Response to "Mr. Mom"

Yes your friend is being paranoid and extremely over protective as well as controlling- not to bash her because i dont know her!! But seriousl, let me address my first issue: why in the world ahve a child with someone you have no faith or trust in? He has just as much vested interest in their child as she does, whether or not he has no "maternal" insticts. Men may not have the same finesse as women but when it comes to an infant all men need is a little bit of instruction and time to "get the hang of it." Which is actually the same for women, when my sister had her first baby she refused to put long sleeved shirts on him because she honestly believd she might break his tiny fingers off. Eventually she calmed down and could change that baby with one hand and her eyes closed. I think men would get flusterd easily if the baby constantly cried and nothing he did helped. However your friends mother in law is helping too, so she will be there to lend a hand, even if its to give her son a break from a screaming child. He may handle situations differentlky than she would but that does not necessarily make them wrong. His experience with raising children has most likely made him an expert at handaling emergency situations. And he will most likely know the difference between a real emergency and the no-big-deal things. Im also assuming that she is not away from home for so long that she has absolutely no hand in this babys upbringing. She should focus on the time she does have with her baby rather than focusing on what he may mess up. I understand that shes worried something bad may happen but that is a fact of life, even if she was the one staying home accidents happen and usually they are not as earth shattering as what she imagines might happen. He is probally more in tune to the babies needs (which are very basic) then she gives him credit for.