Aidan Curtis
BEING a father means different things for different people.
Some men might see fatherhood as a source of joy and fulfilment in life, while others may panic and forever worry about their children.
For sports journalist James Murphy, who is mere weeks away from being a dad for the first time, the thought of fatherhood is an exciting one.
He and his wife, Katie, have tried to balance surprise with preparation, and Mr Murphy feels they are in a good position for when bub finally arrives.
Mr Murphy said he is not at all nervous about the big day and is just feeling excited to meet his child.
“It still feels a bit surreal, but it’s not too far away now,“ he said.
“We’ve been looking forward to it for a while.“
Mr Murphy said they have been trying to prepare as best they can with clothing and furniture to avoid a “frantic rush“ ahead of the birth, but he still is not entirely sure what to expect – other than a lack of sleep, of course.
“I don’t think I’ll be too [overprotective] – I try to be pretty chill, but I’m sure it’ll probably be different once I’ve got a baby in my arms, so we’ll see what happens,“ he said.
“I haven’t practiced changing nappies, to be honest, I just think I’ll try and learn on the job.
“Both of our families are super supportive and we’ve got a pretty good support system, we’re pretty lucky in that way, so I’m sure they’ll be called upon for advice here and there.“
On the other end of the scale, there are fathers who have been in the game for quite a while and have the luxury of reflecting on how they went.
One such dad is Peter Becker, who has shouldered the mantle of father for close to half a century.
Mr Becker said there are many joys to being a parent, including seeing your children succeed in their endeavours and find happiness in life.
While he felt he gave his children the support they needed growing up, Mr Becker said he could have possibly done more.
“I guess I could have done more in supporting them, but I had a full time job,“ he said.
“Kids are hard to balance – work, careers with family and so forth.
“They were supported in their sport and supported in their activities, and there was a priority on fun rather than results.“
Mr Becker said finding that balance was the tricky part of being a parent, but he would still advise new parents to do their best to be balanced in everything.
“Don’t over support, but at the same time give them the required support,“ he said.
Fathers and father figures around Australia will be celebrated on September 4.
