The Best Day

So I have a confession.  It is not easy for me to tell you this, but it is necessary to prove a point.  When Solomon was little (he's still little, but I mean less than six weeks old), I let him cry.  I know, I know...worst mother ever!  Only two or three times, and only for 5-10 minutes tops.  And it wasn't let him cry in a mean way.  It was let him cry in a he was fed, diaper changed, clean clothes, had been holding him all day and I needed to get something done, kind of way.  Don't worry, I read these awful things on the internet about how emotionally traumatizing it was, so I didn't do it again.  During the crying time I kept telling myself that I couldn't spoil him.  That I couldn't let him think it was okay for him to want to be held constantly.  You hear these awful judgmental people (normally people who are not parents...I was one of them) talk about other babies, and how the baby is so spoiled, and wants to be held constantly etc etc.  I decided that I didn't care.  I decided that even if he did want to be held all the time, the being held period was short, and I would miss it one day.  I thought about how people tell you all the time to enjoy them while they are little, so I do.

I...spoil...my...baby...rotten.  I love on him all day, I stop what I'm doing to play with him, I hold him when he wants to be held, and I buy him lots of toys.  Don't get me wrong, we are already learning what "no" means, and he will use manners and be respectful.  But why can't I enjoy him and do things for him that make him smile?  Why should I worry about what other people think about my parenting style?  I feel bad for children whose parent's are so uptight they deprive their children of little happiness moments, just because they are afraid other people will think their child is spoiled.  Don't judge me.  Or at least if you do judge me, keep it to yourself.  AND if you don't keep it to yourself, expect me to turn into something similar to this...

My baby is adorable.  He is a happy, healthy baby, and I am taking full advantage of that.  You never know what tomorrow brings.  Do you think the parents of the children that have endured the awful scary things wish they hadn't of spoiled their child?  People can think whatever they want about my parenting style behind my back, and if they have the guts to tell me to my face they think my kid will be a brat, I welcome the opportunity.  I have some built up frustrations from other areas of my life that I would love to unload.  I tell my baby no when he does something he shouldn't, he will learn to use his manners, and I will teach him by example how to be a productive member of society.  However with all that in mind, my immediate goal is to make sure every day is the best day he has ever had.  To not let any opportunity for him to enjoy his childhood pass us by.  To enjoy him being a baby, toddler, little kid, and big kid.  To make sure he knows he is loved.  To make sure his memories only include best days.

Because motherhood.