THE TOP 10 MISTAKES MADE BY NEW AND EXPECTANT DADS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 1, 2005 -- Just what kinds of mistakes do new dads and dads-to-be make?

From playing dumb, to claming up about their own feelings, to criticizing their spouses, rookie dads sometimes make very common errors.

InteractiveDadMagazine.com, (http://www.InteractiveDadMagazine.com) the premier online magazine for fathers, is out with its list of the Top 10 Mistakes Made by New and Expectant Dads.

"The list is intended to let dads everywhere know they're not alone and to let the spouses know we dads strive to be great dads," says Glenn Lawrence, editor of InteractiveDadMagazine.com. "At one point or another all dads have made mistakes, myself included. So have moms for that matter. By exposing the most common mistakes, we're hoping to help dads avoid making them!"

Here's the list:

1. CRITICIZING MOTHERING ABILITIES. One of the sure-fire ways to get into an argument, especially in the middle of the night, is to criticize your spouse and what she's doing.

2. LETTING YOUR SPOUSE DO IT ALL. As a dad, one of the worst things you can do is sit back and let your spouse do all the work.

3. IGNORING SIGNS OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. You are the one who's NOT pregnant. You don't have hormones raging inside of you. You need to watch out for extreme, and sometimes even subtle, changes in your spouse.

4. TRYING TO FIX EVERYTHING. A man's natural tenancy is to "fix" things. But women often want their men to just listen to how they're feeling.

5. IGNORING YOUR PARTNER'S FEELINGS. If you notice your spouse upset, a bit down or just not herself, the easiest thing to do is to look the other way.

6. CLAMING UP ABOUT YOUR OWN FEELINGS. The communication will help foster a feeling that you're in this together, and you can get through any challenge together.

7. LOSING TRACK OF TIME. Dads to be should be keeping track of time. Dads need to know how far along their spouses are in pregnancy, not just the due-date.

8. PLAYING DUMB. Playing into the stereotypes of being a dumb dad especially when it comes to changing a diaper or giving a bottle makes a miserable situation for everyone.

9. AVOIDING PARENTING CLASSES, MAGAZINES. How often have you heard that children don't come with manuals? Mothers don't magically know it all either.

10. PRETENDING YOU'RE ASLEEP WHEN THE BABY AWAKENS AT NIGHT.