Momma’s don’t let your babies grow up to be woosies!
Recently, I went to the dentist. As I sat in the waiting room, I marvelled at a ‘loving’ mother who kept stroking the arm of her 6 year old son, assuring him that it was going to be fine, that he was going to be alright. Over and over and over she stroked and assured…or gave what she thought was helpful and loving assurance…when really, I could tell, she was freaking her own kid out with the horrific ideas of what was about to happen. If his mom was THAT nervous FOR him, it was going to be bad!
I was led back to my chair first, and a few minutes later Sonny-boy got in the chair next to me, and melted. There was screaming and crying and there were even attempts to leave. Mom had to vacate the room and pace in the hall with a pained and worried expression on her face (complete with nail-biting) because her son was being tortured and she couldn’t do anything about it. I sat there calmly taking three needles to the gums for the face-numbing experience of filling one cavity and a deep clean on only half of my mouth…and the nurse laughed when she told me not to make a scene for the kid. Uh, yeah. No problem. I don’t think he’d notice anyway.
Now, all of the boys drama to this point was for the nurses! Enter the dentist and there was a short volume increase. But note…I said short. The increase of freaking was short-lived because Doc was in and out in about 45 seconds and then the kid sat there stunned that it hadn’t hurt and it was already over. I believe his exact word was, “Woah!”
I drove home and warned my husband within an inch of both our lives that we would NOT be parents like that! He agreed without hesitation.
Mothers…love your kids, let them know that you are always there for them and will never put them in harms way. Put yourself between them and fire, flood and famine, but PLEASE! pony up and leave the babying and enabling out of it! Love those kids, but don’t coddle them. Don’t allow your own fears and insecurities to hobble them and turn them into shadowed versions of you. Put yourself aside and watch what it is you’re doing…and then knock it off! How do we expect our kids to grow up if we are still acting like babies ourselves?
AMEN!!!!