sleep. Instead, he talks about the work you need to do on yourself so that you can be the best parent possible. He suggests taking time to think about what kind of father you want to be and stresses that you don’t need to be perfect, just present. “Before you start taking care of someone else, you need to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.”
There is some parenting advice towards the end of the book, but it’s not actually that advice-y. Unlike so many books I’ve read, he doesn’t prescribe one perfect way of parenting, assuming that his method is the only way to prevent total failure. He advocates for response over reaction, discipline as teaching, and adapting to each child and situation.
Overall, I think it's a good choice for partners who are feeling a little overwhelmed or nervous about entering into this new phase of parenting, but it's one I would borrow from the library instead of buying to have on hand.
Comments