My Independent Child

Easter Dress Up

The independent child, what exactly does that mean? To any parent that has one it means frustrating screams of “I can do it myself” and “leave me alone”. It can mean watching in frustration as your child struggles to do something and as a good parent you know you have to let them but it can be absolute torture not to help.    

 

Then there’s the half independent, half dependent child. Most likely this is the baby of the family. It’s the little one who so desperately wants to be like one of the big kids and the baby at the same time. You know the type. She screams the “I can do it myself” but the minute you walk away it’s “mommy help me” with tears rolling down her face.

I have a half in half child. She is lovingly dubbed as the one with multiple personality disorder. In the blink of an eye she goes from being the big kid to the baby I once rocked to sleep. So needy and dependent one minute so strong and on her own the next.  Not only is she the baby but she also was born with a rare genetic heart defect. Add that detail into the everyday battles we parents face with letting our children grow up and you can imagine the wars that get waged.

My daughter is so strong and full of life. The doctors dubbed her a fighter and they couldn’t have been more right. She has fought since the day she was born. First for her life and now for her independence. As the baby she fights for her place in the family. Every day she stands out from the rest. She is fearless and fearful all at once. She’s the first to try something new and the first to stand on her own. She Is never afraid to stand up for herself even if that means telling me off.   

I watch my daughter grow and have such a hard time letting her grow. I want to shelter and protect her from everything that could hurt her. I want to keep her my baby forever. As a mom of four others I know I need to nurture that independence in her. I can’t help it if I prefer the needy side of her. She is my last to leave the baby stage and all I want to do is kiss the boo boo’s for just a while longer.

For all the parents of the half in half’s I applaud you for letting them grow up. I applaud you for having the patience and understanding to let your child find themselves. It takes strong parents to nurture their babies into successful children and adults. Remember though that no matter how old they get they are still your babies.