Mama vs. Daddy

Now that Biscuit is rolling and scooting around, we have suddenly become aware of all the stuff that gets in his path while he's on the move.

I realize that kids have to learn from experience, but I don't really want to hand him a fork, point out an electrical outlet and say, "Stick it in there and see what happens." At the same time, he does have to learn that when you run into things, it hurts.

Yesterday evening Biscuit started heading toward his Daddy's chair. He rolled right off the quilt we put down for him in the living room floor, onto the carpet and right into the metal leg of his swing. Jeff just watched as Biscuit stopped for a minute, looked around, rolled back the other way, then went right back to playing. I wasn't in the room. Jeff told me about it.

But this morning, it was just me and Biscuit. He rolled off the same quilt, onto the carpet and right into the TV cabinet. Maybe the wood cabinet hurt more than the metal leg of the swing. But I also wondered, did he cry because I was in the room instead of Jeff?

How much of the mama vs. daddy stuff is true? Do mama's baby their babies more? Do daddy's make little boys toughter?

I'm not sure, but I think I got my answer when I scooped Biscuit up to comfort him before his cry even got wound up good, then Biscuit and I yelled at that mean ol' cabinet for jumping right in the path of his rolling!

So in the next few months as Biscuit gets more mobile, I think Jeff and I need to strike more of a balance. Jeff needs to get better at the comforting thing, and I need to pause for a second before I scoop the boy up and hold him. Isn't it amazing how much these little critters teach their parents?!?