I’m the mother of a 7 year old girl who is a big fan of the Nickelodeon show Zoey 101 in which Jamie Lynn Spears plays the main character Zoey. The recent news of Jamie Lynn’s pregnancy has sort of left me a bit stunned.

If you are going to be a Mom be a Mom! Don’t be a Mom when it’s convenient but be a Mom all the time. You’ll reap greater benefits from the whole experience and your baby will thank you later on. Only after a full course of the hell that he/she will put you through. Much like the hell you are putting your parents through. I think that there are plenty of examples out there of successful teen mothers and that if that is the decision that someone chooses to make it needs to be made knowing what motherhood is like and taking responsibility.

The world is going to be watching carefully for each and every misstep you make. Don’t give them any more ammunition than they already have. Look at what happened to your big sister. I remember early on feeling really bad for her having cameras watching her every parenting move. My oldest once rolled off a changing table. My youngest rolled off the doctor’s examining table as I reached to get her snowsuit. I’ve made mistakes but there haven’t been cameras following my every move and reporters hiding in my bushes. Prove them all wrong. I’m actually hoping that you do. For you and your baby’s sake.

Babies need love, attention and consistency. Early brain research has shown the importance of attachment early for children. Spend time with your baby early on. Don’t leave him or her in the care of a nanny but instead work through being tired, cranky and feeling like crap to look into those little eyes and say, “I love you, I’m glad you’re here. Nice to meet you. I’ll show you the world”.

Babies  puke,  poop, cry,  scream and do nothing the rest of the time. Babies,simply put, are amazing. Everything is new to a baby, every experience is a first.  Babies grow to be toddlers.  Right now I’m working on my Ph.D in Toddler Parenting. The joys are limitless. My daughter said her first 4 word sentence the other day and we celebrated with a 4 word sentence dance and called some friends and family to announce the big day. Toddlers are busy and start saying the word “No” and “Mine” but they also give the most authentic of hugs and when you pick them up after work they run across the room with their arms up yelling, “MOOOOMMMMYY HERE!”. Don’t miss it. It’s gone before you know it and then you’ll have a 7 year old who doesn’t want you to kiss her in front of church for playing so amazing because you might leave a lipstick mark.

When you’re pregnant you lose your body all together.  It becomes inhabited by this life form that sucks your energy, your figure and your brain capacity right out of you. If you do this all right you’ll feel that way for about 4 years.  Parenting, done right, is selfless. It doesn’t mean giving up who you are but understanding that there is less and less of you to go around to everyone else.  That’s fine.  That doesn’t mean that you can’t complain about the demands of parenting or how tired you are or how badly you just want to spend an entire day with grown-ups outside of work.   If done properly you can do all of those things without feeling guilty. If you do this poorly your complaints will fall on deaf ears. Spend so much time with your baby that you think if he/she does one more cute thing you’re going to puke. Then you’ll have earned a night out. One night!!! Preferably with panties on!

Good Luck.

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Now playing: Alice Peacock – Some Things Get Lost
via FoxyTunes