Baby

For many moms (like me), the most crucial milestone in a baby's life is the day he or she can go in the gym daycare. I specifically switched gyms when my first baby was 3 months old to go to a much more expensive gym just so I could work out in peace. But most gym babysitters can't change diapers, and every once in a while, I would get that call while I was working out. "Your baby has a poop."

It didn't happen every day and I always responded immediately, but there was always a part of me, especially if it was toward the end of my workout, that wished I had the courage to say: "Just let her sit in it for a few more minutes."

It seems I am not alone. A post on CafeMom's community wall discusses this, and amazingly, there really ARE moms who have said this! Most in the discussion were appalled, but I say more power to those moms. We get one hour of peace a day, why shouldn't we want it all?

Now, keep in mind this is coming from a mom who never had the balls to do this myself. I always went down with a smile on my face and changed my kids within seconds of getting the call, but it was frustrating, especially when it came at the end of my allotted time and I only had a few more minutes in my workout. Usually I just had to end it then and there, which is a bummer for moms who are really into working out.

But it's more than that, too. Obviously, it depends on whether a person is called out at minute 50 or minute 2, but 10 minutes of diaper sitting isn't going to hurt a baby, and gym daycare workers can deal with the smell for a few more minutes.

Maybe the solution is to have better trained workers who would be able to change diapers. Personally, I would gladly pay more for babysitting and for the gym with the guarantee that I could work out uninterrupted. Maybe not all moms can do that, but I would have.

Part of the reason I was always so quick to respond was because of how it looked. I would never be able to make my child wait in front of others, but let's face it, at home, kids sometimes sit in dirty diapers. If you have more than one child and you are in the middle of making dinner and your older child has an issue, your child might wait 10 minutes to have his bum changed. Ten minutes doesn't cause a diaper rash or cause the child any pain. Obviously, we aren't condoning neglect or waiting for hours, but the difference between 5 and 15 minutes isn't going to kill anyone.

People need to ease up a bit on moms. To me this smacks of society's expectations. Moms should be MOMS all the time. They should never value their own needs above their child's even for a single minute and they should always jump when called. Otherwise they are a bad mom.

I say no. I say moms who put on their own life belt first are better moms. I say their kids turn out more independent and better adjusted. I never would have had the courage to say "let her sit in it," but I say more power to those moms who do. Those 10 minutes may mean more in terms of mom's sanity than anyone can possibly understand.

Do you think these moms who said "wait" are wrong?