While there have been many books about child development and motherhood, precious little has been written about how fathers change and develop as parents or about how children influence their fathers development. Yet most fathers know that a man whos just found out that his wife is expecting is a very different kind of man from the one hell be when he holds his newborn in his arms for the first time. And that same dad will have changed again - psychologically and emotionally - by the time his baby speaks for the first time. Fathers evolve and develop throughout every stage of their childrens lives - from the preschool and elementary school years through the tumultuous teens, young adulthood, middle age, grandfather years, and beyond. But no matter what the childs age, a father is always a father. In this ground-breaking book, Armin Brott presents the stages of fatherhood with the same thoroughness, accessibility, and humor that have made his critically acclaimed books the most popular fatherhood guides in the country. He offers a wealth of information and practical tips, incorporating the wisdom of experts, studies about parental development, and his own extensive interviews with hundreds of fathers. Because fatherhood is a progression, the chapters are organized chronologically and describe a fathers physical and emotional growth, how he influences a child at every age, and how a child impacts a fathers evolution in turn.

Brott covers everything from such general issues as how to juggle work and family roles, how to affect the kind of person your child becomes, and when to encourage his individuality and independence to such specific topics as how to get to know your baby, what to do if your teen uses drugs, and how to cope when adult children return home. Illustrated throughout with New Yorker style cartoons that underscore the universality of the joys and woes of parenting, Father for Life is brimming with insights and advice, and is an indispensable, lifelong guide - not only for every dad, but for every mom and child as well.