Archive Features:

Six men sit in a circle of chairs. They’re skinny, heavy, well-dressed, t-shirt clad, teenage, in midlife, in debt, wealthy, from Chester, Richmond, Glen Allen, Highland Springs. Five of them are probably more nervous than they’ve ever been in their lives.

In the middle of the circle, a baby lies on a cotton blanket, waving his legs and gazing up at the one man who’s probably happier than he’s ever been.
This is Boot Camp for New Dads, a national program that brings together new fathers with dads-to-be for a morning of intense discussion and hands-on training. In the Richmond area, sessions are held at several area hospitals at least once a month.
At Johnston-Willis Hospital in May, ten “rookies” in two small groups listened as “veteran” dads with their babies talked about laundry soap, feeding time, birth experiences and more. The men had the chance to observe—or try their hand at—diaper changes, feeding and burping, and many took a turn holding the infants. The small-group time was bracketed with discussion facilitated by volunteer coach Carl Cunningham.
“Seeing the dads work through problems it seems like society has said we can’t do—that’s powerful!” said LeMar Bowers, Boot Camp coordinator for Richmond. “I wish there had been something like this when I became a dad. I’m hoping it spreads.”
For more information about Boot Camp for New Dads in the Richmond area, see firstthingsrichmond.org or call 288-3431. The program welcomes interest in participating as a rookie or a veteran.
–Angela Lehman-Rios