‘So funny you’ll be glad you’re having a baby!‘
It’s a cliche, I know, but now that my daughter has turned one, I can say with some authority that no book, pamphlet or video can prepare anyone for fatherhood. You can tell someone they will be ‘tired’ until you’re blue in the face, but until you’ve had months of broken sleep, broken promises and a broken spirit, words simply cannot convey how difficult (and rewarding) fatherhood can be. That doesn’t mean that all of the literature is useless, however. British comedian George Lewis has become something of an expert on fatherhood, and his book Don’t Panic! (subtitled: ‘All the Stuff the Expectant Dad Needs to Know’) is as good a starting point as ever…
Published in 2022, Don’t Panic! is a well-researched and easy-to-digest guide to fatherhood. As well as containing plenty of practical advice (don’t buy squirty bath toys because they’ll end up as mould-infested disease carriers), Lewis’ book also offers loads of genuinely vital emotional advice. As a new father, you’re swirling with inner turmoil, but you lack the emotional tools to process how you feel. This book gives a voice to many of the anxieties and pressures of fatherhood whilst still acknowledging how much of a beautiful, transformative experience it also is.
Featuring contributions from fellow comedians Ivo Graham, Elis James and Josh Widdicombe, Don’t Panic! goes from introducing the concept of ‘Dadmin’ (important administrative tasks that serve the dual purpose of crossing something off the neverending To Do list, whilst also providing a bit of respite from the endless stream of dirty nappies and loud, annoying, electronic toys), to addressing very real concerns like SIDS and learning difficulties without creating a sense of whiplash. It’s a tough tonal balancing act, but Lewis’ breezy writing style ensures that he is able to pull it off.
Ultimately, Don’t Panic! takes something that seems genuinely impossible at first and helps to make it more manageable. It’s also properly funny. I would and have recommended it to new dads everywhere.