American Robin

Maybe I should create a category "duh."

March 06, 2007

Someone told me not to try to make a happy baby happier. Deep thought, eh? I interpret this to mean that a person blissfully staring into space does not need her mother to shake a rattle in her face.

Brilliant advice from Rookie Moms. You wouldn't think you would need to tell a mother not to disturb an already happy baby, but there's so much pressure to make sure your baby is developing his brain! and muscles! and social skills! etc.! that, if you let it get to you, you feel like you need to be working on him all the time.

I'm taking their advice now, while baby swings in his swing, not asleep,* but quiet and happy ...

*Incredibly, since he has basically been up since 3:00 a.m. Bad baby. Are you trying to set a record or something?

Comments

I know! Now that I'm somewhat of a veteran, I think that disturbing a peaceful baby is something that only an idiot would do. But a little part of me remembers how obessesed I was that first year with feeling like I was being a good mother, which meant lots and lots of interaction with the baby. Leaving him to play on a blanket didn't seem good enough. You can bet that #2 (due in July) will have significantly more time to herself :-)

Posted by: RookieMom Whitney at March 7, 2007 01:37 AM

That is totally brilliant advice. I wish I'd had it during R's first year.
This is kind of like when I was telling you I felt like if things weren't hard on me, I wasn't doing it right.
WTF, self?

Posted by: Sarah at March 11, 2007 10:08 PM