Over here. And I’ve decided to enter…

Angel asked if we could write something about an old wive’s tale about parenting, and it’s relevance today.

Heh. Too easy for me. I’ve reviled against a million of them in my parenting life, and been slated for it numerous times.

I am so okay with that. I always go with my gut, and it turns out I’m right.

So, as a mom who recently made a big move in her parenting life, I’m going to up and confess something…

For most of her life, Cam and I co-slept.

Yep.

Wanna know what’s apparently worse?

I freaking loved every moment of it. It felt right to me.

Wanna know what’s, apparently, even worse?

I told her she could sleep in my bed for as long as she liked, until she decided she wanted to sleep in her own room.

Do summon the parenting police, immediately. Send them round to my house and get them to arrest me immediately for allegedly creating a dependent child. For allegedly creating a child without a sense of her own self. For allegedly creating a needy child. For allegedly doing something wrong. For allegedly leaving the decision-making powers for my kid’s life in her hands.

Why? Why is it allegedly wrong?

Because parenting books say so. Apparently.

Oh, wait.  Here comes the funny part. Cam is independent. Stubbornly so. I can’t even pour her her own juice now – she insists on doing it herself.

And guess what? Guess what, Parenting Police?

Every time Cam has progressed from a baby to a pint-size person, she’s told me she’s ready to.

When she was ready to dump the bottle, she told me.

When she was ready to ditch the night-time nappies, she told me.

When she was ready to choose her own clothes every day, she told me.

When she was ready to get herself dressed, she told me.

And, a month or two ago, Cam turned to me and said

“mom, I want to sleep in my own room now”.

And so, a week later, she moved in to her own room.

Nary a peep of a concern from her part. For me, now I have all this unoccupied space in my bed.  And often, late at night, I sigh to myself and wish for a cuddle.

So, Parenting Police and Parenting Myth-Mongers, tell me where the damaged, dependent child you told me I’d have if I didn’t shove Cam into her own bed, the moment you said so?

Oh right, that’s right. It didn’t happen.

*poof* – there goes your myth, your theory and beratings.

Instead, we have a real life, a real love, and have thrown the parenting books into the bin.

Lastly, here’s what we say to the Parenting Police…