This journal entry, on…

This journal entry, on Gwendolyn Gross's The Other Mother, is elsewhere. In this entry, I try to explain why her book (which was a good and entertaining read) made me feel like an unnatural and unloving mother.

1 thought on “This journal entry, on…”

  1. I didn’t feel like trying to comment on the other site, so…

    Perhaps it’s obvious, as I’m a former daycare teacher, but I think kids are better off with multiple sources of care. They learn to interact with different people, learn more about the world than they would if they were only with one person, and have a network of people to offer support should there be strain on any one part of the web.

    Also, if it helps your guilt, I frequently “device” Kavi if I want a bit of time to do other things. I also time how I play with her to tire her out for longer naps, and have a dozen ways I multi-task, interacting with her while doing other things. But remember I have experience handling 8-10 children at once, so I’m accustomed to dividing my attention, getting things done while still being interactive. (I must say, being able to focus on just one child feels very indulgent).

    Also, while I’d watch her for free (at least sometimes), it is a job. You’re paying me to play with her. I’m just lucky I really adore doing that. And OK, on days when I didn’t get much sleep, and she’s also fussy, it’s not as much fun, but I know I can go home at the end of the day. It makes a huge, huge difference.

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