First-Time Fathers Learn the Ropes at Boot Camp for New Dads
Great Expectations
Need advice on pregnancy, childbirth and infant care? Check out the Expectations program at Memorial Healthcare System.
Fun-filled, practical workshops cover everything from childbirth preparation to breastfeeding to the challenges of sibling rivalry. Plus, you'll meet other parents and trade tips for raising a healthy, happy family.
To view a listing of classes that are offered at the Family Birthplace, click here.
For schedules and registration information, please call
(954) 844-7110 or
(954) 265-5930.
June 2004 — Mother may know best, but thanks to "Boot Camp for New Dads," father isn't far behind. In this three-hour workshop sponsored by Memorial Healthcare System, rookie dads learn practical parenting skills in a setting where men and infants are welcome, but women are not. "The only females allowed in this class must be under three feet tall!" says Albert Stowe, an instructor for Boot Camp for New Dads.
The man-to-man mentoring is crucial to the program's success. "Some men have difficulty sharing their feelings around women," says Stowe. "In this class, everyone feels comfortable and can be completely honest — no matter what they're feeling or questioning."
Founded in 1990 by a father in Irvine, California, Boot Camp for New Dads has spread to more than 160 communities nationwide and has touched the lives of more than 50,000 expectant and new fathers.
Teaching from Experience
Before Albert Stowe, a Radiology Office Associate at Memorial Regional Hospital, became an instructor for Boot Camp for New Dads, he was a participant. He attended a class in November 1999. "My wife was pregnant with our second child and experiencing some complications. Even though this was not my first child, I was anxious," says Stowe. "I wanted to be the best dad possible."
Stowe was so impressed with the program that he volun-teered his time until an opening for an instructor became available. Once the opportunity arose, Stowe was invited to attend an intensive, four-day training conference in California. He returned, eager to apply all he'd learned in the classroom to Boot Camp for New Dads at Memorial.
The workshop is loaded with practical guidance — from diapering and burping babies to understanding why they're crying and how to calm them. Veteran dads who have been fathers for at least six months are encouraged to return to a class with their newborns. These babies become the stars of the show, with participants trying their hand at feeding them and changing their diapers. "I tell dads that even though they may do things differently, they can do as good a job as moms in caring for baby," says Stowe.
Boot Camp for New Dads tackles the bigger issues, too. For example, expectant fathers learn how to take a more active role in their children's lives and how to be effective role models. The result is a class that is never boring, says Stowe. "I know I'm doing something right when I receive a standing ovation from grateful fathers who are so glad they attended."
Boot Camp for New
Dads is offered through Expectations, the childbirth and infant care education program provided by Memorial Healthcare System. The workshop is held the third Saturday of every month at the Esther L. Grossman Women's Health and Resource Center at 4320 Sheridan Street in Hollywood. To learn more about this and other childbirth classes, please call (954) 265-5930.