Nesting feels pretty instinctual these days. I find myself feeling the need to have everything cleaned, in order, and all last projects completed now as the clock ticks nearer to having this baby. Every time I go shopping I feel like I’m stocking up for a natural disaster. In a way, having a baby truly is like a natural disaster.

Hardwiring instincts nudge women into the role of nurturers and men into the role of providers. Given that we stepped out of the caves about 8,000 years ago, just a nanosecond in terms of emotional psychology, it shouldn’t be surprising that when we become parents our most basic instincts rise to the surface. But it is surprising. We find ourselves back in the prehistoric suburbs, where women wonder if baby might be allergic to mammoth and if there are enough wildberries in his diet, and where men stalk buffalo and question whether their hunting abilities will be good enough to get the family through the winter. (Babyproofing Your Marriage, p.23)
Comments