Mama Byrd

So, you would really think that having three children would make you at least a semi-expert in the kid department, at least to people who don’t really know how incompetent you are? Right? Wrong.

Since our third baby, Phillip, was born, onlookers from the Peanut Gallery (aka, our church) have felt the need to remind us about the do’s and don’ts of how to care for a baby. Because apparently we look like we’ve forgotten how. They are so helpful.

For example, did you know that every baby should be on a tightly regimented schedule by the age of six months? The teenager who works in the nursery at our church knows. And how many kids do you have? None? Oh, that’s right. You just tell everyone else what they’re doing wrong.

Granted, our kids look like complete contradictions to the natural order of parenting. Our oldest son, Caleb, makes us look like the greatest parents in the world. But only if you just met Caleb, and that’s it. If you met Elli, well…maybe Caleb was just stroke of good luck.

I honestly think that must be why people feel the need to nip our lazy parenting in the bud this third time around. Okay, yeah, she’s bouncy. She’s even what some might call wild and crazy. But she sure does love life. She sure does love people. And she thinks we’re the greatest parents in the world, most of the time. Except when we don’t let her take Coke or chocolate milk to bed. We do have some standards.

Filed under: Uncategorized on April 13th, 2006