#Dadchat on Thursday, January 12 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m., PST – discussed the importance of Parental Support. New parents and old parents create and use support systems, but is there ever a time when we don’t need that sense of community? Read the transcript if you missed it!
Sam Apple recounts a journey I know well: the journey from childless husband to new parent. As a dad to two boys, 15 and 12, the memories of their births and the anxieties felt at the time have faded, to be replaced by current anxieties like my teen wanting to drive (over my dead body–or a “B” average, which ever comes first). His self-effacing approach makes this less a Dr. Spock how-to than a valuable calming tool for first-time parents. Apple’s book cannot be easily labeled—it is not quite a memoir, not quite a news report, and not quite a collection of humorous essays, but a bit of all of these.
Sam, as a journalist himself, took an investigative approach to all the current trends among new parents, from baby naming (yes, you can actually hire a consultant) to Water Births (I thought that only happened to fish), as well as stops to debate the value of Lamaze vs. Bradley methods of coaching during birth, Pre-Natal Ed, and whether you might need a Doula in the delivery room. Yes, a Doula. I’ll leave that for your reading pleasure when you pick up American Parent.
