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Home › Articles › Fatherhood › Precious Moments

Precious Moments

7 Tips to Make More Time for Baby

By I.J. Schecter

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When it's 4 a.m. and you're changing a diaper so Mommy can catch an extra 10 minutes of sleep, you might think Baby barely notices. Wrong.

"Infants appreciate the differences in scent, skin texture [and] resonance of voice as well as the handling differences between moms and dads," says Dr. Lillian Beard, associate clinical professor of pediatrics at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. In other words, your baby not only recognizes but loves your hairy knuckles and clumsy diapering technique. So appreciate those special middle-of-the-night minutes you put in: They represent time during which you both give a critical break to your partner and grow closer together.

"Never pass up an opportunity to do the mundane stuff," says Brott. "It's not particularly glamorous to change diapers, but even those few minutes are great opportunities for Dad to get to know Baby and for Baby to get to know Dad."

5. Seek Creative Ways to Manipulate Your Schedule
Employers today are nearly as sensitive to new dads as they are to new moms. Maybe you can come in earlier and leave earlier a few days per week, allowing you some precious afternoon hours with the baby. Maybe you can work from home every Friday, turning your usual commuting hour into a Dr. Seuss or Curious George reading hour (which is way more fun).

Finally, taking some paternity leave – unless you feel it will seriously hinder your career and thus prove damaging to your family – is a great way to bond with your newborn, says Dr. Beard. Even a week of getting to know your baby at the beginning of her life will make a significant difference in the long run.

6. Take It a Step at a Time

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