A Father at 8

On March 17, 2006, my eight year old son became a father. Not in the sense of he got someone pregnant. My son knows better, especially at that age. He became a father in the sense of becoming so attached to his newborn baby brother, he acted just like a little dad. He was very protective of his baby brother once we got home four days after I delivered him. He was at his brothers side as much as he possibly could be. He asked me if I would teach him how to change his diapers, bathe him, feed him , swaddle him, burp him, and hold him properly. I was amazed by how much he loved his brother. None of the other kids took the same kind of interest in the baby, as a matter of fact, two of them were jealous of the baby and didn't want anything to do with him.

This helped me tremendously because I had an emergency c-section with my baby and to top it off, was diagnosed with post partum depression soon after arriving home. I spent a good portion of my days crying and not being able to care for my baby boy. Family would come over and help take care of me and the baby, but my son would dominate everything. He would tell everyone when the baby was hungry, when he needed to be changed, and even how to hold him properly. One had to laugh at how cute my son was about his baby brother. And his help was great.

One afternoon while I was folding laundry, I was sorting through clothing that the baby had already outgrown, unable to part with it yet, I put it off to the side. My son sat down with me and asked me what I was going to do with them. So I told him that eventually when I was ready I was going to get rid of everything because his baby brother was going to be the last of the kids, that his dad and I had decided that we weren't going to have anymore. My son then asked me if he could keep the clothes so he could use them for his babies when he got old enough to have kids of his own. It warmed my heart to think at eight years old my son loved his baby brother so much that he wanted to use all of his baby clothes for his own babies. I told him I had no problem keeping them for him, but ultimately it was up to his wife if they were going to use the clothing.

When I was better enough, my son asked me to bring his baby brother to school for show and tell. The kids thought it was the best show and tell they had ever had. They all wanted to hold the baby, and my son beamed like a proud father. He had the biggest smile on his face that day.

Even when we went to stores, my son wanted to put the baby in his car seat and help get him into the stroller. He even had to push the stroller or the cart that his baby brother was in. If the kid was any older, I think he would have passed out cigars after the baby was born! He was very protective of him and showed endless love.

His baby brother is four years old now, and he still loves and protects him the same way, still acts like a little dad. He helps him all the time, tickles and plays with him, and even gives him his toys if one of his little brothers goes missing. Not only have I seen the kindest heart in my son, compassion that most children don't show, but I see a love and bond that most could only hope for. My son has shown so much love to his baby brother, that he is growing up to be the same way. My youngest son has endless love and compassion just like his older brother and it tugs at my heart strings to see that from a child so young.

It just goes to show, you can be a father at any age, because this experience has prepared my son for the day he has his own children. And I am confident that he will be a loving and protective father, that he will teach his children love and compassion as he has shown and taught my youngest son.