If you’ve become a father, you know that it changes everything. It has to because you have brought a new life into the world, and you must help care for this new human being you created. You might not be able to do all of the things that you once could.
Behavior modification does not have to be the worst thing in the world. Let’s look at some of the activities that dads might have to give up once the new child arrives.
Motorcycle Riding
Maybe you’re a guy who loves nothing more than hopping on your customized Harley and going for a ride on your local highways. Perhaps you enjoy watching the seasons change while feeling the wind whistling past you.
There are certainly road safety measures for cyclists that you can take to make this a less dangerous activity, but it’s also impossible to make motorcycle riding safe. If you have a new child, or perhaps even a larger family than that, it might be time to sell your hog.
If you’re parenting along with a spouse or partner, they will likely feel glad that you’re going to and from work in a car with a sturdy steel frame surrounding you, rather than utilizing a vehicle with nothing protecting you from the pavement but empty air.
At the very least, if you can’t give up your chopper, you should always wear a helmet and pads when you ride. You can avoid riding in bad weather and speeding as well.
Gambling
Maybe before you had kids, you were a regular gambler. Perhaps you loved Texas Hold ‘Em, Blackjack, or craps. Perhaps you preferred betting on sporting events like basketball and football games.
Just because you have a kid now, that does not necessarily mean you have to give up gambling entirely. If you want to place an occasional bet and have the disposable income to do it, then maybe that would be okay.
However, you and your spouse or partner should understand one another regarding this issue if you’re co-parenting. Maybe you share a bank account, and they’ll want to know why money is disappearing from it to cover gambling losses if you’re unlucky one of these times.
If they’re okay with your gambling and you have the additional income to do it, you might continue, but you probably won’t want to bet as much. If you’re gambling compulsively and you don’t have the money to do it while still paying your bills, you’ll likely need to stop entirely.
Philandering
Philandering is a nice way to say cheating. Those men who philander cheat on their spouses or partners. Presumably, this is something you’ll want to stop doing when you have a child.
That’s not to say that you should cheat even before a child is in the picture.
Still, when a baby comes, there’s more riding on the marriage or relationship than just you and your partner or spouse and your actions. If you cheat once the baby arrives, and your spouse or partner finds out about it, they might demand a divorce or separation.
Your selfish actions can hurt the child because now, they’ll have to grow up with a fractured household. Consider that before you answer the phone if one of your former casual hookups tries to get back in touch with you.
Drinking
You also might be a big drinker before having children. For obvious reasons, it’s tough to be the best father possible if you’re indulging in alcoholic beverages every day.
You probably won’t have to give up drinking entirely. There are plenty of fathers, and mothers as well, who have a glass of wine with dinner or indulge in a couple of beers while watching the ballgame or on the weekends.
If you’re an alcoholic, though, you will likely have to seek help if you want to be a reliable, dependable parent who puts your child’s needs before your desires.
Drug Use
Drug use is similar to alcohol usage. There is an extra added incentive to stop using drugs if you have a child, though.
For the most part, drug use is illegal. It’s true that recreational marijuana is legal now in some states, and you might still be able to use that sparingly in some cases.
Other drugs, though, such as crack, meth, or heroin, remain illegal, and you can lose your child to state custody if the police catch you with them.