You’ll probably not get six continuous hours of good sleep ever again. And if you do, you’ll never admit it because it will make your wife mad for the broken-up sleep she got when she got up and took care of the teething child.
Dads, there is nothing more comforting to your little one than to have their big strong father assure them at 3:00 am that everything is OK. When they grow up, they will project that onto their relationship with the Heavenly Father, and when they need it most they will know that their Heavenly Father has everything under control.
So, what keeps you up at night? As a father of three, I often spend countless hours at night thinking and praying about the spiritual welfare of my kids. Yet, if I’m totally honest with myself, it is not the prayers that are causing me to lose some of that sleep. It is my perpetual concern that I’m not doing enough for my children. Every once in a while one of them will still wake up in the middle of the night and I get up and pray for them. And I know that I am making a difference in their spiritual lives when I do this.
Men, don’t let your wife be the only person getting up at night to feed and burp the baby. Don’t let them be the ones to comfort the children when they wake up at night and feel scared. Yes, moms can do that too and should, but if dad fails to get up and comfort them at night because he is too tired and has to go to work the next day, he is neglecting one of his roles as a dad. These kids will grow up and when they do, they will have an internal understanding that God the Father is there to pick them up and help them feel better when life gets tough.
Besides, sharing the load with your wife will bless her and by association, bless you too!