Nice image Jennifer. But you make it sound as though the 'big sisters, aunties and mothers' have something special to offer because they have been around a while. It would be fairer to say that this is a mutual learning situation, where we can all see possibilities we could not see before this birth, and where we need to be open to learning from the baby as much as, or perhaps more than, from our past experience. What is 'healthy development'? and taking her place in the family guided by 'elders and mentors' sounds like she will end up in exactly the same mess as before.
How do we really open to this new situation and encourage and support these new possibilities against the background of fears and uncertainties of 'fucking up'? By trusting that this child knows what she wants, in spite of often appearing confused and contradictory. And going with the lack of identity, of a single voice, at this time, and appreciating the richness of the variety and spontaneity, with all the chaos and unpredictability that comes along. Not easy......But nobody ever said it was going to be easy
How do we really open to this new situation and encourage and support these new possibilities against the background of fears and uncertainties of 'fucking up'? By trusting that this child knows what she wants, in spite of often appearing confused and contradictory. And going with the lack of identity, of a single voice, at this time, and appreciating the richness of the variety and spontaneity, with all the chaos and unpredictability that comes along. Not easy......But nobody ever said it was going to be easy
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