Immediate after the birth of both of our two children, my wife and I would have family and friends pop by to take a gander and the new addition. The room would be billowing with “awwww”s and such, as you’d expect. But for 90% of the people visiting, the question “would you like to hold the baby?” was met with shock and extreme apprehension. The thought of “doing it wrong” or dropping the baby was enough to dissuade these fine folks from taking part in one of the most miraculous events this life has to offer.

The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of young people (who aren’t parents) are scared to death of holding and otherwise caring for infants. I would have definitely counted myself among this lot a mere 2.5 years ago, so don’t think I’m picking on anybody. The truth is, babies (while definitely fragile) aren’t as breakable as you might think.

With all that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of a few misconceptions/tips for dealing with babies:

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