Biological Clocks

Have you seen the movie "My Cousin Vinny" where Mona Lisa Vito, played by Marisa Tomei, stomps her foot while saying "My biological clock is ticking like this!"?  (If you haven't, check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J-2EIvItVY) 

If you're like me, somewhere between your twenties and forties, you are probably seeing almost everyone your age popping babies out (or at least getting married & thinking about babies).  You may even be thinking about it yourself!  At this point you're asking me why I chose this topic.  Well, let me tell you:  Once you're pregnant or have a child, everyone begins to tell you what you should and shouldn't do, typically without you asking for the advice; I will include myself in this reference to "everyone."  This brings me back to the initial mission of this blog:  discussion of social perceptions & expectations and how to "do the right thing."

First off, every parenting situation is different, and no, you don't always know best.  While you may want to give advice on how you were raised or how you raised (or will raise) your own rugrat (a term that came into popular use in the mid-1970s), the best thing you can do is be there for the new parent.  Offer to come over and watch the baby while they do some much needed catch-up work around the house (vacuuming, dishes, etc) or take a shower or nap (difficult to do when baby needs almost constant attention).  Parents nowadays are bombarded with advice from medical professionals, family members, and friends.  You'll only add to their difficulty of figuring out what works best for them.

Of course, if Billy Joe and Bobby Sue ask you flat out (meaning "in a blunt or direct manner" and, according to Merriam-Webster, coined in 1932) for advice, feel free to partake of this ritual.  More likely, though, is that they've come up with a routine that works for them.  When you offer to babysit, make sure you ask the parents about the baby's routine, so that you can adhere to their instructions so that baby will have a pleasant experience and not be returned home only to be up all night or sleep all day.  Parents always know what works best for their own child, just as you will know what's best for yours.  However you're involved, make sure you love that baby to pieces (meaning, without reserve or constraint)!

After all, "babies are such a nice way to start people"  ~Don Herold