By Donna Fisher
His patients know him as Arjun Dayal, MD, dermatologist. But to 3-year-old daughter, Olivia, and 8-month-old son, Kabir, he is dad.
“Becoming a father has been the most transformative change,” says Dayal, a dermatologist at Rush. “Who and what I love the most and my priorities seemingly changed overnight.”
This Father’s Day as we celebrate fathers, young and old, some new Rush dads share what fatherhood means to them.
For Miles Grunvald, MD, MS, colorectal surgeon at Rush, becoming a dad to 3-month-old Sadie is an exciting new journey. “It’s a chance to bring some new joy into this world,” he says.
His favorite thing about being a new dad? “I like watching my baby grow and learn and start to explore the world,” he says. “It’s pretty neat.” During his paternity leave, he especially enjoyed waking up in the morning and listening to music with his daughter.
David Mallinson, PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at Rush Medical College, is a brand-new dad. His son, Arthur, will be 2 months old just in time for Father’s Day.
“Becoming a father is an investment in the belief of a better life beyond my own, both for my child and for others,” he says. He enjoys watching his child discover the world.
“Even in these first few weeks, I can see him react with wonder and amazement to his surroundings,” he says.
Dayal enjoys doing things with his children, like working on tasks around the house. “We get to spend quality time together and my children develop a sense of pride after we are finished,” he says.
His advice for other dads: Be sure to make time for just you and your partner. “Schedule lots of date nights without the kids,” he advises.
Mallison’s advice to other new dads is to “read plenty and often to your child.” The benefits of reading to your child during the first years of their life are well documented, he says, and one of the advantages of reading to your child in their infancy is that you can read literature that is interesting to you.
“Exposure to language and vocal rhythms, in addition to bonding, are the primary benefits of reading to your infant child since they don’t understand a book’s content,” he explains. So, he suggests reading what you enjoy for their first nine months and saving Goodnight Moon and other children’s books for when they begin to understand the meaning of words.
Grunvald advises other new dads to be involved in caring for the baby. “Do all the diapers you can,” he says, “especially if your partner is taking responsibility for feeding the baby.”
