Some men make great partners, but will they also be amazing dads for your child?
Sure, more often than not, you don’t know the answer until the time comes.
But what if I tell you there are some signs that he will be a good dad to your child?
Here they are:
1) He’s patient
Patience is a virtue.
Especially when it comes to having children, without patience, you will soon throw in the towel.
If he’s patient, he will be able to relate to your child. And this is very important because children are often very temperamental and unpredictable.
You see, being a parent can take a toll on you and without patience, you are up for a tough fight.
So, how can you tell he’s going to be a patient dad?
Well, is he patient now?
Is he not itching to get home and work on his latest project, but instead, he’s happy to enjoy the company of your friends and family?
Or, is he patient with you when you have an argument or when you don’t understand something?
Why is patience so important?
Well, if he has a lack of patience, then it may lead to anger and/or impatience when raising a child. This will only lead to more problems in the future.
2) He’s a good listener
A good listener has many advantages.
For one, it helps him to be patient and it also allows him to know what your needs (and in the future your children’s needs) are.
After all, being a parent means taking care of someone else and this can be very demanding and stressful.
So, if he is a good listener, he will be able to make sense of everything you say and he will be able to help you understand what is going on around you.
And the best part?
If he’s a good listener, your children will feel comfortable coming to him to talk about issues they are facing.
This is important for a healthy father-child relationship, so being a good listener is an important skill.
But it all starts with you.
Does he listen to you?
Can you talk to him about anything without feeling like you’re being judged?
You see, it’s not only important that he is a good father to the children, but also a good partner to raise children with.
Do you feel like he listens to you and what you need?
3) He’s affectionate
Another important aspect of fatherhood is affection.
Yeah, I know, all too often father figures are depicted as cold and unaffectionate, but in reality, a good father is the exact opposite of that.
He will be affectionate and loving to his children.
This means that he will want to be around them and he will be able to show this affection towards them, even when he’s had a long day.
You see, nothing is worse for children than when they aren’t getting attention or love from their parents.
This can take a huge toll on their self-esteem further down the line, you see.
Now: how can you tell whether he’s affectionate?
Well, does he tell you what you mean to him? Does he treat you well and make you feel seen?
You see, children need to feel loved and it’s important that they feel like their father is there for them and will be able to love them unconditionally.
This means that he will be affectionate with you, too.
4) He’s trustworthy
One of the most important things a child needs is to feel safe.
A baby will learn to trust their parents because they’re the first people that are supposed to take care of them.
This can only happen if the dad will be there for the child, and always do what’s best for him.
So, needless to say, trustworthiness is a huge quality you want to look for when trying to determine if he will be a good father.
Can you trust him in any situation? Do you believe that he is not only interested in his own good, but would actually put your children’s needs before his?
Sometimes, being a parent means sacrificing your own freedom and needs for your children, it sucks, but it’s just part of it.
So: are you able to trust him? Do you believe that he will always do what’s best for his kids? Or do you think he will be only thinking of himself and his needs and wants?
Again, as with most of these signs, look at how he is treating you and that will give you a good idea of how he will be with the kids.
5) He’s a good communicator
Being a good communicator is one of the most important qualities in a father, and it’s a sign that he’ll make a great dad for your child.
A good communicator can discuss anything with you without judgment or fear.
He listens to your feelings, thoughts, and opinions without being afraid to share his own.
You see, he won’t shy away from difficult conversations, and he’ll give you his full attention when you’re talking to him.
Communication is key to any relationship – including your future relationship with your child – so it’s important that he’s always willing to talk openly with you about anything that may arise.
And as I said before, he needs to listen to your needs and understand what is going on around him.
When he is a good communicator, chances are, he will also teach these skills to your children and be there for them whenever they need to talk.
Especially with children and teenagers, it’s important to be able to communicate well, as there are always misunderstandings that come up if you don’t.
Now, in order to see how he will communicate with your children, try and determine how he communicates with you!
When you guys are fighting, how does he usually go about it? Does he shut down, does he get angry, or can he listen to your side of the story?
Also, when it comes to hard topics to talk about, like feelings and emotions, is he open?
6) He’s flexible
If you’ve ever been with a man who has something against change, you know how frustrating it can be.
You want to introduce something new to the relationship, but he’s not having it.
Instead of adapting to the change, he might get angry or lash out at you for bringing it up.
A great dad is open to new ideas and new experiences.
He wants life to be an adventure and can handle whatever comes his way.
You see, he doesn’t feel threatened when things change, because that’s just life and he knows life isn’t always easy.
