The other day my son woke up in the middle of the night and felt the need to crawl next to me. Usually it is no big deal but we are out of town and I am sleeping on the couch at my parents. As a Mom I made it work until I had to pee so I put him back on his blow up mattress. He hadn't done that in quite awhile so honestly I do love to just cuddle with him when he wants to cuddle.
I had the realization or maybe my own mother commented that as the baby of the family I do baby him. I thought I would never be that way with my youngest because I made sure that as my daughter grows up, I let her spread her wings but with him, I admit to catering to his needs far more than I ever did with her.
My mom mentioned it to me because growing up, I use to comment about how I felt she babied my brother. I admit it was a source of tension for a long time because I thought why does he need our mom to do so much more for him. My Mom told me that I was an independent kid and my brother wasn't and he seem to just needed her more.
Now as a Mom with my own kids I see it with them. My daughter is very independent while my son can be more skittish about stuff. I often wonder if it is my doing as a parent or just their natures in general. I understand now that I might need to do more for my son just because he is who he is.
I also working hard to not jump for him when he needs something. He was whining in the car after he dropped something, begging me to get it and I just couldn't so he rationalized it that my arms weren't long enough to reach. I agreed so that appeased him for the moment. I need to have more of that than him continuing on and on. Though honestly I have seen so many Moms jump for their kids when I just tune out the whine.
He is my last kid, the baby of the family so I think as a mom it is our nature to maybe over nurture the youngest one. We realize that time is fleeting with them, so why not let them have some more slack. My friend commented that I need to enjoy this more because the next thing you know they are like adults who want nothing to do with you as teenagers. So maybe an extra cookie here and there or Mom doing more for you is okay.
Even though it bothered me about my brother, in the long run he turned out as a successful adult. He has a great job, nice wife, and the cutest daughter. Even though Mom babied him, he was able to function as an adult so I know that my son will be fine as well as he grows up.
Rebecca Benson is a SAHM who lives in League City with her husband and two kids. Currently she is sleeping on the couch at her parents house while visiting them with the kids over summer break. She misses her own temper-pedic bed and hasn't crafted in about two weeks though loves all the time the kids and her are getting with the family! Oh and she misses her hubby a bunch too!
Rebecca Benson is a League City stay at home mom who has lived here since 2003 when her husband took a job on the International Space Station program. She followed soon after working on the same program for nearly six years when she started staying home with the kids. Rebecca loves to craft, scrapbook, sew, and embrace motherhood. Rebecca has a blog called Mommiedom ((http://queenmommiedom.blogspot.com/) where she talks about all the things in her life not just those “confessions”.
