suite, and both your partner and the medical staff will look to you to help regulate her breathing and keep her calm. If you think you’ve got a weak stomach
and won’t be able to face the ‘mess’, you may surprise yourself. The actual experience of birth is so absorbing that you’re unlikely to even have time to think about it. If you do feel nauseous, then you can always step outside.
Back home
Caring for your child when you come home from work - a time when you can relax and unwind from the pressures of the day - may seem an unfair burden, but it’s actually a great opportunity for you to spend time with your child. In previous generations, few fathers were given a chance to spend significant amounts of time with their babies, which was a shame. Now, thanks to the advent of parental
leave, you get the opportunity to know your child as you couldn’t have done otherwise. You may miss the evening news, or a before-dinner nap, but you’ll find that playing with your baby is a much better way to relax and unwind. Nothing can make you forget a personnel problem, a botched job, or a lost deal faster than listening to your baby coo as you change his nappy, or watch him splashing and giggling in the bath. There are plenty of ways in which you
can include your baby in activities. If, for example, you like to jog, strap baby into a jogger or pushchair and increase your aerobic effort by pushing him as you go. If you’ve got chores to do, prop him up securely in his baby seat and let him watch you. Make sure though that you provide him with a blow-by-blow commentary of what you’re doing. It’s not all fun and games, of course.
While there are plenty of moments that you do want to spend with your little one, there will be others – particularly in the sleepy fog of the middle of the night – that you may want to forget! Unfortunately, as with any other job, baby care has its quota of worry and tiredness. At this point it’s an idea to remember that it’s the difficult side of the job that your partner may be doing all day while you’re at work (or may be doing in conjunction with her own job!). Her work day is at least as physically and emotionally demanding as yours (and even more so if she’s breastfeeding), which is why she needs a break in the evening even more than you do! Of course, sometimes both you and
your partner need a break from childcare, so make sure that you organise a night out or ‘date night’ every once in a while for both of you!
There’s nothing nicer than having your child curl up beside you on the sofa to listen to a story
Here are some other ways you can be involved!
The power of play Forget you’re an adult and let your imagination run riot as you play with your child! If you’re short on ideas there are plenty of books or ideas on the internet that will show you what you can do with an empty cereal box and a roll of sellotape!
Family activities Yes, it’s that old chestnut about ‘spending quality family time’ but the simple fact is that it’s vitally important that you, your partner and your child sit down regularly as a family. Whether this is round the kitchen table for a family meal, or an evening in the living room (no TV!) for a pow-wow, the choice is yours. Your child will really appreciate the time to sit and talk to you.
Read to your child This is SOOOO important. In these days of high-tech play, DVDs and ‘on-tap’ entertainment, there’s nothing nicer than having your child curl up beside you on the sofa to listen to a story.
Make sure your child isn’t bored This doesn’t mean that you have to set yourself up as an entertainment company to make sure that your child has something to do 24/7. Rather, it means leading by example and showing your child that you can fill your time with interesting hobbies and activities.
Pick your child up from school Once your child starts school, book a half day off work without telling him and arrive at the school in your sports gear (with his football kit already packed) and whisk him off to the local park for a bit of a kick about. Just watch your child’s face light up when he spots you as he comes out of school! Priceless!
Keep mum happy! I don’t know if this makes you a better dad, but it sure as hell makes us feel better!
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