Nobody knows what they are doing
People love to act like they are completely in control. We go through life pretending like we know exactly what is going on. Part of being an adult is maintaining the illusion that you have authority over your own life. When you become a parent, this is exacerbated because you then also become responsible for keeping your kid alive, and that makes you feel like you know what is up.
But do you really?
Parents need to maintain a confident vibe because you don’t want your enemy to see weakness. Not that your child is your enemy, necessarily, but they are your adversary. The parent-child relationship is one that has elements of a battle. You need to have authority over your kid because one of you has to be in control, and better you then a two-year old. Trust me. If Munch was the boss in our relationship I would be spending my days making sandcastles that she stomps on and then makes me make again, putting her dolly’s dress on and then taking it off then putting it back on then taking it off again, or peeling her grapes. Wait… that is how I spend my days. Whatever, I am still the boss okay. OKAY?!
But all this time faking that I am authority figure made me start to believe I really was for a second. Until a child put me in my place of course. I was visiting my aunt and uncle this morning and thought I would ask my 13-year old cousin if she would like to babysit. My cousin was tentative at first and said:
“Well, I haven’t taken any classes.”
“That is okay, I haven’t taken any classes either.”
Then her mom chimed in and said.
“Well you can be a mommy’s helper and watch Munch while Toni is in the house. But you can’t watch her by yourself until you have taken infant CPR.”
Holy crap! I haven’t taken infant CPR. If Munch needed CPR the best I could do was find a bicycle pump, stick it in her mouth, and hope for the best.
My cousin is still young enough to be honest with herself. There really are no guarantees in life, and although she is totally down to babysit, she doesn’t really know what she is doing.
Hey, guess what kid. Neither do I!
“Hey Mamma… make another sandcastle.”
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