Review Session: The First Six Months

I've been thinking a lot about what to write for this post. There have been so many things that have changed since becoming a parent and so many different things that I had no idea would ever become such a big deal. The biggest surprise that I have had is the discovery that everything to do with parenting is a huge and fierce controversial debate with you and the entire world that begins before the baby is born. Birthing methods, feeding methods, sleeping habits, vaccinations, potty training, nursing in public, types of diapers, feeding schedules, crib bumpers, types of car seats, self regulation, toys, tv/screen time, how to spend your day, when to go back to work, on and on and on and on..... It's hard enough being a parent, and then I get online and read all of these different stories and realize, "wow, because I don't know what I'm doing I'm going to royally screw up this kid, or at the very least forget to teach him something important like how to be honest and a good person in life." We seem to attack each other left and right and everyone on the internet seems to have a secret manual on how to raise the perfect child. I must have missed my copy when I was at the hospital. If you have it, can I borrow it? I sure don't know what I'm doing and I think I've reached a new level of tired that I didn't know could exist.

But then I think about last night. My baby fussed and cried because he hates putting on his pajamas. He had his last bottle for the evening, and cried some more because he's tired and thinks he wants more to eat. I had him up against my shoulder and simply rocked him back and forth and before long he was asleep. In those quiet moments, I don't ever want to move. When he has his little arms wrapped around me, when his breathing slows to a calm steady pace, when his head is laying there against my shoulder, and when his heart is beating against mine, I realize that I must be doing something right because I've never felt so much love before in my entire life.

For all of you new moms/dads (and not so new moms and dads) who are reading this, I think there are only a few measures of good parenting that really count.

If you provide your child with the nutrition they need to grow, you're a good mom or dad.
If you do your best to keep your child as healthy as possible, you're a good mom or dad.
If you do your best to provide a home where your child always feels safe, you're a good mom or dad.
If you do your best to create an environment where your child can succeed on his or her level, you're a good mom or dad.
If you do your best to give your child your attention when you are with them, you're a good mom or dad.
If you do your best to show your child just how much you love them, you're a good mom or dad.


Again, I think I am doing something right, because I've never felt so much love before in my entire life. If you feel the same way then I think you're doing something right, too.