Six ways to improve your communication as a father
Good communication is vital to any relationship, but during pregnancy and the first year of having a newborn, it is essential. You'll feel more tired and emotional than you ever have before. You'll be pushed to your limits, so you need to learn to communicate.
Express your feelings
"Men aren't supposed to show feelings" - this is utter garbage. We're emotional beings, and you have the same mood swings as your partner. Studies show that a mans hormones will actually follow a similar pattern to women. So that's one reason why you can be a little more irritable and cranky some days. You need to practice explaining how you're feeling, because it's something we're not good at.
I've had so many times where I've just told my wife "Somethings going on with me but I don't know what... I might be cranky with you". It's often hard to know what's wrong or what caused it, and often we just want to "fix" it, but expressing that you're not yourself is the first step.
Learn when to pause and reflect
You'll go through a lot of emotions over the next few years. You'll have a lot of sleepless nights. You'll have a baby that just won't stop crying. These aren't great ingredients for thinking clearly. I'm a pretty calm guy most of the time and my wife and I rarely argue, but we've definitely had more arguments since having a baby. And they're always about the most ridiculous things that ultimately do not matter.
If you find yourself with a rush of blood to the head and you just want to scream or throw something or go for a run, stop. Just step away. Say that you think you should talk later, and go for a walk, or a run or lift some heavy things and set them back down again.
Apologise
Even if it's not your fault, show some humility and say you're sorry. What's more important: being right, or the woman you love?
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