Not every Hot guy with a nice smile is husband or father material. The qualities that make a man a great father are not typically found in between the sheets. Before you decide to go half on a baby, make sure that man has the following attributes:
1. Fondness for kids
Does your man seem to get along with the kids in his life or is he the type to avoid wrestling with his little cousins or giving his niece a bottle? You can’t expect a person who doesn’t like anyone else’s kids to be a good father to his own future little ones.
2. Desire to have children
If a guy says he’s not sure if he wants kids or he thinks he’ll have his first child around 45, believe him. Don’t think that if you become pregnant, he will automatically become a proud expecting father.
3. Patience
Dealing with kids takes a lot of patience. Learning to walk, talk, use the potty and ride a bike are just a few of the childhood milestone moments that require oodles of patience from parents. It is essential for every parent.
4. Time management skills
More than likely, your pooh bear will be holding down a job while you two are raising your kids. He has to learn how to balance his work schedule with time with you, time with the children, time with his friends and other family members. Plus, kids these days have 10 million extra-curricular activities. Kids need parents who can keep up with that.
5. Financial smarts
Kids are expensive! Can’t have a man who doesn’t know how to save or invest. Living check to check is not smart when you’re single and it’s definitely not smart when you have dependents. Plus, parents are a child’s first teachers for everything, including money management.
6. Ability to plan long-term
A one-bedroom apartment is fine for a bachelor or even a couple with a small child, but as a child grows, so will his or her needs. A father has to be able to look into the future, create a plan and execute it with precision.
7. Education advocacy
He doesn’t have to have a doctorate degree, but he does need to value education and be willing to make sacrifices so that your child gets a good education. You need someone who will research schools and attend parent-teacher conferences.
8. Be in agreement on discipline
Is he a “spare the rod spoil the child” type of guy or is he a “time out corner” dude? If this is the man you will have children with, the two of you must agree on how to discipline the children.
9. Be in agreement with spiritual or religious beliefs
Even if you and your sweetie pie do not share the same religion, you have to at least agree on what (if any) faith the future kids will have. Some people combine faiths, so kids might go to a church and a mosque. Others pick one and still others let the kids decide for themselves.
10. Affectionate
All kids need hugs, kisses and “I love you” notes in their lunch boxes as often as possible. An emotionally distant or unavailable man is not a good contender for a doting father.
