Author(s): Ian Newbold

Baby Care and Pregnancy

Ian and his wife, Samantha, were the proud parents of a beautiful seven-month old baby boy, Max, when Sam died suddenly from a heart attack. Overnight he became a sole parent. Ian gave up his job at an electrical firm to look after Max, who is now seven. Ian shares what he learned after being thrown into the parenting deep end - his story is told with humour and pathos and will be of help to any new father, single or not. The book is an account of one man's struggle to deal with the sudden and dramatic loss of his wife, at the same time giving up his job as young successful business executive to take care of his seven-month-old son. An abrupt and remarkable career and life change. As well as covering the pain, shock and devastation of being widowed, Parenting with Balls also gives an account of what it's like to be suddenly thrust into a world dominated by women. Ian emphasises that while it felt like the most natural thing in the world - for him to look after a child - it wasn't instantly accepted by other people or by other parents in general. The book will hopefully start to engage the reader into perhaps thinking differently about men as parents in the future.