HGTV’s Ben Napier Reveals ‘Absolute Scariest Thing’ About Being a New Parent

HGTV “Home Town” star Ben Napier is a loving father to two girls, but he admits he experienced one scary part of parenthood early on. Find out why Napier called it the “absolute scariest thing.”

Ben Napier Shares ‘Warning’ for New Parents

In a June 2025 interview with Country Living, Napier shared some words of wisdom from his experience as a dad.

“I have two warnings and one piece of advice for first-time parents, things that were never told to me,” he explained, including what he calls the “scariest thing.”

“My first warning is — and I may sound like an idiot for saying it — the first night home from the hospital is the absolute scariest thing you will go through,” Napier said. “We had been in the hospital for two or three days, the baby had spent both nights in the nursery at the hospital — and it was great.”

He continued, “Then we came home that first night, and she cried all night. I was trying to let Erin sleep, sitting on the couch holding Helen, and as long as I kept moving, she wouldn’t cry.”

Napier also admitted he didn’t know too much about women’s hormones. “Your wife has nine months of the craziest hormonal swings ever while she’s pregnant — but then in my mind, it was like, ‘Alright, baby’s here, hormone changes are over!’ And that’s not how it works.”

He shared, “I was unprepared for the next three to six months of hormonal changes that were going on. So if you’re a boy who grew up in a house full of boys, just know: That’s coming.”

Ben Napier’s Parenting Advice Is ‘Gentle’ and Reassuring

As for his advice, Napier offered some solid tips about giving yourself grace when you have a baby.

“Then the advice is to just be gentle with each other,” he said. “Everyone — including the baby — is going to be out of whack.”

The HGTV star continued, “Be gentle with everyone. Yourself too. You’re tired, and they’re tired, and maybe you’re hungry, and you’re scared.”

Napier added, “But it’s going to be okay. Everything is going to be all right.”

He also advised not to “read into what the world is telling you about, Oh, this is how you should raise your baby.” Napier explained, “Every baby is different and every family is different, and what works for yours may not work for theirs.”