Читать книгу First-Time Parent: The honest guide to coping brilliantly and staying sane in your baby’s first year - Lucy Atkins - Страница 64

You will need to establish who, while you are chilling out with your newborn in the first couple of weeks, will prepare and clear up the meals, do the shopping, clean the house and do the laundry (there will be lots of it). It’s a mistake to assume that the dad will be the one to do all of this. As a dad, your role will inevitably include a bit of popping out to the shop, tidying up, making cups of tea or sticking the odd load of laundry on; but it’s a good idea to get some other help too, so you can snuggle with your partner and baby and enjoy this time together. The baby needs to bond with his father too (and vice versa).

If you can, try and set up help in advance for cooking, cleaning, shopping and basic household tasks, and accept whatever else you can get. ‘Being able to accept help is so important,’ says Julia. ‘My mum offered to help burp and settle him in the night, but I said, “No, I have to learn, I’m his mother.” In retrospect this was a bit silly. You should take all the help you can get, when you can get it.’