Saturday 19 October 2013

Mothering



Recently you adopted an orphan baby

Seemingly abandoned at your Grandmother's house when she went away for a couple of days, you picked her up and loved her, kissed her, wrapped her in things and tried to put a nappy on her

Of course when we tried to leave your Grandmother's house, you were extremely distressed at the thought of leaving this helpless little baby completely unattended (and outside, at that) while your Grandmother was away

And I was torn between the ethics of 1) removing the doll from the house without permission (knowing that this particular doll had a lot of sentimental value, and we had been deliberately instructed on other occasions to please leave her there) and 2) teaching you that it was ok to leave babies all alone, at the mercy of the elements...

Enter visions of permanent future mothering damage where you possibly leave your own children unattended as newborns because of this one pivotal moment in your life (irrational? completely. But who said parenting was rational?!)

Needless to say, the baby came home

And you told your Grandmother in no uncertain terms *via skype* that this was 

"MY Baby - Layla's baby!"

Undoubtedly you had now judged your Grandmother to be unfit to adequately care for the infant and had taken measures to ensure her ongoing mothering.

When your Grandmother pointed out that you were just taking care of her baby temporarily, you repeatedly tried to hang up on her, saying "bye" (translation: "I don't want to hear anything that you have to say").

And now the baby is yours. 


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