For some young people, more often men than women, the prospect of meeting a baby is very daunting. If you haven’t grown up playing with dolls or babysitting the neighbor’s children, the meeting of a newborn is terrifying. Many young men have gone through this experience, unsure what to say, how to hold the baby and scared that they might break the little arrival. The good news is that it’s much easier than it appears, and you won’t be the first person who has felt or experienced any of those concerns. So, if your older sibling is about to become a parent and you are dreading the first meeting with your niece or nephew, here are a few tips to help you navigate the encounter easily.
Be present
One of the best ways to overcome those nerves is to go with something as a present for the child. There are plenty of places to purchase luxury baby gifts, so make up for any inadequacy that you might be feeling but getting something quality that can be presented to the parents and enjoyed by the infant. Remember that you already know the parents and the baby is not going to judge you, this is actually about making you feel better and more comfortable. So, splash out, it will be the boost you need.
They are small
For somebody who has never held a newborn child, it is worth underscoring the fact that they are very tiny. The good news, however, is that they are not nearly as breakable as they might feel in your arms. They are tough little things, and while you might see yourself as a tough and nails rugby player, you are unlikely to fumble the baby like you might a ball, infants are designed to be carried – so go with it.
Say the right things
It has often been said that newborns are ugly. That they look like little monkeys. That they all look the same. And it might be true. But there is a time and a place to voice those comments, and that time and place are almost definitely not to the parents, shortly after the child has been born. Just don’t go there. Instead, the correct thing to say is that the baby is cute, that it looks just like the dad (mothers know that the child came out of them, fathers are the ones that need reassuring that they are the ones who put it in) or that it is the most angelic baby that you have ever seen. Don’t hold back!
In an out
If you have been lucky enough to be invited to meet the little one in the precious hours shortly after its birth, make sure that your meeting is fleeting. Don’t hang around too long as the parents will be tired following the birth and wanting to spend some quality time acquainting themselves with the new arrival. Those early hours after the birth are once in a lifetime, and while the new parents might feel obliged to invite close family and friends for an introduction, they don’t want to have people hanging around for too long.
