Bring together 12 or so expectant fathers, four new dads and their 2 to 3 month old infants, a trained facilitator for a 3-hour workshop on a Thursday night and what do you have? Feedings, crying, dirty diapers, questions, tips, nervousness, and lots of laughter – in other words a memorable experience that builds men’s confidence on being a dad. The concept is simple: dads-to-be learning the ropes from men who have successfully made the transition to fatherhood, who also bring their babies to make the experience hands-on and real. Topics include becoming a dad, forming a new family, caring for a new mom, bonding, working, safety and dealing with relatives. Veteran dads and their babies shed light on the skills of fatherhood including demonstration of burping, changing, swaddling and troubleshooting crying babies.

Thursday, February 19th from 6:30-9:30 PM the Nourish Family Center (8100 South Quebec Street, Suite B205, Centennial 80112) will offer their monthly Boot Camp for New Dads (BCND) class for FREE. Normally priced at $30.00 per dad, the class is held the third Thursday evening of each month.

Started by a group of fathers in California in 1990, Boot Camp for New Dads is a workshop where dads-to-be learn the ropes of fatherhood from the real experts; brand new dads. BCND is the nation’s largest program for fathers, operating in 260 communities across 43 states, the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force, and expanding internationally. Boot Camp's workshops have graduated over 200,000 new fathers, many of whom come back with their babies to orient the next group of men.

Dads who have taken part stress how much they valued the opportunity to learn from experienced dads in a mostly male environment. One recent participant said:

“At first I was nervous . . . I had never even held a baby before! But being with other men in the same situation and hearing from others who are currently in the midst of being a new dad has given me much more confidence. Not only did I hold a baby, I changed my first diaper – the first of MANY!”

For more information and to register go to The Nourish Family Center website or call 303.741.2550 (offer limited to the first fifteen registrants). For a listing of Boot Camps for New Dads classes offered across Colorado, resources for new dads and our Power of Two interactive online skill building games for new dads follow this link. A listing of other workshops and classes for dads of children of all ages across Colorado is available on our event page.