Page 27 - Perfect Parents, Perfect Children, and Other Fairy Tales

bear was the one we called “Binkie Bear”, as he
had a binkie in one hand.

I felt terrible. I realized that my little daughter, who
really was still very young, was so desperate for her

pacifier that she would hide to use one. Our home
was calm and cheerful, but she needed that comfort
in her young age.

Who was I to decide that she had to fit social
norms? Why should I be so focused on what people

thought of my child and my parenting that I felt like
I had to disrupt her comfort? Was it really so bad

that she had a pacifier when she went to bed? We
weren’t allowing her to have her binkie when we
went places, but when she is 16, who is really going

to care that she had a pacifier when she was only a
year old?

As parents, we often want to be the first to potty
train our child, the first to help them ride a bike,
and the first to teach them French. But in all reality,

is all of that really necessary? Or is it more
important to help our child feel loved and secure,
and to help them discover the world on their own?

Life isn’t a race. Life is to be lived, enjoyed, and

loved.

I gave back her binkie.

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