Think about it. We want ‘babies’ without knowing the full implications of our wants. We get our wish and here comes the baby.
All the playing with dolls or babysitting did not fully prepare me. Did you know that babies don’t come with a manual? It’s true.
I had my strong opinions based on my life experiences up until that point. Some opinions helped, the rest had to be revised.
My son, Tony, had his toys in his room and one of his newer toys was broken. I asked what happened and was informed that “Charlie did it”. Now Charlie is his cousin who is the same age. They play often and Charlie is great at creating havoc with toys. It seems he can look at them and they break. So, normally, I could believe this might happen. However, on this particular occasion I knew it was impossible. Charlie (along with his family) had moved over 1,000 miles from our home. I know I laughed. At the tender age of 3 Tony was not aware of the distance, so blaming Charlie seemed like a good way to keep himself out of trouble for his actions. Not only did I have to address the broken toy; I had to address the obvious falsehood. See, I needed the manual. But most of all I had to learn. My lesson was to read the situation as it is, not what I might want it to be.
I found that guiding that baby (and others) would become a lifelong quest.
From the first dirty diapers to grandchildren; the first scraped knee to a broken heart. There are long nights walking the floor with a sick child and pacing the floor waiting for teenagers. The road to guiding children into adults has been my quest and the greatest joy.
And, I am still an amateur.