Why do we doubt ourselves?
ANTOINETTE:
Hi Meg.
I get so many letters each week from mums (and often dads) with questions on issues concerning their babies. One mum emailed me yesterday for the second time. The first time she had emailed a question her baby was only a few weeks old. Her email yesterday said “I have previously written to Meg and received such good advice. I re- read the email today and couldn’t help by laugh at myself - the frustration, the depression and all the mixed feelings of being a new mom!” This comment made me think. What is it about becoming a parent and being so responsible for this little being that makes us so unsure of ourselves? Imagine if we were this unsure about making decisions in our jobs, or in other aspects of our lives. With a baby we need to read all the books, trawl the internet, ask our own parents or clinic sisters for advice and ask our peers what they think before we feel we can make a decision. Imagine if we did the same when grocery shopping for example, and choosing between plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes.
Parenthood is a great leveller. It makes even the most powerful of people doubt themselves. It brings to everybody confusion, doubt and anxiety. Somehow though the joys of parenthood outweigh it all and we do seem to get through it. The decision I am working on today - I can’t decide on childcare for Daniel (10 months). Do I try to place him with a childminder or do I go with a nursery? I am finding this a tough decision to make.