Sensible enough?

Every so often, usually when I’m lying in bed unable to sleep, I start thinking. This, already, is a bad thing. Oft times it’s nothing of any importance or merit, but lately thoughts creep into my mind about my parental fitness, and how I don’t think I’m ready to be a father to a helpless little baby.

Now I’m sure everyone has these thoughts at some point, even whenever they’re not staring down the barrel of impending fatherhood. In fact I’ve written before about this subject. About how I feel like I should be acting my age more, even though I don’t really know what that means. Does the fact that I’m soon to become a father mean I have to become a boring old fart? I don’t feel as though I’m mature enough to be responsible for another life. I can barely take care of myself. I mean right now I’m wearing a Justice League t-shirt, Captain America socks and I’m pretty sure I have my Spiderman underoos on too. Does that sound like a man who’s only a few weeks away from fatherhood? People who are soon to be or already are parents are surely more grown up than this, right?

Once again, I’m sure everybody feels that way about other people, as if everyone else got their life together and you’re the only person in the world who hasn’t. That’s a fairly common fear that, one assumes, is completely unfounded. NO-ONE knows what they’re doing. Everyone is more or less winging it through life.

Never more so, again, one assumes, when it comes to babies. You can, and I have, read a lot of baby books, been to all the classes, discussed things at length with my wife, my parents, and my friends but still nothing will prepare you for your own baby and how it’s going to fit in to your life.

But in that previous blog I wrote about how when circumstances change I’ll no doubt have to adjust my maturity scale further, but on reflection I don’t think that’s true. Well, I do, but I don’t as well. I’ll have to change aspects of my life of course, but I’m not going to stop being who I am. The balance just has to shift a little in favour of being more grown up. I’ll not be leaving my newborn child to fend for themselves while I go off out gallivanting. At the very least, I’ll leave him/her with my wife while I go off out gallivanting.

Thing is though, everyone is sensible enough. You don’t normally enter into these things unless you mean to but even if you do your natural instincts kick in and at the very least you know the basics. Provided you’re not profoundly stupid and can take care of yourself reasonably well, you’re sensible enough to look after a baby. You’re kind of forced to be. And that’s a good thing. After all, strip away all the paraphernalia and its just common sense. Everyone has common sense.

And besides, if Billy Bob and Mary Sue who have more kids than teeth can do it, surely you can too?