To Read or Not to Read

"The Days are Long but the Years are Short."

Pithy, eh? Why are trite bits of wisdom so annoyingly true sometimes? Some days have seemed long this week. Fall always makes me nostalgic. It smells like going back to school. The nights get longer, the mornings get colder, and the urge to lounge in bed gets stronger. I want to slow down, curl up, read. Do less.

And we all know I am terrible about doing less.

In the parenting class I am taking, one teacher emphasized that us bottle-feeders should do all we can to imitate breast-feeding. Turn the baby towards us, head to our breast, gazing into the babies eyes... uhm, and where does the bottle go? Pesky real life logistics. I looked around at the breastfeeding mothers and not a one was holding the baby so she could gaze into her eyes. Most of the babies were half hidden by clothing. If I really wanted to accurately mimic them, I'd put the bottle in my armpit, but I kept this thought to myself.

The teacher then advised, in the studied voice of a sage, that we forgo reading, watching TV, or being on the internet while feeding our babies. Make it holy, meditate. I finally balked at this. When I commented that it's all well and good to make sure we don't make feeding too perfunctory, it's also a lovely time to read a little while cuddled up. The teacher replied, "but it's only 5-10 minutes." Hold yer horses. Has this lady ever had a kid?? Infants feed 20-40 minutes 8-10 times a day. That's 4-6 hours a day. Babies feed faster and less often as their stomachs get more mature, but on a good day, I'm still spending several hours a day feeding.

I know I need to learn to slow down, but attempting to lovingly meditate on my child 4 hours a day is silly. I know me: I'd start making lists. Lists that I can never accomplish between feedings. Lists that will cause me to get antsy to not be sitting stuck with my (albeit lovely) child. I don't want to feel this way. I want to love the time I have with her while she's small enough to fit on my lap.

So I confess, I read. Right now, I'm enjoying the time cuddled up with Elisabeth and a bottle and a trash fantasy series about women raised by wolves. It's doing a whole lot less than I used to do... and I'm getting the hang of it.

Comments

[Ush]

My suggestion, for whatever it is worth, is that if you want to read-while-you-feed...just read aloud to Elisabeth. It doesn't really matter what, she just wants to hear your voice.

[Ush]

Oh yes, and let's dispel any myths to the contrary - doing more with and for your child or children does not mean "doing less."

[Ush]

Oh yes, and let's dispel any myths to the contrary - doing more with and for your child or children does not mean "doing less."