My uncle book arrived. I have read a few chapters. There are numerous annoyances that I am not surprised to discover. There are horrible gender cliches about how aunts are mothering and sensible while uncles are bad boy rules breakers who allow candy and ‘spin yarns’ at bedtime instead of telling stories. Looking past these shortcomings and the disturbing overuse of the term ‘bunkle’ I have found a few good points so far.
The author advises starting the bonding process immediately. I wondered whether it would even matter whether I spent time with the little guy when he wasn’t aware of his surroundings. Even if it’s a little one-sided, there are two clear benefits outlined in the book that are encouraging.
First off, it will increase my own desire to bond with him. If I start right in, I’ll look forward to more even if he doesn’t feel the same.
The other not so obvious but still important point is that making an effort right away announces my intentions to everyone else. They’ll expect me to want face time and opportunities to bond and hopefully will encourage such things.
This all sounds a little stupid as I’m writing it down, but it makes sense, right?
