What Did You Think It Would Be Like to Be a Parent?

This morning while at the gym, I was working out in front of a bank of televisions. One had an episode of Friends playing on it, the focus was Rachel’s baby shower. This otherwise competent professional was in a panic since she didn’t know much about babies. She thought a breast pump was a “beer bong for babies” and she was shocked that newborns have at least 10 bowel movements a day and that she shouldn’t leave an infant on the changing table while she went to the dumpster to dispose of dirty diapers. She called the bassinet, a “pretty basket” that had contained some of the gifts. In real life, there are parenting classes that guide prospective parents in the literal care and feeding of their child. A few years ago, I was in the presence of a young woman in her early 20s who told me that she had a miscarriage after getting pregnant unexpectedly. As sad as she was over the loss, she realized that she wasn’t equipped to be a mom at that point in her life. “Think about it,” she explained, “when you have a baby, you are not raising a child. You are raising an adult.” I had not thought of it that way, but it made sense, since parents are responsible for their child until they reach adulthood. It would be a good idea to decide how you want to do that. The show called Motherhood: The Musical played in Philadelphia a few years ago and I went with friends — some moms, some child-free. I laughed and nodded in understanding, even though I ...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Parenting Children Source Type: blogs