Have you ever wondered what makes a child “nurtured”? I got to thinking about it today. Someone made a breastfeeding comment that offended this very vocal (formerly) nursing mama.
It made me feel bad about the minimal formula my older two had after birth. They were jaundice and my milk took awhile to come in…blah, blah, blah. My second child had exactly one syringe of formula, every other drop came from mama.
Anyway, none of that actually matters.
What I am trying to say, is that got me thinking about what makes a child nurtured.
A few things it is NOT:
- breastfeeding
- cloth diapering
- cry it out or not
- homemade baby food
- babywearing
It is:
Mamas making the best decisions they can for their child(ren) taking all aspects of a situation into account. Maybe for some moms, at least for a season, they choose to do some or all of the above as part of nurturing their child(ren).
Other mamas may look at their life and child and find other things nurture their child. Maybe it includes formula feeding, daddy doing the night time feedings, co-sleeping, staying at home full-time, working outside the home full-time.
It takes different forms for different women and families. And for everyone, it will take different forms as the child(ren) grow. Somehow, mamas need to know and understand that nurturing is different for every family and will be different in all the many phases of growth and learning.
Nurturing is not defined by any one action or decision. It is loving that child in the moment for who they are and how they are. Loving will lead to nurturing, no matter what form that takes.
Survive til you Thrive!
8 responses to “Nurtured or Not”