I have four children. I've been a mother for, seemingly,
forever. All of my adult life, anyway. So it only follows that I've
relaxed a bit over the years when it comes to being a helicopter parent, especially as compared to how I was as a first-time parent.
Case in point #1: This morning I was hard at work
wasting time at the computer, when I heard my youngest, Eric (3)
calling, "Mama! Mama!" He clearly wanted to show me something.
Turning my head to glance in his direction, I could see through the
kitchen into the dining room, where he was standing on the table,
grinning with accomplishment (pretty good for a kid who only began
walking a few months ago). I casually scooped him off the table and
pushed in the chair that was his accomplice. With child #1, #2, or #3,
there would have been screaming, running, cries of "Don't move!" and a lecture afterward.
Case in point #2: While I baked cookies (on Mother's Day,
I'd like to point out), Eric played nearby in the kitchen, transferring
cat food into his sister's cup. Actually, that alone is enough to
qualify for not-my-firstborn status, but then he held a piece of the
food up to his mouth, eyes glinting, daring me not to let him eat it.
I looked him squarely in the eye and said, "Go ahead." (Eric does not
like cat food, it turns out.) Recent evidence about the five-second rule notwithstanding*, I've become pretty lax about what that boy puts in his mouth.
So
what about you? Have you gone from "OHMYGODHE'SGONNADIE!" to "Go with
the flow"? And what about parents of just one child? Would you call
yourself an anal overprotecting helicopter parent, like I was, or are
you pretty balanced and relaxed about the whole gig?
*The
new evidence suggests what we all knew inside anyway, that even five
seconds exposure to a germ-laden surface is enough to infect your kid's
toast. To which I say: Meh. Public areas are a whole other thing, but
I'll continue to hold the pleasant fantasy that my house is clean
enough.
