The biggest questions you’ll ask yourself before becoming a Dad is…”What do I really need?” The first thing you’ll need to do is — don’t allow your wife to buy “everything” beforehand. She’ll be listening to her girlfriends; who are ultimately telling her to “buy this”…”buy that”…”my kid loves this“…blah blah blah. The quicker you shut that down…the happier you’ll be in the long term — trust me!…this is a Pro-Tip 🙂 That said, I did fall victim to listening to my wife and buying everything she said. I got caught up in thinking “If I buy everything my kid needs — then obviously I’m a good dad–right?“… WRONG—as your bank account depletes…you’re home will fill up with 90% of S*** you don’t need. Not to mention all the hours you’ll spend putting together the bouncy chairs, the swings and the mobile seats. LISTEN, babies are pretty simple — they wake up, eat, poop, nap, eat, poop…and repeat this process for about 6 months…DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES I DID!!! Looking back, my wife and I spent A LOT on just toys; this doesn’t include the car seats, the strollers, changing tables or clothes (the stuff you’ll actually need). Reality is…no matter the toy or stuff animal — you’re kid will like it for a week and then get bored. Honestly, I give my daughter and empty water bottle and she’s busy for 3 hours — don’t overthink the toys. My advice, stock up on:

• Diapers and diaper cream
• Velcro swaddles (nurses make it look easy in the hospital swaddling with blankets)
• A good bath seat and toys
• Oversized clothes (they grow super fast)

The biggest tip we’ve learned — is always purchase items that are versatile, adaptable, that packs up easy and is cost effective. No reason to buy the most expensive — save that money for yard tools 🙂 Here are my TOP 3 Pro-Tips:

• Chicco Bravo Quick – Fold Stroller ($250)
• Car seat + Removable Seat + Smart Fold
• SNOO “smart sleeper”
• HALO Swaddles ($25 & Above)
• Long lasting fabric + kids cant escape