Wanting What's Best

We all want what's best for our children right?

And I think most of us would agree that part of making our children strong is watching them go through adversity and learning from those experiences.

But how do we ensure that those adversities aren't "too" adverse? Do you know what I mean?

For instance, my baby girl is crawling all over the place. She is now starting to pull herself up to a standing position on furniture and to crawl up and down things. So this means more falls, and more bruises. More owies and bumps.

But I know that this is necessary for her to learn about the dangers around our house. For her to learn how to properly crawl up a stair and back down again without breaking her head.

At first I tried staying right next to her so that if she was going to fall, I could catch her. But I quickly learned that I can't hold her hand through everything. She needs some independence. This got me thinking about when she's older how I can give her some independence, but yet help her through those tough times.

My girl's not even in school yet but I find myself wondering about how to protect her during those vulnerable years. How do I protect her from all the bullying, name-calling, violence?

How do you other mothers do it? How do you teach your children independence and the importance of overcoming adversity without your child (or children) succumbing to those pressures?

I obviously don't want my child getting seriously injured as she learns how to walk, but I also can't be by her side constantly. I guess this is a predicament for all parents, one that must be learned perhaps through experience and trial-and-error.

I'd sure like to get a head start on this though! I just want what's best for her.

Burdens Lifted

My baby is sick, or teething. We've thought many times before that she might be teething, and each time we find out she is not. So we've given up on the theory that when she's acting sick, she might be teething.

But really this time.....she might be teething. Only time will tell. My baby (almost 1 year old!) has teary eyes, a runny nose, excessive crying, frequent sneezing, all the signs of teething. Oh how I wish I could life her burden!

Whenever my husband is sick, I always feel so sorry for him. Or when my mom gets sick, or another family member or close friend. I always feel sorry for them and wish I could make things better. I could make them a warm meal, tuck them into bed, send a get-well card, etc.

But with your own child, it's different. Waaaaaaaaaayyyyyy different! It's like you'd give ANYTHING to lift that burden off their shoulders. There's nothing so sad as watching your own child suffer. I wish, oh I wish, that I could take her pain away. Take away her sadness, her tears, her aches.

But alas, that is part of being a baby. Part of growing up. In the end, it makes them stronger. She has to go through that process to progress. It reminds me of baby chicks who hatch from their eggs. They have to work hard at getting out of that egg. They peck and peck and peck some more at that hard shell, and eventually, the shell breaks and they are free. But if you break the shell for them, and "help" them out of the egg, they lose out on that experience to gain strength. It's a part of being born for them. That's the way it was intended for that baby chick to progress, to get stronger.

And that's how it is with our children. We can't protect them from every little bump, bruise, or scrape. What we can do is kiss them better, help them up after they fall (figuratively and literally), put a bandaid on their "boo boos", and just hold them tight until they stop crying. Until I stop crying.

But that doesn't change the feeling in my heart of wishing I could lift her burdens and make them light.
Maybe I'll make her some homemade chicken noodle soup.