Have you ever come across a cute family picture on your socials and just had to double tap it? That is just what happened to me a little while ago, and being the curious cat that I am, I delved a little deeper to find out more. Enter David Muscat Fenech Adami, better known as The Maltese Daddy. David’s dad journey began nearly a year ago, but his story started a little before then.
It all started with a trip to Lithuania with a group of friends, where he met his now-wife Laura. “You can say it was love at first sight,” he grins. “I immediately said to myself, ‘I can’t lose this girl.’ After visiting each other a number of times, we decided that she’d make the move to Malta. But before settling, we went on a three-month trip backpacking in South-East Asia, and on our return both of us had to start fresh. That is when I proposed! We got married, and our little bundle of joy was born on 21st September 2018.”
Being a first-time dad, David had no idea what to expect. Wanting to show people that fatherhood is important as well as helping other dads out there, David started his blog, The Maltese Daddy, mostly as a guide for dads and all new parents out there. “A few of my biggest concerns where whether I’d be ready when my child arrives, the things I needed to do, how to be a father – the list goes on.” He says that he wanted to show that while raising a child isn’t easy, it’s not impossible. “Seeing normal people raising children is far more reassuring than reading books or listening to your kunjata or mother (while still valuable opinions).”
“The most important aim for this blog is to guide parents and help them prepare for their newborn. By writing down my experience as a parent, I feel I can put them at ease,” he says, because just like him, millions of other people have gone through it. Another reason David does this is to encourage dads to get involved. “Change that diaper, feed your baby – the bond starts at a young age, so dads, trust me: be there!”
Apart from giving advice on things that he experiences as a dad on a day-to-day basis, David also does product and service reviews to help guide parents in whatever they need to purchase. He also documents his ‘dadventures’ as he calls them, and gets celebrity dads’ stories out there, too.
As a final message to new parents, David has this to say. “Don’t panic, it’s going to be alright! Be prepared for the unexpected, as neither I nor the books can teach you exactly what to expect when your child is born, as it is a different experience each time. The important thing is to be prepared and stay positive, as the first few months are mostly a hurdle. Other than that, as Amy Rees Anderson said, ‘Family is where life begins and love never ends.’”