Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Lots of good advice in this thread. My best advice is: when you are "there" with your family, really be there. I have a tendency to focus my attention on things I am working on even when I am not sitting in front of the computer. Often this makes me furrow my brow without realizing it.

Early on, my wife (a pronounced extrovert) wanted adult contact and conversation more than anything. She wasn't all that happy when I was off in the land of ones and zeros when she was talking to me. It was a minor issue before the baby, but it really came into focus when their was a little person vying for our attention all the time. As your child gets older, this advice will apply doubly for the child.

This might sound a little crude, but, here goes: after the first three months, schedule opportunities for intimate time! Your time will be limited, and anything that is not a priority will go by the wayside. You can look up and find that it has been several months since you've been intimate. We didn't have a strict schedule like every Wednesday after she sorted the recycling[1], but we did agree in advance to "take a nap together" later that day or the next day. Spontaneity just didn't really work for us. The trick is keeping the pressure off - if one of you is tired and really just wants to take a nap together, that's got to be OK, otherwise it will drive you apart rather than bring you together.

Good luck. It's an awesome adventure!

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGOohBytKTU




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: