Can you imagine how devoid of humanity we would be if the world was without mothers?

I watched this silly movie on TV the other day where a man lost his wife during childbirth and was forced to take care of his child alone with only marginal help from strangers and distant loved ones.

He began fatherhood with the loss of his partner, but not just the loss of a wife, but also the person whom he engaged in an unwritten contract with who would be responsible for all parental duties until the baby was relatively self-sufficient.

He didn't know this was their agreement, but with his wife gone, he was solely responsible for the care of a newborn infant. Saying this man was selfish and self-absorbed would be a gross understatement.

The movie exaggerated his incompetence and complete lack of nurturing skills. Although he was a relatively successful person, who seemed to have more than adequate intelligence, he was a moronic parent.

Screaming at newborns is rarely ever useful. Laying them down to cry themselves to sleep when they are clearly suffering from some problem is highly negligent. In fact, treating them like anything other than creatures that depend on you for EVERY LITTLE THING, most important of which: love - is the only option.

I doubt that even most ignorant fathers are so clueless, but then again, I like to give the benefit of doubt. This father was so tragically awful he considered, and almost went through with, giving his child up for adoption because he was too exhausted and overwhelmed to "deal" with parenting.

Fortunately, at the last moment he realized how utterly inhuman it would have been to give up his own flesh and blood simply because he couldn't "deal" with the responsibility of parenting an infant, a job not for the weak.