I was heading out the other day and I thought to bring my baby carrier with me. This was new, because I had gotten into the habit of using the stroller. Well, for one thing, the Snap-n-Go idea is so efficient and convenient! I can leave Baby Girl in her car seat and lock the car seat into a stroller frame. The diaper bag and other goodies fit in the basket below and off we go! But then again, I had been reading Dr. Sears late at night for a few nights in a row, and sure, I was trying to prove him wrong, but maybe I learned a little too.
What? Have I changed my mind since my post just two days ago? No, not really.
The thing is, I think reading Dr. Sears is like dating a sweet guy with good ideas who doesn’t shower often….
Technorati Tags: attachment parenting, breast feeding, graceful parenting, parenting, parenting philosophy, Dr. Sears
You would love to hang about and be part of all the love he has to offer, but style does count and you can’t get past the smell (i.e. guilt).
So, I imagined that Dr. Sears came to me and said “Carol, I have a lot of good ideas, but I need to clean up my act. Can you help me write my next book?” And then he let me write whatever I wanted. So, here it is…
Love your baby. This is the most important and beautiful thing you will ever do.
It’s easy in today’s busy and complicated world to be on auto-pilot, going through the motions without really connecting with your baby. To put the baby on her gym mat while you eat breakfast, then in her stroller when you go shopping and then in the exersaucer while you check your email. It is easy to go through a day accomplishing all sorts of things and forgetting to play patty-cake with your baby. Do you remember patty-cake?
Pattycake pattycake baker’s man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can.
Roll it, pat it, and mark it with a “B”,
And put it in the oven for baby and me!
Or it could be anything – dancing, going for walks, exchanging coos and giggles, flying her like an airplane above your head or rocking her to sleep, so long as you look in your baby’s eyes and touch her and love on her a whole lot every day. Breast feeding, baby wearing and co-sleeping are ideas that can help with that.
You will find your ways to be close to your baby. And you will find your balance, so you can eat your breakfast too. And if you see your baby’s face first thing in the morning and feel deep in your heart that this is the most beautiful site you have ever seen, then you know you are doing it right.
With love,
Dr. Sears
The End.
