Practical support for new dads in the first year.
A live, psychologist-led course for first-time dads who want to feel calmer, more confident, and more connected from pregnancy through the first year.
What dads tend to do differently by the end of the course.
This is not about vague encouragement. It is about building the kinds of skills that make early fatherhood feel more manageable, more connected, and more intentional.
What New Dads Learn in the Course
This is not vague encouragement or “dad tips.” Each week builds a different part of the skill set new fathers actually need — for themselves, their relationship, their baby, and the kind of father they want to become.
What’s normal right now — and what actually helps
Learn what commonly changes after baby arrives (relationship satisfaction, communication, intimacy, mood, stress, identity, etc.) and how to embrace change through the "good enough" paradigm.
- Perspective
- Normalization
- Self-compassion
Values, identity, and the kind of father he wants to be
Reflect on what kind of dad you want to become, what you want to carry forward, what you want to do differently, and how to use values to guide behavior when stress is high.
- Intentionality
- Identity
- Values-based action
Stress regulation and self-care that helps the whole family
Understand how stress regulation and self-care support the family system three ways: by keeping yourself regulated, by assisting baby in achieving regulation, and by maintaining the type of presence that supports mom's regulation, too.
- Stress regulation
- Self-awareness
- Steadiness
How to support the relationship during the postnatal period
Master how to be a better partner during the postnatal period by using strategies designed to support the relationship, tackle household and mental labor, provide emotional support, and embrace the ways things have changed.
- Partnership
- Communication
- Emotional support
Bonding, attachment, and how to respond to baby with confidence
Develop the relationship skills that help build secure attachment with baby: mirroring, attunement, mentalizing, and how to apply the Circle of Security attachment framework. This is where you'll learn how to understand what baby is communicating and how to respond more confidently.
- Attachment
- Attunement
- Confidence with baby
The father’s unique role, long-term impact, and how to put it all together
Explore the father’s distinct role in exploration, play, socialization, resilience, and long-term development, reflect on what’s ahead, and leave with a clearer sense of the legacy your want to build as a father.
- Big-picture fatherhood
- Purpose
- Long-term vision
After becoming a dad himself, Dr. Bond saw how little serious support existed for new fathers. The Dad School was built to offer the kind of practical, high-quality guidance many thoughtful men are looking for but rarely find.
Built on developmental science. Tailor-made for real-life application.
Built by a developmental psychologist who understands fatherhood from both sides.
This course is led by Dr. David Kyle Bond, founder of The Dad School. The goal is not to impress dads with theory. It is to give them grounded, usable guidance from someone who understands attachment, family relationships, life transitions, and the reality of becoming a father.
Dr. David Kyle Bond
Founder of The Dad School • Licensed Psychologist • Father • Faculty Associate, ASU
- Licensed psychologist
- Father
- Faculty Associate, ASU
- Founder, The Dad School
His work across settings has focused on fatherhood, attachment, life transitions, and family relationships, with years spent teaching about family life and parent-child bonds while working directly with families.
Real dads. Real results.
New dads who took the six-week course described it as practical, relevant, and immediately usable. Surveyed alumni also reported stronger confidence, less loneliness, and a better understanding of how to support their child and family.
- They felt better able to handle the challenges of fatherhood
- They would recommend the course to a friend
- They were able to use what they learned right away
- They felt less lonely navigating the transition to fatherhood
- They better understood their child’s attachment system
I did not have the energy to read every parenting book before my daughter was born. This course made the early months feel calmer, clearer, and far more manageable.
New Dad Course Alum Practical help right when it was neededThe mix of content and discussion was strong. What I learned in class felt immediately relevant, and I found myself using it during the week instead of just nodding along and forgetting it.
New Dad Course Alum Useful in real life, not just on paperBeing in a room with other dads who wanted to be great fathers was validating, motivating, and genuinely helpful. The group made the whole transition feel less isolating.
New Dad Course Alum Small-group support that actually landsThis was not fluff or another pep talk. It gave me structure I could actually use when I was tired, short on time, and trying to show up well at home.
Dad School Alum Feedback Clarity and steadiness, not hypeQuestions dads and partners often have before enrolling
Whether you are the dad considering the course yourself or the partner thinking about signing him up, these are the questions most likely to come up first.
What if I’m the dad and I already feel overwhelmed — or I’m the the new mom and my partner already seems overwhelmed?
That is exactly the stage this course is built for. It is designed for first-time dads in the thick of transition, whether things already feel hard or whether they just want steadier footing before the pressure builds. The course gives structure, practical tools, and live support for the challenges that tend to show up from pregnancy through the first year.
What if I’m not really a “take a class” person — or my partner isn’t?
This is not preachy, fluffy, or academic in the worst way. It is live, direct, practical, and built for thoughtful dads who want useful tools they can actually apply at home. The feel is much closer to a focused small-group conversation with expert guidance than to lectures, worksheets, or school-style pressure.
Is this therapy?
No. This is an educational course, not therapy or counseling. Dads can share as much or as little as they want, but the structure is about learning, skill-building, and getting more grounded in the transition to fatherhood rather than doing group therapy.
Is this only for dads who are struggling?
No. It is for first-time dads who want to be more intentional, more connected, and better equipped in the first year. It absolutely helps normalize common challenges, but it is not built only for dads in distress. It is also for dads who care deeply and want a stronger map for this stage of family life.
What will new dads actually walk away with?
New dads will leave with a clearer sense of what is normal in early fatherhood, better tools for stress regulation, more confidence bonding with baby, and a stronger understanding of how to support their partner during the first year. The point is not just more information. It is more steadiness, better judgment, and skills new dads can use right away.
How much time does it take?
The course runs for six weeks, meets live online, and lasts 90 minutes per week. The group is intentionally small, capped at six dads, so it stays useful, personal, and easy enough to participate in consistently.
Can a new mom sign their new dad partner up directly?
Yes. A partner can enroll him directly through the site using his information. That makes it straightforward whether he is ready to click enroll himself or whether you want to get the process moving for him.
What if the next cohort timing doesn’t work?
If the next cohort is not a fit, the best move is to join the waitlist and catch the next opening. Because the groups are capped at six dads, spots stay limited on purpose.
Ready for real support in the first year?
Whether you’re the new dad enrolling yourself or the partner helping him get there, this is a practical place to start.
- 6 live online classes
- 90 minutes per week
- Capped at 6 dads
- $699 total
This course is designed to help new dads become calmer, more confident, and more connected from the start, with expert guidance and a small group built for real conversation and real-life application.
Spots are limited because each cohort is intentionally small. If the timing of the next cohort doesn’t work, you'll have the opportunity to join the waitlist on the next page.