Your baby's emotional health and development

I've been meaning to post this wee excerpt from something I read about emotional health and development in babies. I really like what it says because it just sums up exactly how I feel about the subject (and maybe cos it also makes me feel justified in being so crazily happy. ;-) But it makes Shona happy...and I don't mind doing ridiculous things to make her laugh. :-))

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Be joyful. Joy is the other side of healthy attachment. Breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and slinging are all excellent attachment actions, but they will be nullified if you are not feeling joy while you do them. A mother in Australia became frustrated because in her words, “I did it all. I nursed till they were three. I was always home and never left them, but still they struggle.” I discussed this with her, and she revealed that she had been miserable, anxious, and depressed when the children were young. She was unhappy with the father, and she didn’t feel understood, heard, or loved. She was absent of joy. It’s imperative to find the joy in life because your energy is shared by everyone, especially your baby. If you need to see a counselor, talk to friends, engage in hobbies, or join a mothering group, do it! This time in your baby’s life is far too short for the two of you to not be “in joy” with one another. And what is joy? It’s merely an alive expression of love.