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AskDrSears.com - FAQ "BUSY DAD"
BUSY DAD
“Hi Dr. Sears,
My husband and I are pregnant with our first, and we are determined to do attachment parenting. I will be able to be with Baby all the time, but my husband while doing a night postbac pre-medical program, is also working full-time during the day and has a second job teaching at a local college two nights a week. We're very concerned that his way-too-busy schedule will make it almost impossible for him to become attached to Baby and visa versa. And obviously it is not like this will be the case just for a little while - he is going to be busy with Medical School for all of these very important formative years. Any suggestions you might have to help him make the most of his precious time with Baby would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much for your time and all the invaluable information you have given to us already.”
This is a common concern for many parents, as many dads are very busy with their careers. In chapter 13 of our latest book, Father’s First Steps – 25 things every new dad should know” (Harvard Common Press – 2006), Dr. Bob and I address this issue. We both had to make some compromises when it came to balancing our careers, free-time and family time. We found it helpful to hold our new babies during meal time (it might be the only “sit-down” time of the day), and snuggling for a few minutes at bed-time. A few good quality minutes like this can make all the difference in the world.
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