FIRST TIME FATHER

The essential guide for the new dad

by Graeme Russell and Tony White

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New softcover book, first published 2008, this second edition published 2012, 238 pages.

Pregnancy, birth and starting out as a father

For many men, the birth of their first child is a truly life-changing event. Most men want to be the very best father they can be. But how, in today's society, can a new dad learn to care for and spend time with his child while balancing work responsibilities and being a supportive partner at home? First-Time Father: The essential guide for the new dad provides fathers with the answers and options to enable them to design a rewarding and effective fatherhood journey.

It seems that what new fathers are wanting has continued to change over the last five years. In this revised edition of First-Time Father, the authors Dr Graeme Russell and Tony White (who both work extensively with new fathers) show that contemporary men want to:

• have a strong and enduring relationship with their children
• be actively involved in the day-to-day care of their children
• share the parenting and paid work equally with their partner
• take extended leave from paid work to be the primary caregiver for a period of time
• reduce their hours of work (for example, to part-time) to behighly involved in caring for their child

There are also more families with young children where both parents are in the paid workforce, thus providing a range of different options for fathers to be actively involved. Indeed, according to the authors, there are more men today (like women) who want to have a successful career and a satisfying family life. And there are more couples seeking to base their relationships on equality in their involvement in paid work and in caring for children. With changing expectations and workplace policies, more couples have been able to put these different family arrangements in place.

The authors address the five common questions or curiosities that they find new fathers have:

1. What impact do fathers have? How important am I? Research shows that fathers are important to their children from the beginning.
2. What is best for my child? - How do I decide what I want for my child? What are his or her needs, and how can I make sure I meet these?
3. How can I connect with my newborn, and stay connected with her as she grows? – What are my opportunities to be actively involved, to be part of my child's life from the beginning, to share the joys and challenges as they grow – to be a positive influence in her life? How can I build a strong relationship with my child?
4. What about my partner, how can we work together? How can we work as a team? The research evidence shows the value of a strong relationship between partners and the benefits that result for children when fathers and mothers work as a parenting 'team'.
5. How can I include my child in my life? Are there benefits in integrating the needs of my child into all aspects of my life? How can I achieve a satisfying balance between my work and my new family responsibilities?

About the authors
Dr Graeme Russell began his work on fatherhood in the late 1970s. He is recognised as a leading international researcher on fathers and families. He has been an author or editor of six books on fathers, families and work/life, written over 20 book chapters and over 30 journal papers on these topics. Graeme was an Associate Professor in Psychology, at Macquarie University. More recently he has worked closely with leading national and international organisations to implement more effective approaches, to work/life, flexibility and diversity. This has included the implementation of the highly successful workplace program: Men at Work.

Tony White, a psychologist and former manager of health and welfare services, has worked for 40 years with families, focusing particularly on the antenatal and postnatal role of fathers. In his role with Uniting Care/Burnside in Coffs Harbour, he developed the 'Men and Families Project', a program that provides support for first-time fathers from the outset.

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First Time Father by Graeme Russell and Tony White