It's always easier when it's someone else's kid

"I'm so exhausted," she complained for the thousandth time. "She kept me up all night, kicking me in the head. I know I shouldn't let her sleep with me, but it's just easier, you know? We've done it for four years now and I just hope she'll sleep on her own before college. Heh. Heh."

I smiled and shrugged and thought to myself: You've made your bed here, my friend. If you keep taking the temporarily easy path, you'll never get any sleep. You've got to be tough.

I said, "That must be so hard."



......(an hour later).......




E was snacking and started bleating, pointing at her sippy cup full of water. I gave it to her and she let it drop to her lap, screeching louder. I automatically picked it up and held the sippy cup of water for her as she sucked it dry. I muttered, "She won't hold her own sippy cup. She just lets it drop."

Without looking at me, my friend said, "So don't hold it for her. She'll learn." Then she picked up E's sippy cup and molded her tiny hands around it, encouraging E to hold it up herself, clapping when she finally did.

"Oh," I said. "Right."

My friend smiled knowingly and said, "It's always easier when it's someone else's kid."