Sure, he may have his opinion about what should happen next, but he’ll always listen to your opinion too before making a final decision. A flexible man will make a great dad for your child.
When it comes to parenthood, you will find that children have many different needs and demands.
It is not easy being a parent, but if he’s flexible, he will be able to adapt to your child’s needs and demands.
I would argue that flexibility is one of the most crucial tasks of being a parent.
That’s what makes parenthood so hard sometimes.
You see, before having a kid, you can plan out your day to the last detail, knowing pretty much what to expect.
But once a little one is involved? There is no more plan, you can throw that out the window.
You can’t really plan out your day anymore because you have to think about the needs of your child.
This is why flexibility is so important in parenting.
The good news?
If he’s not super flexible right now, that is something that can be learned over time.
7) He’s a good role model
One of the best signs he’ll make a great dad for your child is if he’s a good role model.
This means that his own father was a good one, and he learned from him and you just know that he is a decent man.
If your partner is a good example of the type of person you want to be, then there’s hope that he’ll be a great dad for your child.
And hopefully, he’ll pass on those values to your future children too.
You see, your child will absorb a lot from your man, they will be like him in many ways.
Now: if you feel like he is not a good role model and you are secretly still wishing to change him, maybe he’s not the ideal dad for your kids.
You see, the way he is now is likely also the way he will be in front of your kids, which should be taken into consideration.
8) He prioritizes family
If he prioritizes family, he will probably be a good dad for your child.
He is always willing to put in the time and effort it takes to take care of his children.
You see, there are many men who don’t really care about their families.
The result?
The children are often sad because they know their dad doesn’t care.
If you want to avoid this, take a look at how he is treating his family right now.
Does he make an effort to connect with them? Or with your family?
Or, when it comes to your relationship, does he prioritize you?
These things are important points when it comes to being a good dad.
9) He’s emotionally attuned
If he’s a good partner and father, he’s probably emotionally attuned, at least that’s our next sign of a great dad.
This is great because children need emotional connection.
This isn’t just sit down and talk to them type of emotional connection either, kids need to feel their parent’s love.
And they need to know their needs are being met by the parent when they are upset or going through a difficult time.
Without this connectivity, kids can easily get off track and struggle internally for years.
This is why it’s important that your potential future dad has this skillset developed as well as others not listed here.
Simply put, he knows how to be present with himself and with his family in a way that shows he understands and cares about what each person needs individually.
You can easily tell this sign from how emotionally attuned he is to you.
Can he tune into your emotions and understand why you feel the way you do sometimes?
If he can, he’ll probably make a great dad.
10) He’s reliable
A great dad will be committed to a family and will show up when he says he will.
A man who has this quality is also likely to follow through on commitments that being a father brings with it.
You see, reliability is extremely important, not just for the children, but also for you.
When you raise a child with someone, you need to be able to rely on them.
This is why you need to see how reliable they are when it comes to being there for you in a relationship. That will already give you a clue about what he’ll be like as a dad.
Does he keep his commitments?
Can he be trusted to show up when he says he will?
And, if you ever need him, can he be counted on to step up and show up appropriately?
If you can answer yes to all these, he will be a good father.
11) He is excited about having kids
If he is asking you all the time about when you plan to have kids, he will be a great dad to your child.
You see, a man who is truly excited about having kids will most likely make a good dad.
Why?
Because he will have his heart in it, and he will put in an effort to be a good father, which is honestly the biggest thing of them all.
If he is looking online for tips and advice on parenting, it’s a good sign that he is excited about being a dad.
But he doesn’t have to do that, maybe he just keeps mentioning how he can’t wait to have a little one running around the house.
When someone is this invested in having kids, they will make a great dad!
12) He takes care of you when you’re sick
Okay, this one is important. A huge sign that he will be a great dad is how he takes care of you when you’re sick.
You can tell this by how much he’s willing to help out around the house when you’re sick.
Simply put, if he is there to make sure that you feel taken care of when you are sick, then he will be a great dad.
When someone is willing to do this, they really care about their partner and are committed to making them feel better when they have a cold or the flu.
But why is that important?
Well, for a number of reasons, actually.
First off, he is showing you that he can step in and help when you need it.
Secondly, being sick is not always the nicest thing – vomit, snot, etc. are things that will happen a lot when you’re a parent, so if he’s not grossed out – that’s a plus.
And finally, you will know that you can rely on him even in times of need.
Will he be a good dad?
After reading all of these signs, what do you think, will he be a good dad to your child?
Essentially, it’s pretty simple.
You want someone who loves the child unconditionally and who will do his best to support them and you.
Usually, you will already know the answer to this question in your heart.
