Fancy becoming a father?

‘So, what you’re saying is you can’t wait to bugger off?’ my mother-in-law replied. ‘Well, we are very busy at work, and…’

‘Go on then. You’ll only get in the way and upset the baby.’ Sensible woman, my mother-in-law.

That was then. Seven years have elapsed and our baby is now a young schoolgirl with a strong personality, and a growing sense of self. We have another daughter now and together they make a formidable team. Watching them grow and helping them through every stage of their development, rekindles many memories of my own childhood. It’s a poignant reminder of how important every member of a family is to each other, in the chain that links one generation to the next.

So, if I had my time again, would I still become a father? Absolutely. Would I change anything? Well, I would like to see fathers develop a better capacity for communication with each other. Maybe an anthropologist would have a better explanation, as to why we don’t readily talk about our children with our mates and fellow dads in the way that mothers do daily. At least iVillage has made a step in the right direction. In a way, that will preserve the great British sense of reserve, the ‘Great Dad’ message board is somewhere to share your views with other dads in private, and in your own time, without anyone knowing. Mum’s the word, so to speak.