These Things Will Happen

This if for all the parents out there wondering if you are doing it right or wrong.

THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG IN PARENTING.  

Every parent is different - every child is different. 

I can tell you this, though.  If you are a parent these things will happen to you

YOU WILL BE NERVOUS

     If you are lucky enough to have a parent or some close friend come and stay with you for the first few days you are home with the baby enjoy it. Because when they leave and you are alone with that child you will be nervous. You will question yourself - what if he/she cries and I don't know why they're crying?

     What if I forget what time I fed the baby last? Will she starve because I couldn't keep my eyes open enough to see how much she ate?  

     The first time the baby sleeps for more than 3 hours straight you will worry that she died because you forgot to get up and feed her.  

     Relax -- all mothers and fathers go through the same fears. Trust your instincts - it's your child and you will know if something isn't right.

YOU WILL CRY

     

     Oh my yes - you will cry!  It's ok. Sometimes you won't know why you are crying. Maybe you just felt like the baby needed some company crying - after all she has been crying non-stop for the last 24 hours.  

     Maybe you are crying just because it was either that or loose your mind.  It's all right. 

YOU WILL LAUGH

     

     Oh the things that will make you laugh. Your baby's laugh (once you can get her to stop crying) will make you laugh. The faces your baby makes will make you laugh. The cute little way they mispronounce words will make you laugh. Their silly jokes will make you laugh

 YOU WILL MAKE MISTAKES

     Hey it happens - don't beat yourself up over it. All parents make mistakes. They can be little ones some may be bigger but it's all right. Ask yourself - are we all still alive?  Are there any broken bones?  

AT SOME POINT YOUR CHILD WILL NOT LIKE YOU

     I know this might seem hard to believe but there will be at least one time your child will not like you. It might be at a young age when you tell them no dessert because you didn't finish your dinner. It might be as a teenager when you have to do the unthinkable and ground that perfect child for something you thought they would never ever do. But at some point your child will not like you.  

Remember, this doesn't mean they don't love you.

YOU WILL LOSE SLEEP

  

     Oh you can be sure of this one.  You start when they are babies and you lose sleep because they are up every 2-3 hours for a feeding. Then you lose sleep when you are up all night with a sick child who just keeps throwing up. Or they have a fever that just won't go down. Or they have a nightmare that keeps them awake. 

     There may be a few years when you think - oh I've got this the rest is easy.  Don't fool yourself. They turn into teenagers who go out. That's right - they have the nerve to want to go out at night with their friends. And you will wait up for them. You won't be able to sleep until you know they are back home where they are supposed to be. Or there will be away games that your child participates in.Or they will be the child who gets a job and works the late shift. 

Yep you will lose sleep.

YOU WILL HAVE FUN

     This I can guarantee - you will have fun. Every hour of sleep lost, every tear cried, every doubt you have will be forgotten in the fun. The fun of watching them learn to crawl, to walk, to run. The fun of watching your child become an individual with their own personality. 

   You will have fun playing with them. and I encourage you to play with them.  Have a tea party, play catch, color in books, turn a nature walk into a scavenger hunt, camp out in the living room.

Most importantly-  LOVE YOUR CHILD - ACCEPT THEIR UNIQUENESS - ENJOY EVERY MINUTE