A baby changing course must be completed by both mum and dad. Both of them can handle this task perfectly, so why are men so afraid of changing a toddler’s diaper?
If you are a dad, you must have already assembled a crib and furniture for a children’s room. On the day your little one was born, you hugged him with open pride and tears in your eyes. You are looking forward to the moment when you play football together, go for an ice cream or when you teach your child to ride a bike. On this basis, you feel confident, so why do you feel anxious about caring for a baby ?
There may be several reasons for this. Most often, men are brought up in a world where there is a division of responsibilities. There are both those dedicated to women, including feeding, changing and bathing a baby, as well as typically male ones. However, the world is changing. The boundaries are blurring, including those relating to the division of roles by gender.
A man walking with a pram or feeding a baby not only is not controversial, but also causes a sincere smile. His concern and commitment inspire respect. Psychologists also emphasize how important it is for a child’s development to have a dad present in the process of raising him. They encourage him to change the baby, bathe it and play with it. In this way, a thread of understanding is established between the toddler and dad and a very strong bond is created.
Changing the baby in the male edition
Daddy wants to change the nappy or bathe the baby, but he is afraid. Even a strong man remains vulnerable to the tiny baby he loves most in the world. The baby in Dad’s arms seems fragile and vulnerable. No wonder the guardian is afraid of hurting him. Changing a newborn baby is extreme for many men, even if they had previously learned it in birthing school.
Over time, however, a man’s diaper change becomes easy. While there are a lot of mocking videos that show daddies awkwardly in this regard, the truth is they are doing great. Their self-confidence increases when they feel the support of their partner. When they hear words of appreciation, they take on wings. It is much worse when they are constantly criticized.
Stereotypically, the mother is responsible for the care and upbringing of the child. This is the aftermath of the culture we have lived in over the last generations. This, however, is changing. We function in a world where women are strongly committed to their professional work and are successful in this field. However, for this to be possible, they need help from their partners. They are not afraid to ask for it and speak out loud about their needs. The older generation does not always understand this. That is why young daddies sometimes hear from other family members that they are not properly changing their babies or dressing them incorrectly. And this unfortunately weakens their self-confidence. So they prefer not to get involved if they are doing it wrong anyway.
For this reason, it is so important to appreciate a man’s efforts and convince him that everyone is making mistakes. Young parents are just learning their new role. Even moms put on the wrong diaper or suffer 10 minutes before putting on rompers. It will take a while for both of them to learn to deal with these situations. However, mutual support will certainly help them move through this stage with greater joy.
Agnieszka Gotówka
