Parenting.

You know that feeling of the unknown, the uncertainty you feel about so many things when pregnant? Pondering questions about feeding, sleeping, daycare. Questions like, "where is the instruction manual?", or "how am I supposed to set a routine?".  I remember all of those questions running through my mind. I also remember pondering how the husband and I were going to be at parenting. There are so many unknowns and you honestly have no idea how your significant other is going to change or react to a little one. My husby has really shown me that he is sensitive to Camden's needs, and is receptive to any instruction or suggestions I think of. I hope the same goes for me as well. I found it shocking initially, how he just stepped into the role almost effortlessly. I think I had expected to have to take on the role of disciplinarian why Husband played the role of "good cop", so to speak.

The other day Husband and I were in the kitchen with C. After repeatedly telling little C 'no, he wasn't allowed to pull a tray off of the counter', he succeeded.  This resulted in the spreading of leftovers that made Pearl googly-eyed. Husband swooped in before I could react, took little C's arm and got down on his level. He followed my instructions of making sure little C was looking us in the eye when giving reprimands, and told him that we had already told him 'no' and that he wasn't supposed to disobey us. He patiently walked Camden to timeout, sat him down and told him to sit there. By that time Pearl and I had cleaned up most of the mess, so I stepped in and enforced the sitting in time out until ready to get up. Before I knew it, Camden was ready to get up. Husband stopped what he was doing and rejoined us, and told little C to apologize before getting up. Camden looked at us and signed 'sorry' and then he was on his way, tearless the entire time, but absorbing.

I was just amazed at how well we worked as a team. We took turns enforcing and setting the limits and C seemed to really be taking in how we were on the same page and tag-teaming with our directs. It really felt good, you know? High-Five Parenting! 

 

Overall, I'd say I was pretty nervous about how things would shake out initially. But as Camden has grown older we have had to set more boundaries and limits. So far it has been great to have my Husband parallel to me in the role of enforcer. Go team!!