Back in the spring before the boys were born, I took a class at the hospital called Boot Camp for New Dads. It is a course the hospital offers for men who are about to be dads for the first time. The class was recommended to me by my neighbor, and his praise was well deserved.
The class is taught exclusively by dads so you truly get the "guy" perspective on what is about to hit you at 500 mph. So much of the pre-natal experience is about mom, and rightly so -- obviously we men have it much easier in the whole pregnancy/childbirth department. But there are changes in store for dads as well -- from the relationship with your wife and having a whole new perspective about responsibility to what kind of dad you'll be and how to change a diaper. Plus there are some good tips in the class on how to react calmly when a new mom blames you for the fact that she hasn't showered in two days, slept in three, and has perfected her aim and velocity with a pacifier. So when I got a call last week from the guy who leads the class wanting to know if I would come back as a new dad and help teach it this weekend, I didn't hesitate to say I would help out.
However the obvious question has gnawed at me the past couple of days -- which rascal do I take? The coordinator knew we had twins and told me to bring both boys if I wanted. I'm thinking that's not such a good idea. I'm picturing 10:00am Saturday morning. Two boys' bellies start to rumble. Two sets of vocal chords begin to warm up. Four eyes keenly move about the room in search of Mom. Only instead of Mom, there are twenty guys in the room--fifteen of which are wide-eyed, impressionable fellows about to be new dads yet unaware of the dueling vocal arrangments Owen and Gus are capable of when they're hungry and Mom is nowhere to be found.
Since the goal of the class is to reassure expectant dads and not send them home weeping to their wives, I think I'll just take one of the boys. Come Saturday morning, we'll be drawing straws to see who gets to be the guinea pig for New Dad Boot Camp.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
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2 comments:
Take both boys and two bottles. Give everyone a chance with the experience. Be a sport. Pappy
I agree. Make it a boys day out. You'll be proud of yourself, the dads-to-be will see you as a SuperDad, and your wife will love you for the quiet time to herself! A win-win-win situation. Besides, it won't be long until the luxury of choosing who gets to go will be gone: the boys will protest!
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