International Men's Day: What I wish I knew before parenthood with Greg Mason

We were fortunate that Emma and Lowri had a positive experience – Emma received the most exceptional care throughout her pregnancy and the birth itself, and baby Lowri arrived happy and healthy. I’m conscious this is not everyone’s experience and it can be a challenging time for new parents. 

I don’t profess to be a parenting expert (full disclaimer!) and there are lots of excellent podcasts, books, etc, if you’re seeking professional advice. However, I take great pride in my role and responsibilities as a father and for what it’s worth, I thought I would share my top 3 tips/reflections on becoming a dad – based on my own lived experience – which I always share with my new dad mates:

Trust your gut. And do it your way

I would encourage anyone and everyone to take advice from qualified and trusted third parties but always remember to trust your gut instinct too. After all, you know your own child better than anyone else.

Other parents will have their own idea of how they want to raise their kids and they’ll do things slightly differently… but there’s no silver bullet to parenting. Don’t feel anxious or guilty if they’re doing this or that, and don’t put too much pressure on yourselves.

You and your partner will have your own unique perspective, style and way of doing things so do what you feel is right for your baby. You’ll soon find your own parenting rhythm and routine. 

Teamwork makes the dream work. 

Parenting is the ultimate team sport and your partner is your teammate (your family and friends are on the subs bench, if we want to stretch the metaphor). During Emma’s maternity leave, I felt like I was hands-on and sharing childcare duties equally.

Emma has since returned to work – she has an excellent career as a property lawyer in London – and I now know what it means to co-parent... Emma’s career is equally important to mine so we try to strike a fair and equal balance of responsibilities.

If one of us does nursery drop-off, the other does pick-up. If one of us makes dinner, the other does bath and bedtime. And we plan the week ahead to ensure we both get time to ourselves, whether to exercise, catch up with friends or have a lie-in.

Obviously, all household circumstances are different and you’ll find a division of responsibilities which works for you. The key is to communicate often and work together always. You’re on the same side and you both want the same thing. 

Family comes first

I arrange my meetings and work (to the greatest extent possible) around my family life – not the other way around. If that has an impact on my business, so be it. I know what comes first.

I make my baby daughter and partner the absolute priority in everything I do. Once I started viewing everything through that lens, I became a better father to Lowri and partner to Emma, and my life is happier and more fulfilled as a result.