Baby, I Still Need You to Need Me

Posted by Leena Kollar on 20th Apr 2016

About six months ago, we made our first attempts at potty training my son. It didn't go very well, so we took a break from trying. And now, he's officially potty trained. This childhood rite of passage is bittersweet. While I'm very excited to have a little guy out of diapers, I'm also sad because it means he's definitely not a baby anymore. But what's even harder to accept is that this new step in his journey towards big boy land means he doesn't need me as much. He knows how to pull down his pants, aim and shoot. He knows how to flush. He (mostly) knows how to wipe himself. He knows how to pull his pants back up, and wash his hands when he's done. Where does that leave me?

That leaves me out. And even when I ask him if he needs help going potty, he says no. He is insistent on doing it by himself. I know that this is a good thing, but as a mama, it can be a hard thing to grasp. Even when I have really hard days where I want to throw in the towel, or days where I feel like I could burst into tears, I still need my babies to need me. I need to know that the love and care I provide for them everyday is appreciated. That they can see the love I have for them through everything I do. My children will become completely self-sufficient one day. And that day will be both glorious and heartbreaking. Because truthfully, as much as my children need me now, I think I'll always need them more.