My son, Jack, was about a month old when my husband and I walked to a nearby restaurant to have lunch on the outdoor patio. We walked Jack in the stroller that we had chosen for our baby registry. I had seen so many families eat lunch while their babies slept in the stroller next to the table. We could do this too. We could be those people! We sat down and Jack slept for about 10 minutes and then woke up. Well, that wasn’t part of the plan, but OK, I picked him up and nursed him while we ate.
It recently came to my attention that people are under the impression that since I practice gentle parenting techniques with my son that I always remain calm. When I told my husband that I suspected people were thinking this he laughed and said “I wish they were here last Saturday, that was a real stomp-fest,” referring to the way I stomped around the house annoyed at Jack’s incessant whining. No, my friend, I do not remain calm all the time. I don’t even know if I remain calm most of the time. My buttons are pushed about 75 times a day (as any mother) and I feel on the edge of losing my shit about 67 of those times. I believe strongly in being as gentle a mama as I can, but I am a human being not a robot. So, let me clear the air. [Read more…]
