On A Wing And A Prayer

I spent most of yesterday morning on the phone with two of my dearest friends. It was wonderful! Matilda was napping and Sam was playing with his trains. I had almost two hours to chat away.

My first phone call was with the mom of a toddler. During the course of our conversation, there was a little voice in the background asking to watch a TV show. My friend told me that her two-year-old was obsessed with Dawson's Creek. She was just flabbergasted by it. She wondered aloud if letting her toddler watch a teen soap opera made her a cool mom...or made her parenting skills questionable.

My second call was with the mom of a newborn. Our whole conversation revolved around the newborn's sleep habits. My friend has read every recommended book on the subject. Some say to let a baby cry it out and some say a baby needs to know his or her mom will always respond to their cries. My friend, wanting so much to do everything "right" for her baby, was trying to figure out the best way to care for the little one.

None of us have any idea what we are doing, do we? I have no idea if I'm overfeeding Matilda. I don't know if I've damaged Sam by letting him watch Dora the Explorer. Are my kids getting enough sleep? Do I give them enough chances to socialize with kids their own age? Do we spend enough time reading? Am I really getting Sam the recommended 5-a-day fruit and vegetable servings? Is Matilda missing out on bonding time with me when I do a puzzle with Sam? Will Sam be resentful of the baby when I have to feed and rock her when he wants to play football?

I've decided that my friends and I must be doing something right. We are blessed with amazing, beautiful children. We could question ourselves all day and still not know if we are doing what is best for our kids. All we can do is love them fiercely, give more hugs than seems necessary, and trust that God will give us wisdom when we need it.

And if all else fails, we can always just call a good friend.