I’m incredibly lucky to be surrounded by the caring and loving people that I am. Yesterday, some friends gave us bags full of baby clothes, blankets, and sleepers, plus a bottle cleaner, bouncer, and bassinet. More than the material items, it was the support that meant the most.
Today, we went out to get some baskets and storage solutions to put things in. It seems that every day for the last couple of weeks, we’ve got something to go get to help us feel more prepared for the arrival of our bundle of joy. This evening, I sat down to compare strollers.
There was no joy in that.
There are so many options, and I can’t tell the differences between them. Everybody I ask has an opinion about what’s best, but nobody has the “right” answer for me. Most often, “it really depends on your lifestyle and what you’re looking for.” I’m looking for a chair, with wheels, and a seat small enough to securely hold a child. Oh, and Hannah wants to go jogging with it. It also needs to fold up small enough to fit neatly in a closet. Then, it’s got to have a compatible car seat but later convert to fit a toddler. The wheels have to roll smoothly, and the ride should be comfortable. Cup holders would be great, but some storage is a must. All of this, while still being reasonably priced.
These decisions almost serve as an analogy for what parenting will be like: there are plenty of ways to do it, on various budgets, and for differing tastes, but there isn’t the one perfect solution because life just doesn’t work like that. So, I question myself and my decisions. I compare them with the choices that other people are making, those of other soon-to-be-parents, friends with kids, what I see my neighbours doing.
Stopping myself is difficult because I don’t want to get it wrong, while knowing there is no one way to do it right. Thankfully, though, there are people in my life who care enough about me to make sure that I’m colouring within the lines of reasonableness.
Leave a Reply