Years ago I was at a gathering where a new Mommy was showing off her little bundle of joy. As I peered into the folds of the blanket at the little person nestled inside, I couldn't help but smile. "Oh my gosh... she's so cute!" I said. "How long until her eyes open?"
NOTE TO MY READERS: babies are not kittens. Tuck that little piece of info away and save yourself from being reminded of it for the next 20 years.
Many years later as I was expecting my first child, it suddenly hit me: there is a tiny person inside of me who will soon be mewling in my arms. This person will depend on me for EVERYTHING. This person will look to me for training, guidance and advice. When I realized the gravity of this life-changing event, I did what came naturally. I panicked.
I know nothing about kids! How on earth can I raise a child when I know nothing about them? I started scouring books and magazines and interviewing parents about what works and what doesn't work when it comes to kids. I filled notebooks with the information that I learned and my friends and family thought I was going completely overboard.
Well, it turns out that I wasn't going overboard after all. I'm happy to say that all of that learnin' paid off and I have two happy, well-adjusted kids.
Here at Happy Kid City, I'd like to share some of the things that I've learned over the years so that it may help you smooth the rough waters of parenthood.
I think we ALL panic when we find out we're pregnant. We read every book we can get our hands on, then we look to our friends, other parents, the internet... anything really.
ReplyDeleteThen we decide we're going to do this and that and parent a certain way (and never ever EVER do *a,b or c*)
Then the baby comes, and while the baby is learning this world we're learning to be moms. And we do what comes naturally, not what other people tell us.