Becoming a new dad is an exhilarating experience. Not only does it bring a new purpose to your life, but it changes your priorities in a way that can truly transform your life.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Becoming a new dad also means sleepless nights, lots of stress, and plenty of unpleasant fluids finding their way onto your clothes and/or face. And while it’s all well worth it in the end, it’s never easy.
To help new fathers make the transition, let’s take a look at five of the best gifts for new dads:
1Books About Calming Your Baby
“Why are you crying!?!”
Every new dad goes through the experience of feeling helpless as their child cries. Their diaper’s clean, they’ve got plenty of sleep, and they just ate, yet they continue to cry for seemingly no reason.
And while every parent develops their own strategy for handling these situations, you can use a book to find shortcuts. Here are two of my favorite gifts for new dads that helped my family immensely as we went through the “Why are you crying?!?” stage:
- The Happiest Baby on the Block– Harvey Karp MD
- CALMS: A Guide to Soothing Your Baby– Carrie Contey PHD
2The Bulletproof Coffee Kit
As an expecting parent, you know that sleep will be hard to come by once the child comes. But regardless of whether you’re mentally prepared, nothing actually prepares you for the lack of sleep that you get once you’re a parent.
With our first child, we were lucky to get 3-4 hours of sleep per night. The only remedy to remain sane during this time was to drink plenty of caffeine. So, to help us do that, we came up with a bulletproof coffee kit that makes the perfect gift for new dads. Here’s what it includes:
- Yeti Rambler Coffee Mug. Not only does this mug keep your coffee hot for 12+ hours, but it has a no sweat design that prevents leakage.
- Keurig Single Serve Machine. When you have your first child, trust me when I say that your coffee maker quickly becomes the most used appliance in your home.
- Reusable K-Cup. The reusable K-Cup allows you to use your coffee brand of choice and prevents you from having to constantly buy disposable K-Cups.
3The Baby Carrier
If you’re looking for useful yet funny gifts for new dads, a baby carrier is the perfect fit. While some fathers might feel a little apprehensive to use the carrier at first, they’ll quickly realize that the convenience of it trumps any worries about appearance.
Here’s some of the best baby carriers to use as gifts for new dads:
- 360 Ergonomic Baby Carrier. While a bit expensive, this baby carrier is our favorite because it allows you to adjust temperature for weather and can be adjusted for six different positions for comfort.
- Brighter Elements Baby Carrier. If you’re looking for max value, this baby carrier is the cheapest yet highest quality option on the market.
- DaDa Airflow Baby Carrier. This is another high value option, as you can adjust it for eight different positions. It’s also made to be adjustable for any size child or parent.
4Fitness Accessories
When you become a dad, fitness tends to head to the bottom of the list of priorities. After all, there’s a reason the ‘dad bod’ is a thing.
But with sleep already holding you back, exercise is one of the few ways to remain energized throughout the day. To help with this, here’s a few fitness accessories that can also serve as great Father’s Day gifts for new dads:
- Fitbit Charge 2. If you’re looking for cool gifts for new dads, this is it. Even if he can’t workout on a daily basis, it’ll allow him to track his steps and encourage him to keep active with stroller walks.
- Night Trek Shoe Lights. When you have a child, you tend to be on their schedule. To help make sure you can safely take those unexpected late night/early morning runs, these shoe lights are perfect.
5The Dad-Kid Combo Shirts
If you’re looking for funny gifts for new dads, the dad-kid combo shirts are a must. And while there are plenty to choose from, here’s a look at some of my all-time favorites:
- Full & Low Battery Outfit. The full and low battery outfit is the ultimate portrayal of what fatherhood is like as a new dad.
- Legend & Legacy Outfit. While this is a bit more serious, it’s sure to make any dad beam with pride when wearing it alongside their newborn.
- Copy & Paste Outfit. For the techie, this is the ultimate funny gift for new dads.
While all of the items listed above are amazing gifts for new dads, any new father will tell you that the greatest gift of all is their child. Hopefully this list will help make your time with that child even more enjoyable. Good luck!