Kat Kelly – As my partner and I danced and jazzed hands our way through Target last night, I started to wonder if we had lost my minds. If anyone were watching on the security camera they surely called their coworkers over to see what the heck was happening in aisle 47.
But, hey, it was for the baby. She was tired, whiney, cranky, and pretty much all around done with the day. Meanwhile we looked like we were auditioning for an off off off Broadway remake of the first-ever, Fox Glee.
As I was deciding on my gluten free snack du jour, I began to wonder if there was such a thing as “too much” at this stage of our four-month old’s life. Were we being “too” silly, “too” indulgent, “too” engaged, not serious enough? Was she going to learn that we were there for her entertainment? My partner jokingly tells me to “dance monkey, dance” – as if the baby were sending specific instructions for me to tap dance to make her giggle.
With so many tips, tricks, best practices, things to-do, not-to-do, and more, were we raising a child who was going to think we owed them the world?
Stop the presses.
Yes, there are books, blogs, articles, videos, podcasts, you-name-it, devoted to how to be the best parent and raise your children “right.” And, guess what; we pretty much love all of them! But, at the end of the day, should we really be overthinking having a great time with our newborn? Is it really so wrong to dance our way through retail shopping centers across America?
We are a family. We love deeply. We have fun. We celebrate one another. Heck, we buy gluten free waffles. And if we are feeling so inclined we might do it while working a Charleston step show down the frozen foods aisle.
If that’s so wrong, I don’t want to be right. Feel free to keep reading, watching, and sharing those great tips. But, please join me in not overthinking it.
Kat Kelly has been called a lot of things in life, but “mommy” is her favorite thing ever.
