Thursday, March 01, 2007

Intimacy and Kids















I have spent the past eight years pretty intensely immersed in physical mothering: babies, toddlers, preschoolers. I nursed for almost six years combined. I always thought that I’d be the kind of attachment parent that had teenage boys hanging on her.
But as my boys are growing up, it’s not the way I imagined. They are now fascinated by things I have no interest in, like cars and robots and computer games (and let’s face it, violence). I find I don’t want my older child touching me in public. I feel myself separating from them, which would have caused me terrible pain earlier, but maybe it’s OK. They still come to me first when they are hurt. They still see me naked and walk in on me in the bathroom, but I know these times will come to an end too. I’m waiting to see what other kinds of relationships develop with them. But my life is definitely changing as much as theirs. I want my body back.

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