Spoiled

    At the age of one, my first child is not only a prayer answered, she is my experiment in child rearing. Every thing she does is as new to me as it is to her, and every cry pushes the panic button of my heart. This emotion is even more defended as I found my parenting being judged by my single best friend, Dean. Dean believes that Charity must be trained while she is young. This (in my friend’s eyes) means that Charity should be on a strict schedule of sleep and eating. That her cries should be ignored unless there is evidence of pain.



    Though I love my friend, she was not the one raising my daughter. I wasn’t going to change the attention that I gave to Charity, but I wished that I was armed with information to support my beliefs. So I started to read Psychology books on the subject of children, parenting, and discipline for all ages. I was going to prove one of us right, and I knew that it would be me.



    During my studying, I found many advantages of giving a child of Charity’s age so much of her mother’s love and attention. Wow, was I surprised with what I learned.



    I learned that affection is as important as other needs of a baby for it to be healthy both physically and emotionally. Right now Charity is rapidly growing, and with this growth she is forming relationships. The foundation of the relationships throughout her life is those she has with me and her dad. She needs me close to me. The information I found taught me that her mother knows what stimulates her. This starts a good/bad habits of learning according to how I, her parent, works with her.



    I want to love my daughter and enjoy my time with her as that cute bundle of pride that God gave to me. I did not know how much she too needs my love. I learned that this little is depending on me to be as healthy emotionally at this age as she need me to feed her. I found that babies feel emotions, and that these true emotions begin to appear before the age of two. Her social development is dependant to her emotional ties right now.



    I found my heart swelling with pride and my eyes with tears. I realize that my need to nurture was also forefeeling her need to be healthy. Even at this early age she is learning from what she sees me do. I am so glad that she sees affection form her mother and learns to love both others and herself.



    Now I watch the way I salve or deal with problems, I always want her to see a sensible way to handle things in her life.



    I know now that the next debate that Dean decides to toss at me “You spoil Charity. You need to distance your self from her some.”, I can reach her my research.



    I would be able to answer. I like knowing she feels safe with me around, and that I am helping her create trusting relationships for her lifetime. Then go home pick her up, kiss her little check, and sing her to sleep.