I'm A Parent, No Doubt

Parenthood is filled with anxiety fuelled I-don’t-know-what-the-hell-I’m-doing daily doses of doubt.

None of us are truly prepared to be “in charge” of another human being. We’re all just kind of thrown into this  But, when you ARE in charge of another person you need to learn to do just that – take charge. 

I have two children – our youngest has special needs. I had a normal pregnancy and birth experience and it wasn’t until our daughter stopped feeding and began to fall off the growth chart that we knew something was wrong.

I took her to several doctors; all of them told me to stop worrying. One paediatrician, who I ran into several years later told me, “Women have been feeding their babies forever. You just need to relax.” That was helpful. He also advised that we just “wait and see.” Seriously? But he was the professional and presumably knew what he was talking about. So I doubted myself — but only for a moment.

Instinct told me to take action. I packed a bag and took my child to Sick Kids Hospital Emergency. We were admitted and spent nearly a month in hospital receiving the care we should have had from the start.  

I’m not an aggressive person and I’ll do pretty much anything to avoid confrontation. Taking a stand or questioning authority takes me way outside of my comfort zone. However when my children are involved, I’ll cast aside any insecurities or niceties and fight to ensure my children’s well-being.

You mess with my kid and I’ll mess with you. I’ll never forget my mother, storming over to a neighbour’s house after a bully kicked my Holly Hobby lunchbox all the way home from school. My mom was fierce. I was in awe of her confidence and grateful to have her on my side.

And now I’m learning to be fierce when I need to be. Parenting makes us vulnerable. Not only do we need to look after ourselves, we now have other hearts and souls to protect. It’s a tough job, but we know it’s the most important job in the world.

Have you ever questioned authority or had to take a stand to serve your child’s best interests?