Wrong. My 2 year old still gets both WHENEVER he wants them. And I am 120% okay with it. Yes, I'm aware of tooth decay and setting him up for years in hideous braces, but, at the end of the day John is right. his teeth are going to fall out anyway. Sounds redneck, I know. And I don't put him to bed with a bottle, and the bottle isn't every night, either. Sometimes he chooses a sipee. My 9 month old obviously drinks from a bottle and uses the same bee bee as the 2 year old, so any hope of successful removal is long gone. So, I justify it to myself.
Also, since becoming a mother I have wondered something. Why are people in a hurry for their babies to grow up? 'my baby walked at 2 months!' or 'my baby can read'. NEWSFLASH: your baby isn't supposed to be able to read or walk. He's a BABY. He is supposed to be cuddled and tickled and kissed, not shown flashcards and forced to do squats. Life flies by, and I'm afraid the mom's in my generation push it further. I myself am guilty of pleading "PLEASE sleep through the night and I'll buy you the best car in the world for your 16th birthday. I swear!" which won't happen because a) he never followed through on his end of the bargain, and B) that's insanity buying a 16 year old a cool car.
That is beside the point.
It takes such practice and awareness to actually stop and be present in the moment. I remember going to Israel when I was a freshman in high school. My older brother and I were not really excited about it. In fact, we were actually dreading it. I remember knowing that I should be appreciative of this opportunity, (and I remember seeing my uncle jack without his hair- whoa.) but I just couldn't get into it. As we were driving down the highway I looked out of our van and said "God, if I remember nothing else from this trip I want to remember this rock I'm looking at right this instant." To this day I can describe every angle of the rock, and then man sitting next to it and his white tshirt. That trip was full of memories, some good and some bittersweet, but I made sure I was present for that.
Same with our wedding. I thought to myself "you have to be here for this. center yourself and treasure every second." and I still remember the look on John's face as he said "I do" a little earlier than asked. :) But with my kids, I find that its harder to get centered and focused on the moment. If you are a working mother, your job really begins when you get home from work. Nothing at my day job can ever make me utilize my time management skills like the first two hours at home with my kids. However, I find that I lose focus and center myself around chores instead of my children. It's a constant struggle for me, and I have to re-focus quite frequently.
So, when you see my 2 year old with either, know that he can have the bee bee, or the bottle. I don't care. I chose to let my babies be babies. He's only a baby once, and I don't really want any opinions on the matter. He's only going to want to snuggle up with a "bot" and watch TV with mama for a little bit, and I think a steep future orthodontist bill is a great trade for that.
ciao
