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Are you ready to be a dad? 
Women know when they're ready for motherhood because they can't stop thinking about babies. Seriously, a woman on the verge of trying for children is like a politician at election time. No baby is too ugly, snotty or uncooperative to kiss and coo over.Men are not so lucky. As the father of two young children I can testify that men are rarely 100 per cent sure they're ready for kids - until one of the little beggars actually arrives. At which point it's way too late to back out of the deal.But there are clues, if you know what to look for. And there are also clues that suggest fatherhood may be the one man skill you're actually quite good at (unlike erecting flat-pack furniture or finding the G spot).So, are you dad material? Let's help you figure it out.First, find your woman...In a few years' time, when your curious off spring asks you how babies are made, you'll probably begin an uncomfortable half hour by saying, "well, when a mummy and daddy love each other very much..."And though a loving partnership is not mechanically necessary, a strong long-term relationship is the first clue that you might be ready for fatherhood. 
Being in a strong long-term relationship is the first clue you could be ready for fatherhoodIt's also the first clue you might be OK at it. If you can form a strong and loving bond with one random human being, you should be fine with a human being you actually helped to create.Of course, the other side of the coin also applies. Never have a child to try and rescue a failing relationship, or because your friends are having them. That's not fair on anyone....and a jobLike a strong relationship, a measure of financial security is not strictly necessary for the production of children, but trust me, it really does help. And I'm not even talking about the small fortune you'll spend winning over their prospective mother.Kids are expensive. One recent study concluded that the average family forks out over £200,000 raising each and every child. Of course, it doesn't have to cost that much, and the figure is spread over 21 years. But however brilliant you are at spotting a bargain, nippers never come cheap.Being financially responsible - at least most of the time - is another clue you might make a good dad. Despite the rise of the househusband, dads still tend to do the bulk of the earning in the early years. Bringing home the bacon is likely to be part of your role, and if you do it well you've got one small part of fatherhood sussed. 
Look ImageJust because you think your nieces and nephews are little terrors, it doesn't mean you won't be a good dadThat's a good sign in itself. You'll need patience, self-sacrifice and an even temper to be an OK dad, and demonstrating a bit of that with other people's kids is a good start.You don't have to be besotted with them, and it's fine to feel pleased when they finally leave you in peace. If you can like kids that don't belong to you, you can save the all-consuming love for your own.Sleep issues (and so much more)There's no point dressing this up. If you're thinking about having a child, you have to be prepared for upheaval on a volcanic scale. Accepting that things will never be the same again is a fundamental psychological step on the road to daddy-hood.Elly Prior puts it more succinctly: "Are you done with the partying, and wanting to be with your friends all the time? Can you bear to consider that you may not be able to make it to the game?"Most importantly, are you prepared to be pretty exhausted, at least for a while?If you can answer 'yes' to all those questions then you may be ready for 3am tantrums followed by 6am wake-ups. You may be ready to see your best shirt smeared with semolina (and possibly worse) and still smile about it. You may be ready to watch Toy Story 2 18 times (and counting!) and still answer questions about Woody's hat. 
Look ImageHaving a child guarantees your life will change forever and you'll have to get used to losing out on sleep Good dads accept that, from conception onwards, life will never again settle into a constant, reliable routine. Kids grow and develop, which means routines constantly evolve and change. Or to put it another way, as one hassle fades, another heaves into view.Fathers need to be able to handle uncertainty, understand that long-term plans may never come off and be prepared towing it. 
Look ImageHaving a child guarantees your life will change forever and you'll have to get used to losing out on sleep Good dads accept that, from conception onwards, life will never again settle into a constant, reliable routine. Kids grow and develop, which means routines constantly evolve and change. Or to put it another way, as one hassle fades, another heaves into view.Fathers need to be able to handle uncertainty, understand that long-term plans may never come off and be prepared towing it. kala soco wara ku xiiso geliya kana qeeybqaado gargaarka walaalahaaga dhibaateeysan www.4somaliwomen.com
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