Why I Can't Let Go

You know there's a point in each of your children's lives where you must let go. For some kids, it comes pretty early, because they are those super independent kids that know what they want out of life at age two and don't stand in their way, because no one's going to stop them! For others, they are still hanging on to mama's apron strings at age 25, when you're giving them that mama bird push out of the nest....you know the one, where they either fall or find their wings!

Well, there are also different stages in your kids' lives where you need to learn to let go and let them do it "by myself", even if there is the dread of big messes to clean up. I'm that mama. I have a hard time with letting them do it themselves, because I dread cleaning up the mess. Have you ever seen a toddler trying to learn to feed themselves? How about a toddler with tactile defensiveness, who doesn't eat much "big people" food, because he doesn't quite know how to chew yet? (Yeah, we're working on that. It's not a mommy-coddled issue...it's just something he's having to deal with.)

I decided yesterday to let Baby Bear eat his morning porridge (really! It was! He loves oatmeal!) by himself. I'm only brave enough to do this with foods that are fairly thick! He has this fun little spoon that holds the food in because of the little holes in the bowl of the spoon. It also has this wonky handle that is a little textured, and a little curvy. So here he is, eating like a big boy (This was early; you should've seen the bib by the time he was through!):

And here he is at lunch time with yogurt all over his hands and arms, after soaking his chow mein noodles and animal crackers thoroughly in the yogurt. I think he realized that by putting the crunchy foods in the wet food, they will soften enough for him to eat without having to chew them! He's a clever little bear, that's for sure! Ahhhh, see how happy he is? He's messy! This is actually pretty good for a little guy who screamed and cried when he got anything on his hands, at the time that we first got him.

Next step: Potty training!

What have you been hesitant to let go of? I'd love to hear from ya!

Mama Bear