‘I wish I hadn’t cuddled my babies so much’ said no mother, ever!
It’s probably one piece of parenting advice I’m glad I didn’t take… Amongst the dozens and dozens of parenting books I read, some parenting ‘experts’ claimed that holding your baby too much would lead to co-dependent, whiny kids.
I remember the morning after my first baby was born, lying with him next to me in his little bassinet. This advice was ringing in my ears – the last thing I wanted was a co-dependent whiny kid. And yet there he was, this much anticipated, already much loved little one. I couldn’t resist.
I pulled him out of his bassinet and lay him on my chest. He seemed to fit there just right and as he nuzzled in peacefully, all that parenting ‘advice’ went out the window. In that moment, I realised that at the end of the day, I need to trust my own instincts more than anyone’s opinion – no matter how many books they’ve written.
I don’t have co-dependent whiny kids.
At bedtime, I often look back over each day and wonder whether I’ve actually achieved much of note. Sure, the kids are fed and watered but have I actually make a difference in their lives?
The I read this article about just how important the love and affection of a mother really is…
Take a look at the difference between the brain of a loved child and the brain of a neglected child.
Just by making eye contact, giving hugs and interacting with your kids in a positive way, we make a deep, life-long lasting impact on our kids. Well done fellow mothers!
Through the week I was at my local shopping centre and noticed a young mum feeding her baby as he lay in his pram, while she had her whole attention on her mobile phone….something inside me felt sad…..feeding a baby whether it be bottle or breast fed….is such an intimate time of connection…eye to eye….flesh to flesh….soul to soul….