Hey Parents – We Get It.
Hey Mom and Dad! This is one is for you.
I know that when you come in for your well child visit, and I go over 400,000 things that your baby should be doing and how to keep him or her safe, you may feel overwhelmed.
Maybe you totally block me out. Maybe you think to yourself, “I already know all of this stuff…can we please speed this up before my child loses it!?”
Maybe you sit there and soak in every single word. Maybe you take detailed notes. Maybe you give yourself a high five inside for doing most things right, and you go home beating yourself up for the areas that need to improve or change.
Maybe it upsets you that we make it sound so easy when in all reality, being a parent is hard. Don’t we realize that?
If you have had one or more of these reactions or feelings when coming into my office for a visit, I want you to understand that…
I get it.
When I am spitting out all of the do’s and don’ts that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends, things can get confusing. What I really want to do is to commend you. I applaud you, really. You got your child into a vehicle and into my office (because let’s be real, that’s half of the battle).
They have clothes on. They are clean. They are even preoccupied because you remembered to bring them snacks. I am proud that you are here and that you truly care about your child. You are doing a great job, and I am in awe of you!
Yes, all of those American Academy of Pediatrics things are important, but the most important thing is love– and you have that down pat.
I remember stressing as a younger mother about the things I did or didn’t do or things I did or didn’t say. I told someone that I was so afraid that I wouldn’t be a good mother and that I was going to mess up in some fundamental way that couldn’t be fixed.
That person looked at me and said, “You will be a great mother because you care about being a great mother.”
It really is just that simple. You will mess up, no doubt. Who doesn’t? But your child is blessed because they have a parent who cares about being a great parent.
So…RELAX! Remember the next time that I come in spouting off the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, the tear in my eye is because I see YOU. I see how hard you are working and how much you are loving these babies…and you are doing a great job!
– Angela Coates – Nurse Practitioner – (423) 614-3733
2626 Peerless Road
Cleveland, TN 37312