8.12.2010

shit i'm learning as a parent pt. 1

how well your child sleeps through the night, naps, breastfeeds, eats, whatever has very little to nothing to do with what you've done as a parent and has everything to do with what kind of child you got. if your kid sleeps through the night at 3 months old (like mine did) it's because he allowed it to be so. there was very little that we did to make that happen: we put him to sleep in his crib and slowly but surely he woke up less and less throughout the night until suddenly he'd slept all the way through. we were lucky, that's all. my point is, don't beat yourself up if you've tried but your kid refuses to do it, whatever it is. you did not fail. recognize who your child is, accept the circumstances and go with the flow. at the same time, if your child does sleep and eat well don't go around patting yourself on the back like you're some wizard at parenting. just count your lucky stars. and above all else keep this in mind: it can all change at any time.

stay tuned for: comparing your child to others is an evil, evil trap.