Being a new parent can seem exhilarating, exciting, and a little bit scary. Everything is new, everything feels unknown, and stepping into parenthood feels like stepping into a whole new world. On top of that, so many parenting books are made for mums. But expectant dads could use some help along the way too, so we’ve compiled a list of the very best books for new dads stepping into fatherhood.
From the practical to the encouraging and the downright funny, each of these audiobooks offers a different take on parenthood and how to approach your coming dad-dom. Whether you’re a new father yourself or looking for a gift for the expectant dad in your life, these titles have all the expert advice you need to tackle this new and exciting challenge head on.
One of the best baby books to begin with, Dad’s Guide to Pregnancy for Dummies covers all the basics. This guide delivers just about everything you need to know about pregnancy in the most literal sense. Pregnancy for Dummies gives a full rundown of what to expect, including detailing the pregnancy's timeline, explaining the physical aspects of pregnancy and delivery, and offering advice on dealing with the emotional stress of an impending baby. This is beyond a simple introduction to pregnancy. Think of it as “childbirth 101” as this guide talks dads through how to go about setting up a baby-proof safe space at home and taking care of the little one once he or she is born. For those that feel overwhelmed when it comes to fatherhood, this Dummies guide is the perfect place to start.
A proud dad of three, Neil Sinclair is a former commando, and his background shines through in this straight-forward guide to preparing for the challenges of new fatherhood. Written in a training manual style, Commando Dad: How to be an Elite Dad or Carer, from Birth to Three Years approaches the mission of fatherhood with military-like discipline. With clarity and precision, Sinclair outlines the critical responsibilities and common obstacles that come with the territory of being a dad, starting with essential skills for surviving the first 24 hours with a newborn in the house. Commando Dad provides practical instruction on feeding, clothing, transporting, and entertaining little ones while staying organised, keeping calm, and maintaining morale in the ranks. Set yourself up for success with Commando Dad, and you’ll have your troops falling in line in no time.
Dummy takes a more lighthearted approach to fatherhood—after all, it’s impossible to take things too seriously when your little one is peeing into your face, throwing a fit because their food isn’t just so, or colouring on the walls. Matt Coyne brings the same humour listeners have come to love from Man vs. Baby to this audiobook that doesn’t shy away from the everyday havoc and sheer madness that is parenthood. Dummy is a heartwarming and hilarious look at what it really means to be a parent—no sugar coating, no pretending—just open, honest, and chaotic stories of how to deal with the little one in your life. Child-rearing isn’t a set science, and this bestseller offers an open-minded, down-to-earth view with a welcome reminder to every new dad: No parent is perfect, and chaos is perfectly normal.
Pregnancy for Men by Mark Woods is a guide to the nine months leading up to childbirth— specifically designed for dads. This audiobook will help you prepare for everything from your partner’s potential mood swings to setting up a proper nursery, and everything in between. So many pregnancy books focus just on the mother (for obvious reasons) but Woods offers a dad book that will guide and inform you all through those early stages of fatherhood. Learn how to support your partner’s pregnancy, deal with the emotional ups and downs of fear and excitement that come with an impending new bundle of joy, and ensure you feel as prepared as possible for the baby’s imminent arrival. This international best seller describes pregnancy in a nutshell, offering an overview of the early days of being a dad.
A hilarious and insightful look at adulthood, As Good as It Gets: Life Lessons from a Reluctant Adult explores the challenges of being a full-fledged, responsible grown-up in today’s world, especially for dads who still like to play Fortnite. Comedian Romesh Ranganathan is both the author and narrator of this audiobook and brings his unique witty style to every observation. With candour and humour, he addresses everything from gaining weight to middle-class living to what it means to be a man—and father—within his family structure. If you’re a dad who struggles to find yourself amongst your family identity, or you simply have found yourself suddenly middle-aged and don’t know how you got there, this funny look at adulting and dad-dom is the perfect listen.
