So we got back from Hawaii on Wednesday (more on the trip later this week). And we drove straight from the Oakland airport to Berkeley, where I dropped off Powergirl for a four-day conference she was chairing.

With simple math you can deduce that this schedule left me as a single-parent for the better part of four days with L.

Put simply, the experience transformed my perspective on fatherhood forever—in a good way.

Without the safety net of Momma to help me out, I was forced to overcome all of my childcare insecurities and fears. I changed the baby by myself. I bathed her without drowning her. I managed to get her into her PJs. I even responded to late-night crying sessions (though in most cases, I just let L cry herself back to sleep), and somehow managed to have a fresh bottle waiting every morning before the baby woke up.

When we went food-shopping, I toted L in the BOB. I also dragged her all over town marsupial-style, in the Baby Bjorn. One night, desperate for a drink after a long day, I stopped in at a bar with baby in tow. While I enjoyed my beer, I ripped out a bottle of formula and L chugged, too.

Don’t get me wrong: both L and I were glad/relieved/appreciative when Powergirl returned home late Saturday night. Also, I admit that my folks spotted me one day so I could go for a run.

Still, as a father who has struggled with a number of the day-to-day aspects of fatherhood, I can honestly say these four days alone with L gave me newfound confidence and calm.

I’ll go so far as to say that I think every new Dad should be required to spend three or four days solo with his baby at some point while the kid is still super-young. I learned it first-hand: the experience builds character, strengthens self-esteem and accelerates the development of that irreplaceable father-child bond.

It’s also (hard but) a hell of a lot of fun.