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New Dads and Fear of the Unknown
Becoming Confident in Your New Parenting Skills
By Mark Stackpole
The most important thing for dads who need help is to speak up and reach out, and Dr. Ladd believes most people are willing to listen and help. Help can come from a wide variety of sources, including support groups, friends, neighbors, siblings, relatives and even the right books and movies.
Herrera also believes that if a new dad is willing to look, there are a lot of opportunities to get support. "There are lots of resources and more seem to be popping up," he says. "Plenty of books and Web sites offer great advice and tips. If a guy wants to reach out, he should consider talking with fellow fathers from work, the softball team or church. He can ask his own parents for advice, and grandmothers and grandfathers have been through it all several times over. He'll be glad he did."
No matter what happens, Azcona knows that he can count on his close friends and their families. "Are my friends and I weird in that we actually talk about feelings?" he asks. "Maybe we are, but I know that I count on them."
And he has a few things that he would like for his son to know about his own efforts at fatherhood. "Nobody's perfect," he says. "This is a learning journey for all involved. And most importantly, no matter what happens, we will get it right."