| The whole concept of becoming a parent is so | | | | latches on to nurse? |
| exciting-and also pretty darned scary, whether or not | | | | Oh my goodness, there is so much to a being parent |
| you have taken care of children before. When you are | | | | beyond the coos and smiles and cuddling. No one tells |
| the parent, you are the responsible person, the one | | | | you about all that stuff-about staying up most of the |
| who makes the choices that affect a young child's | | | | night, and day too, about never eating any hot food |
| total well being. | | | | until your nursing child weans himself, about forgetting |
| When my children were born, no "How To Parent" | | | | about sleeping until your kid leaves home (well...a slight |
| manual accompanied them into this world. There was | | | | exaggeration). |
| my son and there were the rectangular diapers and | | | | I recall the good times of being a young parent. In fact I |
| the diaper pins. I could not figure out how to make that | | | | believe Nature makes it so we only remember the |
| darned rectangle into the triangular shape I had seen | | | | good things and good times. Gee, if we recalled all the |
| on TV. Fortunately, his Dad figured out something that | | | | pain of the traumatic moments why in the world would |
| worked until we were shown why rectangular diapers | | | | we go through it a second time, or a third, or a fourth, |
| work so well when you know how to fold them--and | | | | or however many times? |
| also why they are so good at protecting you from that | | | | Parenting is the most stressful and most challenging |
| little boy's uncontrolled spray! Hey, why doesn't | | | | job in the world. It is the only 24/7/365, forever, job in |
| someone tell you that can happen? | | | | the world You endure lousy hours, lousy pay-and |
| While I am at it, how come no one ever tells you that | | | | priceless rewards. |
| the gum ridge hurts like heck when that new baby | | | | |