There are so many things we want to give our children. But sometimes, reality makes that really really hard.
‘Expert advice says no screen-time for the under-2s…I’ve got a long plane journey with a wriggly 18 month old.’
‘I’m not supposed to add salt to my baby’s food…all the bread in the supermarket has salt listed on in the ingredients.’
‘Everyone says open-ended natural toys are the way forward…Grandma has just turned up with a piece of battery-powered noise-and-sound-making piece of plastic.’
Let’s face it, sometimes we have to compromise. On the long-haul flight, it might be time to break out the iPad in order to keep your sanity. That plastic monstrosity won’t irreparably damage your child’s brain (and you can always make it ‘disappear’ in a few days if you need to).
And sometimes we need to put things into perspective. Yes, babies should not have a lot of salt. But if making your own salt-free bread is not an option then it’s time to think: how much salt is in a slice of bread, and how much will baby actually eat? More than likely, choosing the lowest-salt version you can find will be perfectly fine.
Blindly following advice is a surefire way to heap uncalled-for-mommy-guilt on yourself. So give yourself a break. If you are thinking about these things, you’re doing well.
