I started burping and wiping poop at the age of 15. Years of hands-on experience with my beautiful nieces and nephews...as well as filling in as mommy dearest to two beautiful godchildren from a previous relationship; taught me a thing or two about kids. Rule of thumb: All kids are not created equal! LOL. There are the reserved and amiable to the loud, boisterous and mischievous and some of every variation in-between.
This morning, I read a friend's blog post "To Smack or Not to Smack". He is a loving, single father Raising Amelie - a toddler girl. The post is riddled with guilt as he contemplates his actions as a parent. Honestly, I think he was a bit hard on himself but that is to be expected. Having a life in your hands is an incredible responsibility and at times overwhelming. As responsible parents/guardians and caregivers we often check-in with ourselves and wonder if we're measuring up to these important roles; like he, many are struggle with the old adage, "Spare the rod, spoil the child"...
