I’m starting to think that it’s time to get myself just a little more prepared for the big day when it finally comes. So this is the first in what I hope will be a regular series on The Expectant Father called I Wish I’d Known.

I’ve asked a few bloggers from around the Web to play the role of Parental Advisor and send me 2 things: a memory of the weeks leading up to the birth of their child and the one thing they wished they’d known before the birth that they know now.

I’m pleased to say that the first two Parental Advisors are Graham Jones, the Internet Psychologist, and Liz Strauss, the Successful Blogger.

Graham Jones

Graham is a guru of all things internet and offers particularly sage advice about online marketing. Graham has a seven year old son, Elliot:

“When my wife was pregnant with Elliot, I had a meeting with my accountant. He told me that if we had any major projects we wanted to spend money on, now was the time to do it. After your baby arrives, he told me, you won’t have the cash. So we extended our house, had a new kitchen and got some decorating done. How right my accountant was; babies cost you much more than you ever imagined….and as for seven year old boys….well…..!!!

But the one thing I wished I had known before Elliot came along - how emotionally uplifting fatherhood can be. I’ve always been a relatively positive chap, but Elliot just makes me even more positive and bright. I had to wait a long time to be a father and I just wish it had been possible earlier because I would have had even more years of brilliantly positive life.”

Mrs C and I obviously think in the same way as Graham and his accountant as we decided we’d better get some decorating done while we still had the cash!

I just hope that in the few weeks after the birth and what with all the sleep deprivation I’m bracing myself for that I can appreciate how uplifting fatherhood can be.

Liz Strauss

Liz is the blogosphere’s unofficial “Queen of Blogging”. If there’s something you need to know about how to improve your blog drop over to Liz’s Successful Blogger site and you’re guaranteed to find the answer. Transferring her skills from blogging to parenting, here’s Liz’s advice:

“Being a parent means growing up all over again, only this time you’re on both sides of the story. You can still remember what it’s like to be the kid in the conversation, but now you know what it’s like to be the parent . . . and not have the answers. My child is so like me . . . is he pull a fast one or is he sincerely confused? How can I tell? I don’t know.

I have often told friends that children are here to humble their parents, because they teach us about our parents.

The best advice I can give is answer always with unconditional love and generosity. The child will be loved and unconditional love never spoiled anything.”

Liz’s words really connected with me as soon as I read them. I’ve already confessed to not feeling grown up and I do worry how well I’ll cope. I’m hoping from what Liz is saying, I’ll grow into the role of parent.

What’s more, I’ve been thinking about how my Dad must have felt as a parent more and more. It never entered my head when I was a kid that my parents had feelings or even that they were people, so maybe it’s time to find out how they coped with the terror that I was.

Thanks Graham and Liz

I’d like to say a very big thank you to both Graham and Liz for finding time in their schedules to share their experience with me.

If you’d like to appear in a future I Wish I’d Known post then please either leave me a comment or drop me an e-mail to ian(at)7879designs(dot)com (I know it’s a highly sophisticate code that I’m using to protect my e-mail address from spammers but I hope you can crack it ;))