Review of The First Time Father

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Jah Thomas
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Review of The First Time Father

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[Following is a volunteer review of "The First Time Father" by Thomas Alfie.]
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4 out of 5 stars
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The First Time Father by Alfie Thomas is the ultimate guide for first-time fathers, from the baby stage to the toddler stage, all from a father’s perspective. When Alfie found out he would be a father, he wanted to do as much research as he could to help him be the best dad he could be. He also reached out for advice from his friends who were parents, and their best advice was ‘we winged it, bro,’ or ‘take it as it comes.’ This was not very helpful for Alfie. He was also disappointed that most of the books he read were geared toward motherhood, but what about fathers? He then decided to help future dads with this guide by sharing his experience.

Just as the title suggests, the author offered a step-by-step guide to fatherhood, including planning and preparation. He provided guidance on how to prepare for a child, manage work-life balance, and support your partner before and after pregnancy. I liked how thorough he was, not only in explaining how to prepare to be a father but also in explaining how men can be good supporting partners. The norm is for the mother to be the primary caregiver and the father to be more of a financial supporter. This book debunks that, which I enjoyed. It shows how involved a father can and should be and how being uninvolved in your child’s life can affect them in the long run. What I liked most about the book was how easy it was to read and understand. The book was also well-written and professionally edited.

One thing I disliked about this book was that the author used research findings to back up his claims but failed to state the source of the research for the first half of the book. I think if facts are being stated as such, the sources should be given, especially so that the reader can do any additional research themselves. Additionally, there were two observations I made, both of which are suggestions rather than things I necessarily dislike. The book could have stood alone without the pictures. The pictures would have made more sense if they were of his personal journey with his child, rather than random pictures of families. The pictures gave me the feeling of reading a high school textbook. Lastly, he introduced his wife’s name as Anna, and then in the last two chapters, he referred to her as Mirabelle, so at first, I was confused as to who "Mirabelle" was. The author should have stayed consistent with one name or should have at least made a reference in the beginning that she has two names so as not to confuse readers.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The author gained a new perspective when he became a father. Five years earlier, he joked about not having to worry about things of that nature. Many may share his sentiment after reading this or gain other perspectives. He also touched on some important topics, such as paternity leave for men, postpartum depression in both mothers and fathers, and sex and intimacy after childbirth. Overall, this book was a pleasantly quick read.

This book would appeal to most first-time parents, especially fathers. It would also appeal to anyone planning to have a family in the future. This is a great book to help fathers become more involved parents.

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The First Time Father
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