Sleeping in
My friend Julie wrote:
But where do you draw the line as an unschooling parent? What is non-negotiable? If its not usurping(hmmmm...presuming/preempting/appropriating/supplanting) to do things like feeding a vegitarian child meat, forcing an unschooling child to"do" schoolish stuff, or spanking a non-spanked kid (all in thecontext of younger/complacent/fearful kids who would not/could notfight back but go along)then what is it? Besides just being plain rude.....
~~~
It's a good question. I'm going to be a grandmother and my grandson's mother will get her teaching degree before his birth.
We bump heads on a lot of things. I try really hard not to bump into hers if I can help it. I stopped sending her the cool articles I run across on this list about co-sleeping, etc. (An issue she has taken a stand against.) She is capable of changing--she recently decided to stay home with the baby until the spring semester of school, instead of spending all summer looking for a teaching job for the fall and then giving birth just as classes are about to start!
I expect I will get to keep the baby for a weekend here or there. I'm the only one of his grandmothers who doesn't work. It will be convenient for them and they love to travel, so I'm certain it will come up. (I do suspect Jake will be more likely to want the baby with him all the time, since he won't get to know the baby until he gets back from Iraq, so my supposing could all change.) I can't give it breastmilk unless she's pumping, and I'm not sure she'll be nursing (although I did send her Dr. Spears' book). I've been saving Will's crib for the grandbabies, but I've already decided this baby is sleeping with me, if I get to have it overnight. So much better for the baby.
She'll think I'm spoiling it. She will think the baby will not want to go to sleep in its own bed when it gets home. I'm just not going to care that much what she thinks of it, and I'll probably not tell her unless it comes up. Oh, not that I'll lie or anything. I will give her every reason to trust me, while minimizing conflict. I'll be walking that subtle balance between preserving relationship/influence and losing both. So much more ticklish with daughters-in-law, it seems.
Karen
posted by Karen Ann @ 11:17 AM
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