From psychotherapist Philippa Perry comes this number one* Sunday Times* bestseller. This audiobook looks at all aspects of familial relationships. From the formative ones, which may have shaped your outlook on life, your attachment and communication styles, and your methods of coping with conflict and stress, to the relationship you have with your partner and the ways in which you interact with and relate to your children. Perry offers advice, insight, and a knowledgeable background as she seeks to help listeners form better, stronger, and healthier connections with one another. Without judgement, she dives into a variety of stumbling blocks and provides practical, useful solutions. This is a great tool for learning how to strengthen your relationship with your partner prior to the baby’s arrival, as well as build healthy foundations within your own growing family.
In this educational and uplifting audiobook, Dr Laura Markham offers parenting advice with a focus on positive reinforcement and strong open communication between parents and children. A practical parenting guide, Calm Parents, Happy Kids offers real, usable tips and tactics to use with children from an early age. New dads will love this alternative approach that steers away from harsh punishments and discipline but instead focusses on strong bonds and positive relationships in order to build trust and understanding between you and your little ones. Xe Sands brings the audiobook adaptation to life with a clear voice that matches the logical tone of the book.
True confession: gay dads have insecurities too. Author and Emmy Award-winning actor Dan Bucatinsky offers a gay male perspective on fatherhood that is both heartwarming and hilarious, covering the hard truths and the humorous side of being a dad. He mixes real advice with laugh-out-loud anecdotes, inner struggles, and parental triumphs for a masterpiece of an audiobook that will move you as much as it educates you. Bucatinsky brings a relatable and honest look at fatherhood that straight dads will enjoy too. He narrates the audiobook adaptation himself, adding to the authenticity with his unique voice and perspective. Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight? is a true delight for fathers of every orientation and an absolute must-listen.
Father Figure: How to Be a Feminist Dad by Jordan Shapiro addresses the psychology of fatherhood in a modern world. While the world is aware that we have moved on from outdated and traditional gender roles, examples of father figures are more often than not stuck in these archaic, patriarchal, authoritarian boxes. Shapiro aims to bring the image of men and child-rearing into the modern age, looking at what fatherhood means and addressing the identity of parenthood, rather than offering a parenting guide. This audiobook will help dads find their voice and their sense of self as they step into this amazing but serious new role of being a father, their own way.
What does it mean to be a father today? In The Life of Dad, Dr. Anna Machin throws out the old stereotypes—financial provider, sports coach, disciplinarian—and applies a scientific approach to understanding the complexities of modern fatherhood. Drawing on her decade-long study of new and expectant dads, as well as the latest findings in genetics, neuroscience, and psychology, Dr. Machin sheds light on the many facets and faces of fatherhood. She reveals the physiological changes a man undergoes when he becomes a father, explores the role of a man’s genes on the type of dad he’ll be, and stresses how every dad has the potential to make a significant contribution to his child’s life. Informative, educational, and eye-opening, this audiobook is a deep dive into the meaning and reality of fatherhood in our current age and world.
How to Be a Dad: The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy, Birth & Dirty Nappies is a priceless listen, full of wisdom and knowledge every dad should hear. Dr. Oscar Duke brings both his personal experience as a new father and his professional expertise as a seasoned medical professional to this informative, practical, and compassionate guide. Duke answers all the major questions first-time dads are dying to know, but never quite feel comfortable asking. From explaining biology to offering advice on poo, Duke covers it all, in a real and relatable way. It is the perfect pairing between a scientific, medical, and emotional guide, and expertly weaves all parts of dad-dom together to create a helpful guide for young dads.
This audiobook is an absolute must for not only new dads but for anyone with a little one in their life. Hilarious and brutally honest, it’s not a guidebook or manual, and it doesn’t promise to help you learn how to raise your child successfully. Rather, Parenting the Sh⁎t Out of Life aims to be a source of understanding, levity, and, above all, humour for parents. Coauthors Mama and Papa Pukka tell their sides of the story of what parenting means, each giving a unique perspective on some of the major milestones of childhood and parenthood, from surviving the ordeal of labour to readjusting to life as a sleep-deprived couple with a crying, pooping, helpless baby. This audiobook will make you laugh, cry, and remember that you are not alone, and though struggles may seem insurmountable, all the hard work and stress is so very worth it.
