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| The look on his face says it all. (Google Images) |
Even though Anaya will be our first baby I saw both my younger brothers grow up. I remember a lot from their younger days, and I think I learned a few things from those days. Now, they are much older now, but I still remember how curious they were when they began to crawl and walk. One of my brothers was especially adventurous, and he would always find something to get into. We lived at an apartment complex that had concrete steps going up to the second story, and if you turned your back for just a second, he would be up those steps before anyone noticed. Of course, I would quickly run up after him and he would look at me as if to say, "What's the big deal? I just wanted to see what was up
here."
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| He wanted to board before he could run. |
I know because I know pain is a part of life. She will fall, she will skin her knee, she will bump her head, and she may even have her heart broken. My instinct is to protect her from it all, but I know that I can't. I can't wrap her up in bubble wrap and cotton balls. What I can do is to be there for her when she does fall. I will dry her tears and tell her everything is going to be alright. I will let her know that she is safe and loved.
It's not an easy thing to accept, but the truth is you cannot shelter your child from the evils of the world. You can baby-proof your house from top to bottom, but at some point that baby will have to grow up and face the world. The best you can do is make sure they are prepared to face the challenges that every human being has ever faced. Let's face it, the world is not baby-proof.
I think a lot of it has to do with how many other people there simply are to watch the baby now.
ReplyDeleteIt used to be that the mom was always there. And lots of older siblings. And probably a grandma. And probably the neighbors. There was literally a village raising your child.
Now? Now most American families only have one child- there are no extra eyes from older siblings. Both parents tend to have to work, and that means leaving your child with somebody who might not know all the risks or dangers of your home. And on top of that, our homes themselves are more dangerous. Electrical cords everywhere, flat screen TVs and monitors to pull down, amazing chemical cleaners that can strip paint (but also burn out your insides), batteries in everything...
Sixty years ago, the average average American family had six kids. Now it has two.
So the world is NOT baby proof. And it's definitely less baby proof than it was when we were kids. And even less so than when our parents were kids.
And we're so much more alone in parenting. We get so much less help, and also so much less *time* with our own kids.
I think we've gone too far in the babyproofing, honestly. I think that we've removed half the fun from the activities they used to enjoy by making them "safe," and I think it shows in the attitudes of kids raised in a world where nothing has ever hurt them. But you can't blame parents for being terrified, you know?
...this making people business is scary. :P
very good insight.
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