POSITIVE Parenting

The love and joy that accompany parenting recently entered Patrick Moore's life. His first angel came into his life on March 30.

Though he didn't have a clue about the activities involved in parenting, he said he gave it his best shot.

He confessed the first two weeks were a disaster as he couldn't do anything to his daughter, Abrielia.

"I couldn't hold the baby even when her mother wanted to do something. I felt bad because I just thought I failed," he lamented.

But, despite his perceived failure in that respect, he has turned out to be a star of a dad in other areas.

He said he only left the house when he had to go to work, as he couldn't stand to be out while his child's mother, Sashawna Blake, looked after her alone.

"I had to stay with her. Although I couldn't hold her, I could do other things," he said.

The 28-year-old father said he would get up with his baby's mother at nights to keep her company as she attended to the baby. As a result of this nightly vigil, Moore would sometimes be sleepy on his job, but he wouldn't allow them to be up alone, even though he had to rise early to get to work.

Exciting

He described as exciting, the first few days of watching the baby cry, of her moving around her hands while opening her mouth to be fed.

Those are moments the new father said he would never forget although all hadn't worked out as planned.

"I wanted to be there to see when my daughter was born but it didn't work out. That's one thing I would do differently if I am to get another child," he said.

nadisha.hunter@gleanerjm.com

'I wanted to be there to see when my daughter was born but it didn't work out. That's one thing I would do differently if I am to get another child.'