Commando Dad: Basic Training: How to be an Elite Dad or Carer. From Birth to Three Years

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Your backup is the people you can be completely honest with and who can be completely honest with you. I think the friendly and understanding tone used by the author really does a good job of making readers feel adequate. A good outdoor activity for younger troopers (and a personal favourite of mine) is going on a mini-beast safari! These make the whole dad thing so much more accessible for people like me who don’t have the actual experience of having a child yet. It has given me a new perspective on a subject that is certainly not talked about enough, especially when you consider the numbers involved.

In haste my granddad jumped in to what he thought was shallow water but it actually came over his head. The people who stand to benefit the most from this book are new parents who have no previous exposure to babies. But the author should not forget that with good storytelling and examples, the reader will remember much more. With Commando Dad's rules and specially adapted military phrases such 'deployment date' (due date); 'BT' (baby trooper); 'CO' (Commanding Officer - the person in charge - or, in this context, the mum-to-be), 'Deployment Kit List' (the essential kit needed for the birth) and 'Sensory Overload' (used to explain the situation when you get so overwhelmed with new information being thrown at you that it impacts your ability to act effectively) - this a fun but ultimately useful book for every man about to embark on his greatest ever fatherhood. The local woods are a great place to go with your troopers with trees to climb, forts to build and games to play there is always plenty to do!

It doesn't pretend to have a philosophical intrigue that will unleash the parenting instinct within you. First in my pile was the highly recommended “Pocket Commando Dad: Advice for New Recruits to Fatherhood: From Birth to 12 months” by Neil Sinclair. Written in a clear and to the point military style from simple how to's, planning schedules, and clear discussions of contested topics, I found it most useful - I still do, it's very easy to pick up when your baby reaches a new milestone or age.

With social distancing and lockdowns, we find ourselves in uncharted waters both as parents and people. However, the true appeal of this book comes not so much in its content but in the sentiment behind it: that bringing home a first baby and caring for a tiny infant can feel very daunting, even a bit of a shock. This Commando Dad book is full of fun suggestions for getting active with the kids outside of the house. The first thing we need to challenge is the assumption that dads can’t get postnatal depression because it is purely hormonal. As any Commando Dad knows, with the right preparation and planning, anyone can parent with military precision.My family eats home cooked dinners most nights (and as my wife and I are both out working, this is mainly thanks to a bumper cooking session on a Sunday) and yet I spend less than almost any one I know for food. Whether your backup support is your friends, family or Commanding Officer – you need to be able to rely on those around you – and to be able to be relied upon. This book would ideally suit expectant fathers who are looking for a bit of an overview of what’s to come.