Why parents need to begin each day as a totally new and fresh experience

The fact that beginnings are important is never more obvious than when one holds a newborn baby. The feeling of responsibility and desire to do the right thing can be overwhelming. A normal reaction, when parents realise how important they are to their child’s early development and education, is a feeling of inadequacy. This gives rise to panic and a desire to pass on the responsibility to someone else — a nurse at the clinic, social worker, house help or teacher.

When parents panic about parenthood, it is because they have temporarily forgotten that we are only asked and, indeed, are only able to cope with one thing in one moment. We are not, for instance, asked to cope with a baby as a schoolchild and teenager as soon as she is born. Her needs and questions do not come in one overwhelming package.  We need only attend, and give attention to each need as it arises.