Well, quite some time has elapsed since I last posted an entry here at The Gentlemen’s Standard. However, my absence does not arrive without good reason. My darling Ava is approaching the tender age of 10 months, and she is in the beginning stages of formulating her own little precocious personality. Emboldened with the newly acquired skill of crawling and standing, Ava has become what we like to describe as – busy. Her infant cries have gradually evolved from primitive distress signals to sophisticated screams of coercion. Fully cognizant of the presence of her upper limbs, she has adroitly mastered pushing away both objects and people who encroach upon her personal space. And along with my daughter’s attempts to exert her tiny will, my wife and I have also dealt with the dreaded, obligatory bout with baby sickness.

Now, if chasing down a 9 month old traveling 5 mph across the floor and up the stairs isn’t distressing enough; receiving an e-mail notification that hand, foot, and mouth disease, along with chicken pox, has invaded Ava’s daycare center certainly does not help to assuage the preexisting stress levels. Add in a high fever for approximately a week and then a trip to the emergency room due to an unexpected allergic reaction (scary) to scrambled eggs, yes, life has been very hectic. My blogging duties, usually performed during my lunch break, is still being replaced by afternoon naps. So desperate for sleep, despite plunging temperatures, I still traverse the parking lot to a warm, waiting car for some shut-eye. Thank goodness for remote starters. Well, hopefully, life will slow down a bit so I can hop back on the blogging horse more routinely. I just wanted to check in with everyone. I hope everyone has a blessed and safe Thanksgiving. Be careful out there during Black Friday – this guy will be sleeping.

Bluntly stating the obvious: Parenthood is certainly not an easy task to undertake. Through a myriad of trials and copious amount of errors; parenting a newborn child requires enduring patience, understanding, and dedication. Being the product of a single parent household with no father for guidance, unfortunately, I was not educated in the loving art of rearing a child – at least not in a fatherly way. And truthfully, there are some gentlemen that are reared in households with the benefit of a father being present, but are still bewildered and confounded when blessed with a child of their own.

Now, this is not too say that a gentleman cannot glean a wealth of knowledge from his mother, grandmother, aunt, or whomever is present during the maturation process. Nevertheless, for the fatherless son, it would certainly be beneficial to have some wisdom passed down from a male perspective. Therefore, for those gentleman whom could utilize the advice, I have decided to pen an entry regarding bonding with your little. Yes, some of the following points may appear as commonsense, but I have learned not to take knowledge for granted. What I may know and understand; you might not know and understand. And the same statement can be directed towards me. That being said, let’s jump in and explore 6 ways to bond with your little bundle of joy within the first 6 months.

Show Some Affection

This simple directive may appear to be too obvious, but it is not surprising that many adult men are conditioned to hide or reject their emotions, and that denial of a base human trait can directly impact on your child. Please don’t be distant with your baby. Newborns need that loving skin to skin contact, and it is imperative that they receive it from both parents. Your child needs to become accustomed to your scent, to your feel. Prime example: My wife took a trip to New York for her sister’s graduation and she took Ava with her – she was 4 months old or so at the time. When they returned, my daughter didn’t want anything to do with me.

Momentarily wounded, I made sure Ava and I secured some much-required daddy/daughter time. Make sure you have allotted more than sufficient time to shower your little one with hugs and kisses. And yes, that goes for baby boys as well. It would be wise to resist any inclination to “toughen” up your baby boy. A man can certainly show affection and emotion without sacrificing his masculinity. You don’t have to be “hard” all the time.

For more, scroll down a bit for the remaining pages.