They say (”they say” = my mom) that there is no such thing as spoiling a baby. They also say that I was allowed to cry back when I was young since people believed something different. It is convenient for my mother to say this, since as a Grandmother, she does not want my babies crying for one second. 

Ariella is receiving a first hand insight into what it means to spoil a child and is concerned for what happens when you remove all the attention. Has your child then become ‘dependent’ on being entertained and will be unable to play alone from now on?  

From Ariella:

I walk into my parents living room after a nap (a word that does not exist in my vocabulary..I am spoiled too!) and I see Joseph, surrounded by 15 ( literally) adults all applauding and grinning at him in response to something he has just done. He laughs out loud and then knocks down the tower he just built. They all applaud again. He builds the tower. . .  they all applaud again .. . 
 

We have this big fat Joseph party EVERYDAY so far of our trip. Joseph is continually being introduced to new visitors- because we don’t live in the same country as my parents or my in-laws, everyone is super excited to meet him and give him presents and generally spoil him rotten! 

Don’t get me wrong- I love the presents and the attention (and my NAPS!! )

It’s just that I worry.
 

There’s been a few times I have been left alone with my son and guess what? Joseph- who before we got here was SO excellent at playing alone for half an hour or so . . . ( which allowed me time when he was up to return a phone call or read a book or just collapse on the couch) NOW he needs to be constantly entertained and applauded.
 

I love doing that for him but NOT 24/7.
 

So- What happens when we get home? How long to ‘detox’ my son and turn him back into the super independent and easy-going boy I remember?
  

 

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This entry was posted on Sunday, August 26th, 2007 at 7:17 pm and is filed under Parenting. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.