Dads can participate in all the same “mommy & me” classes as moms can! At Baby Fingers, we have partnered with the NYC Dads Group (http://www.nycdadsgroup.com/) a few times. Visit our photo gallery page: https://mybabyfingers.com/staging/9114/photos.
It’s actually delightful to have dads join me in a class with their babies; a new perspective on childrearing is brought to the table. And it seems wonderful for the dads to be in an environment where they can be soft and nurturing. Some of the dads stay as a group and take an on-going class all together. Others choose classes closer to home, sometimes as the only dad and often times meeting a new stay- or work-at-home dad friend.
I grew up at a time when gender roles were much more traditional, and dads were less involved in daily child care. Today, there are fewer traditional families, more same gender parents, ethnically and culturally diverse homes, more women at work, and more dads present for their child’s milestones. While my own husband has a fairly traditional work schedule, he is far from the Leave it to Beaver dad. He coaches our kids in little league, helps them with homework, plays music with them, outwardly shows affection, does much of the shopping and housework, and he is incredibly supportive of my career.
So dads, don’t get thrown off or turned off by the commonly used description, “mommy and me” classes. Pave your own road and join in the fun, whether you meet up with your child and partner (or nanny) for a class on your lunch break, or happen to be the primary caregiver.
Looking forward to having more dads in class. www.mybabyfingers.com