Mother Bear
When did it become imperative in our lives that for survival sake, we must stockpile enough canned goods to last 4-5 weeks, in case of some terrible bird flu pandemic? We need to check with our cities to make sure they have enough chlorine to purify the water, without having the need to receive shipments for more, for about the same duration of time. We need to be in emergency preparedness at all times, in case of terrorism, natural disasters and now because of pandemics that strike the healthy, those with the strong immune systems, between the ages of 20-40 are at the greatest risk from the bird flu. Strange, isn't it? How do I as a conscientious mother wanting to be the strong Mother Bear protecting her cub, prepare for all of this? My need to protect and be safe, seems so much stronger now that I am a parent. I don't remember having all of these concerns before I had a child. These are only the catastrophic concerns. I haven't even mentioned my concerns over my child using a public toilet when we go out to eat at a restaurant, now that he is potty training. Or what school am I going to send him to when he is 5? Or how do we prepare for his college years, assuming that we have a child who wants to go to college? Is he getting enough nutrition? I mean, the kid never really sits and eats what I would consider a meal. Is he empathetic to those around him? Is he too much of a pushover to other's needs? Will he have enough self-esteem to see him through? How much involvement is enough to keep him healthy and safe throughout his childhood and teen years and how much is obtrusive and detrimental? There are so MANY concerns. Who has time for all of these concerns? I want to give the time to THINK through all of these concerns and make the wise good decisions, but I'm beginning to think, we are not given enough time to do all of wise parenting thinking we should do. I hate to think I'm going to screw him up for life, because I chose Pampers over Luvs. Private school versus public. To breastfeed or not. To talk about sex at a young age and educate or overwhelm them when they are too young with information, they don't need? I don't know. Parenting is full of concerns and choices. Where is the DIY network on parenting? With all of the easy do it yourself manuals giving step by step instructions on how to completely raise your child the easy, safe and professionally amatuerish way. WHERE IS THAT BOOK? Better yet, where is that CHANNEL? I don't have time for more books. But if you do, I'm currently reading a good one, I recommend. It's called Raising Cain: Protecting the emotional life of boys.