Okay... ENOUGH!

Alright, enough pity partying.  Let’s get back to business:

May: Become a better mother.

This shouldn’t be so hard; I’ve only been a mother for six and a half months.  I consider myself a mother who is laid back and gentle.  I want McCoy to discover things for himself, but with the help of a leader (me).  I hope that he understands that he can always explore and look around, ask questions and listen to the answers.  I want him to be able to make conclusions and predictions and learn about the world around him.  I want to help him through these processes without hindering his abilities to grow.  I want him to fall down a few times (*gasp*) and hit his little head (*double gasp*) so that he learns how to prevent it the next time.  I want to raise an independent young man who will be able to take care of himself and a family one day.

So, to do this, I’m going to focus on a couple of things for myself.  First, I will try better at rushing to him when he starts to cry.  I am going to start doing this to encourage him to become a self-soother.  But let’s not get carried away—I mean, if he’s crying, I will comfort him.  Second, I want to always show him that I will be there—even if it’s in another room or across post.  I want him to know that I will be back soon.  I think this is an area where I need the least amount of work and the most amount of work.  Confused?  Well, I do a good job of arriving to and from CDC at the same time each day.  But when I’m teaching piano lessons, I could practice telling McCoy I will be back in a little while or after Elizabeth’s lesson.  I mean, he can understand me.  I just know it.

I also want to spend more quality time with him.  My little project this week will tell me exactly how much time I’m spending with and without him and I can re-evaluate my situation.  Mom told me that the time I do spend with McCoy is quality time—she assured me that even some stay-at-home mothers don’t spend quality time with their children.

May should be a fun month!  I’m glad that this is what is in store for me to practice, because with all the stress of the end of the year and programs, I will need my safe-haven—McCoy.  I love him dearly!