Bonding with baby

6. Don't leave all the reading to Mom. Choose some of your favourite childhood stories and read them to your baby. Story time is a wonderfully intimate way to spend time with your child.

7. Talk to her, sing to her, dance with her. It's easier than it seems, Lynn says. "It doesn't have to be classic songs. Whatever you like is just fine as long as you are looking at her," she says. "Put on your favourite songs and dance around the living room with her in your arms."

8. Assume responsibility for routine chores. "Give him his evening bath or take him for a walk after dinner," Lynn suggests. This will not only provide you with extra one-on-one time with your baby, but will also give Mom a much-needed break.

9. Feed him. "Have your wife express her milk (if she's nursing) so you can give a bottle of mother's milk," says Lynn. "Or be the one who gets up at night and gets baby, gives her to Mom and then after the feed you burp and change him." (For more info on feeding baby, read our breast-feeding guide.)

10. Have a positive attitude. "You are both parents, so do the job together," says Lynn. "If you are at work and Mom is home on maternity leave, realize that from the moment you come home you are now parenting with her. You have both been working hard all day...now you do it together."

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Kathy Lynn is a professional speaker, author and columnist. Kathy offers keynote addresses and workshops to parents and professionals who want to learn how to raise responsible children. She is the author of the bestselling Who's In Charge Anyway? and of But Nobody Told Me I'd Ever Have to Leave Home. Visit her website at www.parentingtoday.ca.