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Parental Judgement


8-month old Ethan not happy that he's not sleeping on the gorgeous Californian coast

Before becoming a mom, I certainly had a few things I thought, I won't do that when I become a parent.  Well, that my friends, no matter how you sugar coat it, is being judgmental.  They say you don't really know what it's like for someone until you walk in their shoes.  I've definitely walked those parental shoes now, and feel like I have a pair too many if you ask me.

The first thing I said I wouldn't do was, to let my kid use my phone during dinner or anytime really.  When meal times become a multiple times a day, daily battle with a very short attention span diner, I see the appeal of using technology as a distraction.  We don't do it often or even once in a while, but when my mom is visiting, it becomes a popular option.  I think I forget about it as a potential solution to keep my son still for more than two seconds.  The option does pop into mind when we're in the car though.  It's a last resort option, but one we are more than willing to use.  When I'm in an enclosed space like a car with a screaming baby, I'm willing to do just about anything.  That anything includes singing until my throat gets hoarse, playing peek-a-boo until I get nauseous, feeding snacks, breaking traffic laws, and even just pulling over to calm him down.  It ain't pretty.

The other thing I told myself I would never do is to be that parent that chases the kid around trying to feed him as he plays.  Maybe I can still not be that parent when the baby gets older, but for now, if the only way to get nutrition into my 9-month old is to let him crawl around and play, so be it.  I can only hope I can mend his ways when he gets to an age where discipline makes a difference. 

All I can do is do my best, one minute at a time.  If an observer wants to judge me for that, c'est la vie.

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