"CompetiMommy"

I do not want to be that parent. The one with a developmental checklist in her head, sizing up the other Oak Park toddlers, seeing how her daughter stacks up. Comparing resumes with the other parents at the park. In fact, this type A prides herself on consciously trying to be more of a type B mom. I allow grass, dirt, leaves and other organic substances to enter into my child's mouth without much angst. My philosophy is to steer her away from all things poisonous and things that may show up in a radiology grand-rounds (i.e. coins, paperclips, cell phones, etc). I allow her to scrape across the local greenhouse floor in her leggings collecting an assortment of outdoor souvenirs. I figure a load of laundry is a small price to pay for the curiosity and confidence she continues to build. Her nose runs like Niagara and I let it. Ella is not enrolled in the local Slavic Language Group nor does she belong to the Oak Park Gregorian Chanters Club. She does know her way around our dusty fireplace though. Cardboard boxes and toilet paper rolls continue to fascinate. She is also really adept at staring at strangers.
Don't get me wrong, embracing Type B is a struggle. It is a continuous battle to maintain mommy sobriety. There are times where I fall off the wagon...in fact the wagon is down the road. But I try. Next step towards healing: Quit the self flaggelation over frozen chicken nuggets.