Being your Kids Best Friend

We all have read articles about how trying to be your chhild's best friend isn't the best for them. They need a parent to parent them, not to be their buddy. I knew that going into this big adventure called parenthood, but no one really prepared me for how difficult that is.

Yesterday Erica has a cranky girl. Didn't sleep well, didn't nap well and was an all over cranktopolus (my own word thank you very much). I got a bit upset. She seemed mad at me.  This may or may not be true. I am the person who puts her in the crib wailing and says "I love you, just try to relax, I'll be back in like 10 minutes". Then I sit outside the door and pray she quiets down.  She doens't know that this is really for her own good. I don't take pleasure in her crying (quite the opposite). 

But what I wasn't prepared for was this need to have her love me AND like me.  To make her completely happy 24/7. That isn't possible. In fact it probably isn't healthy.  Maybe it's the fact that I'm home with her so much of the time. She is really my little buddy.  I go everywhere with her. This weekend my husband went costume shopping with her. That was the first time in months I was alone at home. It was great, but it dawned on me how inseparatable Erica and I are. It's both good and bad.

Anyway: she's down for an early nap now (yay!)  Maybe when she wakes up, she'll be all smiles and giggles as usual.