As a hacker and father, I've found "do what feels right" to be pretty good advice. I'm not saying I'm an absolutely stellar father or anything (contrary to the

As a hacker and father, I've found "do what feels right" to be pretty good advice. I'm not saying I'm an absolutely stellar father or anything (contrary to the "Best dad ever" shirt I received for Father's Day), but my son is very bright and healthy, and always seems happy to see me so I figure I must be doing something correctly. I might be a bit overprotective, but I'm okay with that. One thing: I don't know how much you tend to bring your work home with you, but that has to stop between the time you get home, and the time your child goes to bed. This was a tough one for me, since children aren't nearly as intellectually stimulating as programming or reading - that said, I'm a much happier person for it. I still read and program in my spare time, but only once the little one is asleep. Also I found any books recommended to me to be absolutely worthless. Not saying there are no good parenting books, just that I haven't read any. Finally, congratulations! The fact that you're already concerned with doing a good job tells me you'll probably be a great dad. Like I said, just do what feels right :)