Are you crunchy? Are you smooth? Are you over-protective, under-protective, or just right?
My step dad says I’m over-protective, my mother in law may feel that I’m under-protective, but the truth is, I follow my heart in my parenting. Let me tell you; whoever said that having a child is letting your heart walk on the outside of your body (or some variation of that) was so right. It is. I’m petite girl, so my son who is only 28 inches shorter than I am (I’m 5’1, he’s 33 and ¾ inches!!) is my little heart. Good Lord, I love that child and I protect that child and I’d protect that child if it meant giving my own life. Fortunately I haven’t had to do that just yet, but I would without thinking about it. So I don’t let my child jump in the pool I get in with him and hold him or the float he’s in. I don’t let my child ride in the back of the power wheel’s dump truck that my 2 year old nephew is driving unless I’m walking briskly behind said dump truck to catch him if he falls out, and I don’t let my kid go to the top of his swing set without me since it has two holes and I can only watch one of them and he could fall like 6 feet to the ground. But, I do let my child explore, climb, jump, run, and play hard. I mean exhaustingly hard, I’m just there at any given moment to pick him up when he scrapes his knee, to brush his dirty hands off, or to tell him he’s okay and to walk it off when he bumps his head. Does that make me over-protective or under-protective…I don’t think so. I think that makes me hands- on mom. We spend more time outside than we do in. He doesn’t watch TV b/c the moment the sun is up, he wants to go “side” (outside) and play play play. So we do. We play play play from the moment he’s up (on the weekends) and on the weeknights we play from the moment we get home from work and school. Of course he plays all day at school minus the naptime.
I believe, whole heartedly believe that in order to parent effectively, you must follow your instincts and your heart. We are all different. We will all parent differently, we will all make different choices, but in the end I have to be proud of the parent that I am and I have to choose to not care about the criticisms I may face or the way that Sally Sue may have parented her child. So far, I’m very proud of my son. He’s THRIVING. Learning daily, growing beautifully. Even if he’s tall and skinny!
2 comments:
Mandie, you don't know me but I'm going to say you must be doing something right if he's still here, right?!
To answer your question: I'm the hands-on type too. I like to let him explore {even get into trouble} but safely and with supervision. My BF thinks I'm under-protective because he feels I'm not always watching {the trouble}. Oh trust me, I am! I'm like you, I love my little guy more than words - I don't know what I would do if something were to happen!
It's mommy stuff. :)
My dad says I'm paranoid and I agree to some extent but I also feel like I should be. I'm his mommy, after all! My sister was killed in a car accident when she was 21 and I am a car seat nazi. I chide my parents when they don't tighten the straps right or if the seat isn't installed tight enough.
But yes, I'd be following that kid around the yard if he were riding in the back of a toy tractor. I make him wear a helmet on his tricycle. :-) So I'm like you..I do let him get hurt but I'm not going to let him fall 6ft from the playground equipment. Seriously, how do they get away with making that tall holey stuff...there are so many places for kids to break bones. I was the kid who tested the limits of such equipment without fear and am amazed that I went my whole childhood without stitches or casts...
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