Guest Author - Jacqueline Geller

"The New Father, A Dad’s Guide to the First Year" is written by Armin A. Brott, and published by Abbeville Press. The Second Edition, reviewed in this piece, chronicles the first year of Baby’s life from the father’s perspective.

At times hilarious, but always accurate, the book encourages Dad’s active participation in child rearing. Brott, a father of three, stresses the importance of both parents’ participation and guidance during the first year.

Beginning with the chapter, Congratulations, You’re a Dad! "The New Father" teaches father development from the day Baby comes home from the hospital to the first birthday. Each chapter chronicles a month in the baby’s life, detailing child development in the areas of physical, verbal, social and intellectual, as well as how Dad develops during this important first year.

Analyzing baby’s temperament, as well as understanding both parents’ emotional and psychological development, are critical pieces of each chapter. Scientific research is cited for factual statistics and trends. However, Brott offers a goodly dose of his own and other fathers’ personal experiences. The personal experiences are the most informative and interesting pieces of each chapter, as Brott offers up a real picture of a child’s first year.

He details “normal” expectations for each month, but stresses that each child is different and that a parent should couple that information with their own child’s schedule. The expectations are meant to be a guideline, not a rulebook for how a child grows.

Included in the book are guidelines for financial planning and choosing life insurance. Financial planning is important for all families, yet the most difficult part to face up to for most people. Brott’s advice is simple, straightforward and provides an easily understandable model for families interested in taking the pain out of planning for the future.

Health and safety matters outline everything from suggested dates for vaccinations to putting together a first-aid kit to childproofing the home.

Particularly enjoyable are the short cartoons that are sprinkled throughout the pages, providing a sense of humor about the seriousness of raising kids.

Playing with baby is a developmental necessity and baby games are included through the months of development. Brott also shows Dad how to introduce Baby to reading, music and, surprisingly, computers.

While "The New Father" is written for Dads, the information is valuable to all parents.

The book ends with an excellent bibliography of relevant books for parents, as well as a detailed resource section and height/weight chart.

The resources include information about disabilities, twins, work and family, travel and a goldmine of other subjects. Addresses, phone numbers and websites are provided for easy access.