Friday, July 09, 2010

Parenting Blind

It used to be, in my former working life, that I had to make a lot of decisions. How to run my classroom, how to deal with parents and co-workers, how to manage the work load etc. My strategy for dealing with this issue was to gather as much info as I could and then go with the option that seemed most sensible (well that was my goal anyway). Of course things didn't always go my way, but at least I could feel that I tried to make an intelligent choice.

Parenting feels to me like a whole different story. Every day I make decisions about how to care for the baby, and I feel like I am doing so blind. Of course when I try to figure out the best way to get her to take naps, I can read about it, I can ask my friends and my mother what's best, and I consult with my co-parent. However, because every baby is different, there is no way to know if the information and advice pertain to my situation at all.

Also, while I knew my job as a teacher was important, somehow parenting seems so much more serious. She's just so tiny and so dependent on us that small mistakes can have major consequences. At this point we are her whole world, and we do not want to mess that up! Still, there's nothing for it but to try. I get the feeling that this concern does not go away. Now I worry about car trips and nursing, but in a few years it will be potty training or drivers education. Let's hope good intentions can carry the day.

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