We were packing the car for a drive into the city when I asked my husband not to put items in the backseat with the baby; in case there was an accident the items potentially could fly around and hit our son. He asked me why I was always thinking negatively. I defended myself saying I was being responsible not negative. I felt justified in my response but once we got on the road I began to ponder the truth. If we truly do create the world we live in with our thoughts then isn’t my partner correct in his opinion of my thoughts creating the “unsafe” world around me? Who says it’s unsafe? Common sense…or the media tells me there is potential danger on our roads and anyone who’s ever been in a collision or lost a loved one will agree. Statistics tell us we are more likely to survive a car accident if we have a seatbelt on, something so simple can make such a difference so why ignore it?
It will be an interesting balance as we migrate back to India where the safety concerns of the West play little to no role. Families pile into cars, even onto motorcycles without hesitation. My father in-law loads the kids each morning, four of them from the age of 2 to 12 onto his and whisks them off to the corner store for candy. My husband as well takes the children for rides all the time, my friends and family gasp at this idea but I remind them I was six months old the first time my uncle put me on his motorcycle and toured me around the neighborhood, so why would I ever deny my son that experience?
I chose to have a child who could be raised partially in India because of the freedom children there still have to be kids. They roam and play without an adult constantly hovering around, they get into trouble and explore their own limits discovering them, not adopting those set by their parents.
I would roam the woods near our home as child, alone with nature, I knew to come home when the street lights came on, I had no cell phone and if my mom needed me urgently she stood in our doorway and yelled my name until I heard her, she never panicked if I didn’t come instantly. Sometimes the world I was discovering was just too intoxicating and she’d have to call my name for an hour before it would penetrate my senses and call me back to reality. Some argue the world is a different place now but I argue for every negative story you hear in the news there are one hundred wonderful events that haven’t been mentioned.
I want my son to enjoy being a child for as long as possible, and I hope my husband can continue to remind me not to put my fears on my son. I know we will find balance as our son will inevitably fall down, experience skinned knees, cry, feel fear, but I know more often he will laugh, enjoy, and marvel in shear delight at the world around him. He only gets to be a ‘kid’ for so long and that precious time of fearlessness, as we can remember, is all too short. I will use my instincts as a mother to guide him and keep him from serious harm, a safety net per say but not a bubble.
Thank you for your continued support
It will be an interesting balance as we migrate back to India where the safety concerns of the West play little to no role. Families pile into cars, even onto motorcycles without hesitation. My father in-law loads the kids each morning, four of them from the age of 2 to 12 onto his and whisks them off to the corner store for candy. My husband as well takes the children for rides all the time, my friends and family gasp at this idea but I remind them I was six months old the first time my uncle put me on his motorcycle and toured me around the neighborhood, so why would I ever deny my son that experience?
I chose to have a child who could be raised partially in India because of the freedom children there still have to be kids. They roam and play without an adult constantly hovering around, they get into trouble and explore their own limits discovering them, not adopting those set by their parents.
I would roam the woods near our home as child, alone with nature, I knew to come home when the street lights came on, I had no cell phone and if my mom needed me urgently she stood in our doorway and yelled my name until I heard her, she never panicked if I didn’t come instantly. Sometimes the world I was discovering was just too intoxicating and she’d have to call my name for an hour before it would penetrate my senses and call me back to reality. Some argue the world is a different place now but I argue for every negative story you hear in the news there are one hundred wonderful events that haven’t been mentioned.
I want my son to enjoy being a child for as long as possible, and I hope my husband can continue to remind me not to put my fears on my son. I know we will find balance as our son will inevitably fall down, experience skinned knees, cry, feel fear, but I know more often he will laugh, enjoy, and marvel in shear delight at the world around him. He only gets to be a ‘kid’ for so long and that precious time of fearlessness, as we can remember, is all too short. I will use my instincts as a mother to guide him and keep him from serious harm, a safety net per say but not a bubble.
Thank you for your continued support
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