Boot Camp Relieves New Daddies' Fears Each Month

Becoming a new father can be frightening. What do you do if the baby has a fever? What if your son or daughter won't eat?

For fears like that, Mission Hospital provides Daddy Boot Camp. The once-a-month, $35 program is happening Saturday, Jan. 25 from noon to 3 p.m. The next class on February 22.

It comes with a book and some sage advice from recently new dads.

Autumn Heep coordinates media for Dads Adventure, an Irvine-based company that puts on Dad Boot Camps across the country, as well as the United Kingdom and Canada. They've recently assumed operation of the Mission Hospital father preparation program.

Heep said the three-hour class is facilitated by a baby coach, but what makes the program special are the dads who come back.

"The real teachers are the veteran dads who went to the class before their baby was born, and now they're coming back with a 2-to-18-month baby, to show it is possible with no moms around," she said.

Dad Boot Camp fills a niche, she said. Most things baby-related focus on the mom. And moms are more likely to have experience around babies, she said.

"The whole idea behind this is showing guys that babies are fun, they can take care of their babies," Heep said. 

The program usually takes place on the fourth Saturday of the month, but not always. So check the Patch events page to see when a new camp is coming.