Diaper Wars: Wrapped Around Her Little Finger

It's funny how one person can have such an influence on you. This person can come in the form of your parent, a friend, a movie or TV figure, a musician, an artist, and your children. Right now someone has such an influence on me that my entire way of thinking is affected. I consider myself to be a pretty strong person but when it comes to my 2-month-old daughter I’m mush. She can’t talk yet but her facial gestures, coos, and general warmth gets me every time. We have had our moments where we have communicated with our eyebrows and when I pick her up over my head she shows that she digs it by shooting me her patented smile. So, what influence does she have on me? Well, I can tell you that when she’s fussing on the floor during tummy time or in her swing I’m all about picking her up. I know I should let her fuss a little so that she can learn to chill by herself but I just want to pick her up and hold her close. One specific example is from a few weeks ago where my wife was making dinner, Lola, our daughter was in her swing, and she was fussing. I immediately walked towards her and my wife says,

“Leave her, she’s fine.”

I stopped and turned around to continue the conversation we were having but I couldn’t help but look back at Lola. Her fussing settled yet I felt the urge to go over there. It was like I had some sort of tick where I had to turn around and look to make sure she was fine. After almost giving myself whiplash from turning to look at Lola, my wife told me to just go over and pick her up. It was crazy to think that Lola had that much control over me already. Is it because she’s my only daughter or was I this way with Logan too? I recently asked my wife Rebecca if I was this way with our son and she said yes but I think it’s worse with Lola. I’m sure it’s because she’s my little princess but I thought being wrapped around her little finger was supposed to start later on in life? Maybe I’ve been a fool this whole time in thinking this way? I figured I’d get all these years to bring her up in the best way possible and once she hit her middle school years that she would try to get her way with a,

“Please dad?”

It would most likely be followed up with a hug, a thank you, and a frown from the wife because I gave in like most dads. Hmm…my way of thinking was completely off. Lola is only 2 months and without speaking she is saying please and I’m giving in. Crap! When she’s older I’m going to be screwed. As for now I’ll begin my training in saying “No”. It might be a little hard but I know I can do it. As the years go by though, I’m going to feel the squeeze from being wrapped around her little finger. It’s going to be a crazy ride but I’m ready for it. Are there any parents out there that are wrapped around your children’s finger? I’m sure there has to be someone out there with a similar and funny story. I mean, how crazy is it to think that our children can pull at our strings this way? They could tear something up, we would get angry, but with a flash of a smile that reminds us of ourselves at their age we’re able to settle for a moment and chuckle. I’m sure that if someone had told me early in life that my kids would have me wrapped around their little finger I would have said,

“Heck no! I’m all about the discipline!”

I’m still like this but my kids have a way of pulling at my strings to make some of my “No’s” turn into a “Yes”. Oh if I could only go back in time to tell myself this for preparation but it’s impossible. It’s more fun this way I think. It’s a new experience every day and once you think you have it perfected something else happens to throw you off. Parenthood…there’s nothing like it and I wouldn’t change it for the world.