When I am a parent I will not:
Write down every single day from birth to six months (and longer) exactly what time my child slept, fed, and filled his nappy, carrying a notebook round for the purpose, and pondering spreadsheets were I more computer literate.
Blame my houseguests for waking the baby, half an hour after they go to the loo, and thence causing him to cry for 90 minutes.
Tell my friends that "all children who go to nursery hit other children, and I don't want my child getting attached to a childminder instead of me, I heard Oliver James say it on the radio so it must be right."
Nor will I:
Keep the two-year-old up when we have dinner guests, not just until dinner is served at 8 (admittedly only half an hour after the dinner guests arrived) but until he starts to rub his eyes at 10.15 pm, requiring the dinner guests who have to leave at 10.30 to play with toy trains for the evening, and to be very careful with crystal wine glasses and hot drinks, rather than having adult conversation.
Nor indeed will I:
Keep the four-year-old and the six-year-old up until 11pm, claiming that there is no evidence children need more sleep than adults. Or shout at the six-year-old's aunt (who researches children's language for a living, but that's not a proper science) for using letter sounds rather than letter names when reading to her, but then when she cannot learn to read, request Jolly Phonics as a gift.
And finally I will not:
Assume my child's Brownie leader is psychic and able to intuit whether their child wants to come back to meetings in the new school year, without any replies to texts, emails, phone calls or letters.
Of course you know I'll do all those irritating things, and more.
5 comments:
No, I don't think you'll do any of these things. You'll probably do some others that are annoying, but not these.
I actually seriously considered the notebook when we stayed for a day with the friends who use it but after staying about 5 more days I decided it was probably something that makes my friend - and would make me - obsess too much about exactly why the baby won't sleep, when it's probably completely random!
I do know if I did the last one my fellow guiders would take me out and shoot me.
I think quite similar things every time I watch my sister parenting. Eh.
Nope, I'm with Thalia. You won't do these things. I don't do these things, either!
No you won't. But when you're an adoptive parent you WILL want to tell people who think that they understand what your child's been through or the reasons for their behaviour that although you're very grateful for their advice they're talking out of their arse and they don't know a thing.
And it's wonderful to see other people do it wrong because now you know what NOT to do. Still not a clue what you should do, but at least you know something.
: )
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