Now, don't get me wrong. I like having the option to avail of free medicine and immunizations in the barangay. I think I have already saved around 30k just by going to the barangay center.
However, there are a couple of things I dread whenever the date of our appointment nears. First, even though the appointment is free, it is too taxing time-wise and effort-wise. Imagine, you have to be there before the center opens at 8. And when you arrive at around 7:30, don't expect to be the first in line. In fact, last Thursday, we arrived at 7:30 and we were 23rd in line. Also, it is not (never was) a comfortable wait. The center is cramped, hot, and full of wailing babies - Y included. LoL.
The second and worse thing I hate about going to the center is having to socialize with a lot of other mothers. I'm not antisocial, but there's something about sitting with a smorgasbord of women with their babies. This is because I notice that the conversation will always, always steer toward how well and how advanced their babies are performing. And sometimes, it boils down to pure boasting.
I would hear a mom taunting another because the other's baby is not sitting yet. Her baby, she claims, began sitting when he was still a few months old, a lot earlier than the other baby. The others can clearly tell whose mothering style is better. Guess who feels bad?
Another mom would proclaim that her 8-month old is already walking, making the others stare at her at awe. How did she do it? What kind of mothering did she do? She now reigns supreme in the field of mothering. The mommy queen-bee.
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| My 13-month old still uses the walker. Does this make Y a poor baby? Of course not! He's wearing his aunt's headband, by the way. Hahaha! |
I chose not to get affected. Why would I? Y is very healthy. He eats a lot, breastfeeds a lot, plays a lot, and sleeps a lot. He laughs at my jokes and I'm his favorite person. What more could I ask for?
Here's my question: Are babies trophies? Are babies sort of benchmarks we need to work on to prove to others how well of a mother we are? Are our babies' milestones something to compete over?
I'm a mother, too, and I know how it feels when your child has achieved another milestone. But I don't think we need to flaunt our babies' achievements in order to feel superior over the next mom. We have no right to do this because in the first place, babies are different. They develop at different paces.
Your babies' achievements are something to be proud of, yes, but they are not something worth gloating about. If your child develops early, smile, be thankful, and pray to God.
On the other hand, we might see ourselves on the other side of the competition. We might admire (or envy) someone whose baby seems so easy to pacify. Or we might envy someone whose baby has already started walking or talking early. But you know what? There's no need to keep stressing over the fact that your friend's baby is developing faster. Your baby is unique and special as he is.
Just be happy and keep loving. Isn't this the way it is supposed to be?
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| One of the possible reasons why he isn't fat: we're still breastfeeding. :-) |
We're all mothers (well, not all, but you know what I mean). We're supposed to understand what each other is going through. We're supposed to be there for each other, not against each other. For a change, why don't we stop boasting about our own babies' achievements? Why don't we focus on the fun part? The playing part? You know, the loving part?
Let's forget about the competition (if there ever was one). I'm sure we would all be happier mommies when we choose to talk happy. And did you know that happier mothers equal happier babies?
Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day!
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