In honor of having recently celebrated my first Father’s Day as, well, a father, I’m launching my new parenting blog. Because, of course, I’m already an expert in the field.
The blog is called Daddy Rules, as I will try to provide rules for fellow dads to live by. Also, because as a dad to an 8-month-old daughter, I realize I no longer rule the roost or make the rules around my house. She does (as does her mother).
I will try to be insightful, funny and not too pushy. I’m open to suggestions on topics or people in the community I should interview or even let take over the blog for a day.

Here are a few introductory rules:

1. Come up with your own rules.
The problem with writing about parenting is that it is such a subjective (and touchy) topic. There aren’t many 100 percent foolproof rules for raising a kid, besides the obvious: nurture them and don’t hurt or neglect them. I’d say learn as much you can from reliable sources, and do what works for you. It’s a learning process, sure, but don’t let anyone tell you his way is the best way. Because it’s not.
And, yes, it’s possible to listen to too much parenting advice. That might be antithetical to a parenting column, but with everything else going on in your life you don’t want to overload the senses.

2. Your baby is now your identity.
Whatever you were before no longer matters: a doctor, a teacher, a writer. Forget it. Now that you have a baby, the only thing your loved ones care about is … that you have a baby. Walk in a room with your newborn and watch all the eyes go to her. You’re lucky if even you get a hug anymore.
“Oh, you just solved childhood hunger in the Third World,” your aunt says. “Great, now let me see the baby.”
And don’t expect Christmas or birthday presents for you anymore. All the good will you’ve built up with your family has been transferred to your little one (which is actually a good thing, because it saves you from having to buy so much stuff).

3. Don’t expect an award.
I would like to quote the great philosopher Aubrey Graham, aka hip-hop star Drake, from his 2014 song “Trophies”: “They don’t have no award for that.”
In the song, Drake is rapping about how, because of his success, he now gives back to his family and friends without expecting anything in return. It’s also a perfect analogy for parenthood.
You might be the best parent on Earth (or at least think you are), but don’t expect an award at the end of the year. Also, don’t expect your kid to say thank you after you change her poopy diaper in the middle of the night or feed her at 6 in the morning. It can be frustrating. But it’s life. You had the kid; now take care of her.
An award, or at least the occasional reassurance that your hard work isn’t going unnoticed, would be nice. But it ain’t happening.

4. Knowing your baby is going to get sick at some point doesn’t make it any less heartbreaking when it happens.
My daughter got her first cold recently. I knew it would happen at some point, no matter how well her mom and I cordoned her off from the outside world. But when you see an innocent baby, not able to go to sleep because her nose is stuffed up, coughing and sneezing away her pacifier, snot running into her mouth — you die a little inside.
And as I also learned recently, your baby is inevitably going to get you sick, as well. Because while I can avoid all the rest of you people, I can’t steer clear of my kid just because she’s ill. And, unfortunately, she has yet to learn to cover her mouth when she coughs or sneezes and that she’s not supposed to wipe snot on her father.

5. Enjoy.
When people ask me if I’m stressed out about being a new parent, I tell them no. For me, the toughest part of having a kid came before the fact: trying to make sure I had — and knew — everything I needed to raise a child. I quickly learned that was impossible.
Sure, taking care of a newborn can seem overwhelming at times, but once your baby starts acknowledging you with smiles and laughs, all your worries melt away.
Stress is getting up for work on a freezing morning in the middle of winter or figuring out how you’re going to pay your bills this month. Holding and snuggling and playing with a cute little baby? Your own cute little baby? That’s fun.