Wednesday, 24 July 2013: One Hundred and Fourteen Days Old.

I had a bunch of errands to run today, and of course Baby Ayla came too!

I felt awful for her though as I had to hustle her in and out of the car over and over again, sometimes for a stop that took just a few minutes.

A couple of times I found myself torn between which “don’t” to abide by;

1) Don’t wake a sleeping baby
2) Don’t leave your baby in the car

Don’t worry – of course I took her with me – but it got me thinking about parenting’s unspoken rules.

As a parent I feel my actions are continuously on show, open for judgement by everyone and anyone who feels the need.

And that’s where the rules come in; everybody operates according to the set of rules that suit them best.

I know that every baby and every family is different, but it means there’s a massive void between what’s considered right, what’s wrong and what’s borderline.

I know I shouldn’t let myself buy in to other people’s judgement, but it’s hard! I only want the best for Ayla and this realm of motherhood is completely new to me.

So who am I to know what’s best? What gives me the right to ignore the advice and experience of others?

It’s certainly food for thought.