Over the last month we have spent a lot of time with our siblings, and thus my children have had time to play with their cousins. In particular the under one-year-old girls. (They are both fab and beautiful, by the way).
Their mothers are both amazing at breastfeeding. I say this from the position of failing my son before he was three months old (still feel the guilt when I gave up) and that my daughter gave up on me before reaching a year: she recognised there was nothing much coming out and so drifted into preferring the bottle. I try to view this as just the first rejection of her mother - there are plenty more to come, no doubt!
My daughter has been fascinated by both her cousins. One, nearly walking, had to be rescued repeatedly from her over-caring attention: the attempts to help her to walk were frightening to watch, as a seven year old doesn't understand the speed of a child who has just taken their first steps! Watching my daughter love and care for these babies makes me realise just how gifted she may be, even as she struggles academically.
It turns out the fascination was not just with her cousins. Last night I watched as she took teddy off the chair and gently pushed up her T-shirt, positioned teddy and settled back to let him 'breastfeed' while she watched the TV. No fuss, no chat, just a loving cuddle to her 'baby'.
But I'm not ready to be a granny yet!
5 comments:
I think it is very natural for children to imitate what they know. And what is more natural than a mother feeding their baby?
How cute of her - how can you think you've failed when you've raised such a caring, nurturing little girl?
This is so sweet - one thing that really strikes me with my 2 year old daughter ( after two sons ) is the way she mimics everything I do - random things - laying the table, putting cream on her bothers's knee when he fell - it must be wired into the DNA. Lovely post x
Kat - yes, I agree. It was really very sweet!
M.A.M - my feelings of failure to her are based on her education, not her beauty or compassion. She is a fabulous little girl, just right now you wouldn't be confident about her becoming a brain surgeon...!
Belgravia wife - welcome! It probably is in the DNA. It raises a whole lot of questions about boy/girl differences: whilst I've never noticed my son breastfeeding, I've not noticed much in the way of laying the table either!!
Aw bless, I guess she sees it as a natural part of being a mother. When I was a little girl, in the 70s, it was normal to have toy bottles to feed your dollies; i guess times change!
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