Not all men are oblivious to the needs of babies and toddlers, but some really are. I know, because my own deceased dad was one of those who my mom learned the hard way not to trust to babysit.
When I was about 3, and my next in line sib was toddling about, my mom left my dad in charge on a nice Saturday afternon. She came home to my toddling sis with a face full of motor oil, and diaper solids smeared all over her face, in the driveway of our lil house, and my dad, oblivious, with his nose in a book.
She went on to have 5 more sibs with this delightful dolt, but learned not to let him "baby-sit" ever again. He just didn't have a clue. He was a good provider, but just didn't have that gene for "lil kid care".
Some men don't. I am an old mom now, and wise. I was lucky to have a husband who did have the "lil kid care" gene, but never forgot about my dad's blind spot. We are not all the same, but we mothers must figure out whether the guy we pick to father our precious ones are suited to how fast the lil ones can get into big trouble.
Any of you older moms remember how quickly we learned to pick up on an odd silence in the house, and knew that we better go find out why it was so quiet, and what the heck they had gotten into?
You are right.
I remember suddenly stopping what I was doing, knowing somehting was wrong, just knowing it. And usually it was. I could never decide how I knew, I just did.
One of our kids had respiratory apnea, the thing associated with SID. It was before alarms and all.She slept next to our bed for several months and when she stopped breathing for more than a few secs, hubby and I both woke simultaneously. We always knew.
Oh, I know! My hubby has done similar things. :) But he would never forget one of our babies.
Silence isn't a welcome thing in my house, either, lol. It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.