Having a baby results in having to learn to do things one handed. There’s no way round it, unless you want to put on some ear defenders. There will almost certainly be times when your baby will want to be held and not put down; some babies more than others…! Therefore, in order to survive, you need to develop the skill of doing things one handed whilst balancing a baby on your shoulder or in your other arm. 

Here’s a list of 7 things I can now do one handed that I couldn’t before. It really is essential that, as a new dad, you learn these things. 

#1 Make a cup of tea – an essential skill to start off with. This one is a must learn for anyone! It does take a little longer, and I did burn my fingers in the early stages of learning, but it was worth mastering. 

#2 Type on the key board – Very important for a blogger like myself! I wonder if Qwerty Uiop (creator of the keyboard) catered for fathers to type!

#3 Have a pee – The zipper and ‘removal’ causes initial issues but again, once mastered it opens a world of opportunities. Aiming is just as tricky as it always is hence the urine on the loo seat – the wife is used to this though. 

#4 Getting dressed – I actually saw a recent YouTube video of a chap putting on a pair of trousers without any hands! Naturally, as with most things I see on YouTube, I tried it successfully, and now that’s how I get dressed. (No joke!) 

#5 Eat – I eat a lot, so needed to invest some good time into training for this one. It paid off though and now cutting a chicken breast with a fork is second nature. Probably worth investing in a spork too!

#6 Carry the baby whilst pushing the pushchair and carrying the change bag – and then put your shoes on! Now that really is Britain’s GotTalent material!

#7 Play the piano / guitar – both of these present their own unique issues. Once mastered though it not only amuses yourself, but also the baby in your other hand. 

The art of one handed skills… essential for every new dad!