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New Dads and Fear of the Unknown
Becoming Confident in Your New Parenting Skills
By Mark Stackpole
That fear of the unknown kept the Azconas from becoming parents when most of their friends did – they weren't ready to make the commitment that parenthood required. "We got accustomed to a certain lifestyle that we love, from our own companionship as a couple to financial and social freedom," he says. "We were selfish in regards to the time we spend together and wondered if adding a third person would change that."
"Fatherhood brings a lot of responsibility and it doesn't usually hit first-time fathers until the baby is born," says Tim Herrera of Elk Grove, Calif., a father of four and the author of several books on fatherhood, including From Wedgies to Feeding Frenzies (iUniverse, 2004). "That's when you think, 'What do I do now?' Since there is no fatherhood instruction manual, the best thing to do is to use common sense. A new father cannot be afraid and needs to remember that he is going to make mistkes along the way. As long as he stays level-headed about things, everybody should be OK."