You can’t join the world of dads without learning a few dad jokes, and Matthew Cooper’s Dad Jokes audiobook is just the thing to introduce any new father into the wonderful world of awfully bad humour. There is, of course, a reason that dad jokes, for all the groans and eye-rolling they provoke, remain popular. Simply put, their (usually) innocent nature, relatable scenarios, and clever puns make people—dads, moms, kids, grands, aunties, and uncles—laugh every time. Oh, and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to tell them. Listen now and start your training as an embarrassing dad with over 900 ridiculous dad jokes.
Parenting Hell is another great fatherhood audiobook that takes a more humorous look at parenting. Rather than offering dads a straight-forward, step-by-step guide, Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe share all the hilarious anecdotes and gory details of what it means to be new fathers. Whether they are sharing funny stories from their own lives or recounting sleep-deprived nights from hell, the two are open and honest about the difficulties of the job—but they also take time to savour the triumphs that come with each new win, acknowledge the sometimes unexpected rewards, and bask in the everyday joys. Heartfelt and warm, this is a great choice for new dads looking for someone to relate to.
Be Prepared is, true to its subtitle, “a practical handbook for new dads.” In a no-nonsense manner that is also reassuring to expectant and new fathers, author Ken Hughes provides a comprehensive guide on how to prepare to be a good dad. As a first-time dad, you will learn how to change a nappy, baby-proof your home, warm a bottle, support your spouse or partner, balance work and at home life, and all the major how-tos of being a first time dad. You’ll also find lots of handy tips and tricks for saving time and easing stress from dads who know their stuff.
In* The Expectant Dad's Survival Guide*, Rob Kemp, a new dad who learned the hard way, combines advice from a variety of expert sources in order to build the ultimate dad’s playbook for parenting. This audiobook covers the pregnancy months right through the first weeks after birth, offering guidance for the new dad stepping into the adventure of fatherhood for the first time. The Expectant Dad’s Survival Guide covers a little bit over everything, helping you feel prepared to support your partner through pregnancy and into parenthood. This is a great listen for anyone who finds themselves approaching fatherhood and doesn’t know where to start.
Adrian Kulp delivers an informative and helpful guide to pregnancy that covers all the major milestones and moments of pregnancy—the bewildering, the aggravating, and the exasperating, and wonderful—right through to childbirth. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the approaching reality of fatherhood, this audiobook is a great place to start. From presenting a preview of labour and delivery to demystifying the process of breastfeeding, We’re Pregnant! will give you all the practical knowledge you need to be a full partner and confident new father. With a way of making it all clear and manageable, Kulp provides advice and suggestions for the tough questions. This is a great choice for expectant dads who are nervous about the upcoming journey seeking a listen to put their mind at ease.
In his follow up guide to We’re Pregnant!, Adrian Kulp looks at the first year in your new baby’s life. From adjusting to life with a baby to learning to communicate with your partner, We’re Parents! takes new dads from the moment of birth through all the early developmental milestones. Informative, practical, and easy to understand, this audiobook is an indispensable introduction to parenting for first-time fathers. You’ll learn all you need to know to be a great dad for that first stage of your child’s life and more to help you feel prepared for the growing life of the new baby in your life.
Dads-to-be will love this step-by-step guide to what to expect when your partner is expecting. Armin A. Brott covers all parts of this glorious new experience of fatherhood and the roller coaster of emotions that goes along with it. Whether you are beyond excited or very terrified to welcome a new life to the world, Brott lends an ear and usually has some piece of advice to share. Parenthood is a daunting new realm, but this audiobook will help you feel at peace about entering this new adventure. As The Expectant Father affirms, becoming a dad may be difficult but it is oh so rewarding.
So, you made it through the long months of pregnancy and the amazing birth of your first child. Congratulations! Now what? Armin A. Brott presents The New Father to guide you through the first year in your baby’s life and all the major milestones and challenges you and your little one will face in this new stage of parenthood. This Audible original title is the continuation of The Expectant Father, and picks up right where the last audiobook left off, with the same level of advice, tips, and practical guides. From weaning off breastfeeding to teaching your baby to sleep and so much more, Brott helps hew dads navigate the world of a growing little one in the first exciting year of their life.
