Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Gettin' our Groove on.

(No, no, not that!)
Call it a conflict of instincts, but my parenting philosophy holds two very different things near and dear. One, I subscribe to the infant-led, attachment parenting school of thought, in which (up until some age) babies' needs and their wants go hand-in-hand, and fulfilling these needs leads to a secure and happy baby that is better able to focus on the important things like growing and learning. Two, I think babies (and people in general) thrive in a structured environment, on some semblance of a schedule, where they know what they can expect here and there.

So one of the most surprising things to me, as a new parent, is how seemingly impossible it is to find our groove. I often feel like every day of Noah's life has brought new surprises and challenges. When every day holds something new, how are we ever supposed to find order and routine in our lives?

Recently it seems like every day's "new" thing provides yet another excuse why we can't get Noah to nap in his crib, or nap period.

1 comment:

Robyn said...

Man do I hear ya on this one. I've been struggling to find that same balance for nearly 9 months. I feel like we're finally making progress on the sleeping part, but not without a lot of sacrifices, hand-wringing, second guessing, sleepy days and sleepless nights.
Believe me, you're not alone.