I once heard a friend say “you could leave your kids home alone with knives and come back hours later and they would not have a scratch. But whenever you’re right there staring at them, somehow they end up with a broken arm.”
Fair enough. We try our best to protect our babies, but what if our best is not enough? How do we love and let go? Is loving letting go?
Babies need to learn to self-soothe. It is good for their emotional regulation and their sleep patterns. Sadly, it is a killer for parents. It seems so unnatural to see your child cry and not rescue them.
In this generation of self-reliance, I suppose we want our kids to start early. We teach them you can lean on mom and dad, but ultimately you are responsible for yourself.
Medical training programs encourage progressive responsibility. The idea is that confidence is gained through doing not watching.
I guess the same is true for child rearing. Babies begin completely dependent upon their caregivers. Five years later, they are ready to go to school alone. Thirteen years after that, they completely break free from the nest.
Generally, at some point , a successful parent is also one with no kids at home.
Bittersweet, but true. We have accomplished our goals and then we are utterly alone.
No worries! Everyone claims grandkids are the best.
K