I read many books by Phenelope Leach while pregnant, and then the Sears' books after the baby came. DS seemed to be more of a 'Sears' baby than a 'Leach' baby.
Thanks for the Support K's Mom, I do have some doubts about the choices I made, because I would have loved to have been the 'perfect parent' for DS12.But it was not to be. Also, I think the fact that I have doubts is better than the early days when I was sure that I was doing it exactly right.
LOL - I wonder if anyone else loved the Grace Jones song: "I'm not perfect, but I'm perfect for you!"
Attachment parenting got me through those 'high need' years without really realizing that I was doing double duty! So in that respect 'it worked.' DS is an wonderful individual. A bit of a couch potatoe, though. The apple didn't fall far from the tree, in that respect.
It bugs me though that there is no way to look at all the parenting methods and know which ones work for which kids. Something this important should have guidebook, and not just 'Gurus.' ((shrug))
I do have 'high empathy' but I am actually quite at home with crying when I can see a rational for it. I don't see crying as an 'I'm hurting' statement. I see it as, 'I was hurt/frustrated/whatever, and now I'm healing it by sharing it.'
Although 1 minute to start with sounds better than 5 minutes!
My brother assured me at the time that although I stuck out on the East Coast of the US, that in San Francisco, I would be 'a dime a dozen.'
I loved becomeing a mother, becasue I felt like it let me into this screte club that had been closed to me before. It didn't really suprise me that I Mothered 'differently' than most folks.
Happy Smiles,
Grinity
