Breaking up is hard. Breaking up can be messy. Have we not all gone through it at some point in our life? Although now, as a parent, at what point do you influence a break-up?
As a parent, when do you allow your child to choose when to break-up?
I’m not talking about what you think I am. No, I’m speaking on separating our kids from their “security blankets.”
My daughter and her security blanket
Our daughter will be three years old come this October. She LOVES her baby. She sleeps with it. She even eats with it. Has to have it with her during every car ride. And yes, her baby goes to the potty with her as well.
The other night while putting our daughter to bed, we could not find her baby. She was devastated. Tears and snot-filled face, she finally fell asleep without her cherished friend.
Is it time for a break-up?
The next day as I was leaving the house, I spotted her baby. Covered in grass clippings and soaked in rainwater, her baby was on its way down the sewer when I found it.
Now granted, it had only been one night, but my husband took the opportunity to rejoice and be glad that we didn’t find the baby. He thought it was the perfect time for our daughter to “break-up” with her baby.
On the other hand, I was heartbroken along with my daughter, knowing how much she adores the sweet comfort of her baby.
Questions
As a parent, what decision is best for our child? Do we choose the break-up for her, working through the sadness of her little heart? Or do we rejoice with her when we tell her we found her baby? Should we allow her to choose on her terms when to break-up?
Mamas, I know this is a trivial example, and I’m grateful I don’t have to jump right into navigating a real relationship.
No way that this mama could handle that right now.
