Welcome to A Father’s Voice for September 2007. In Just 16 Minutes is a snapshot of how intense everything can be when your child wakes up in the middle of the night upset.

This month I was interviewed again, this time for an article that will appear in American Baby about the baby blues and depression after a baby is born – except that it was focused on fathers and their experience. Why does it happen to dads, too, and how their partners can help them. I was very pleased that a national parenting magazine is covering such an important topic such as this. The other exciting news was that two more magazines have picked up my A Father’s Voice column for publication, Northern State Parent, in northern California, and Virginia. I look forward to growing this list of magazines even more in the months ahead.

A Father’s Voice is my chance to share my voice with you about the challenges and rewards I experience trying to be a very involved father while having to work full-time away from our home. I write during the only disposable time of my day – my train ride to and from home. I hope you will subscribe to A Father’s Voice by visiting www.AFathersVoice.net.

In Just 16 Minutes

By Jeremy G. Schneider, MFT

4:00am

That’s what the clock read. Is it raining? I should go look out the window to see if it is raining because if it is I can turn off the alarm and sleep a little later.

But I can’t get up to go check…tooooooooooo sleeeeeeeppppppppyyyyyy…

…

“ELIJAH!” I heard myself scream. All of a sudden I am out of my bed so quickly that I forgot to get my glasses, running towards the stairs. I don’t know what I heard, but somehow I knew he was in trouble and he responded with a sound. I can tell from his voice he is on the stairs. Is the monitor working?

He started crying loudly.

I picked him up, halfway to the top of the stairs, and held him close to me, whispering soothing words, trying to calm and quiet him down. After a short period of time he was whimpering into my shoulder.

“Let’s go upstairs and check on Jordyn,” I whispered to him. I thought I heard her stirring up there and can only imagine how our outbursts have frightened her.

You can hear A Father’s Voice in my voice below, subscribe to A Father’s Voice podcasts, check out A Father’s Voice archives, read the rest of this month’s column, and even subscribe to Two Okapis, my Digital Daddy Diary. You can always share your voice with me by commenting on this site or emailing me.

In Just 16 Minutes: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download