A Bicycle Built for Three

One of Little Man's favorite foods is bacon (I know that's not kosher. Don't @ me). Whenever it's served he will eagerly consume every little crumb and immediately request more, often before I've even had a chance to enjoy my own.  Sometimes the bacon on his plate isn't good enough and he insists on a piece from mine.  I now find myself putting the best bits aside before he even asks.  I see this with other things as well -- the chicken in tonight's casserole, water from my bottle, sips from my orange juice.  Suddenly my food or even my personal space is no longer my own; some nights I have to pause my dinner because he has asked for a hug.  Now, do I actually have to do that?  No, of course not.  Yet it's no surprise that I do. In the TV show "Schitt's Creek" Moira Rose reminded us of something we hear all the time -- when the oxygen masks in an airplane come down, adults should don theirs before helping their children.  The analogy, howev...

It's a time of big change around here. I am about to head back to work with a new team at a new grade level. Little Man started a new daycare. We both have to adjust to the back-to-school routine. All of this is cause for a lot of big emotions -- both Little Man's and mine. The biggest way I'm seeing Little Man's feelings is at daycare drop-off.  He certainly isn't the first child to cry as the parents walk away, and he won't be the last. Each day has gotten a little better as he finds distractions and regulates himself.  Some days this is easier than others, and I credit the daycare staff with taking it calmly in stride each morning.  We are also only a week in, so the adjustment still feels raw. Some mornings the emotions overwhelm me too, which has really gotten me thinking about why. At the most basic level, it makes me sad to see Little Man sad.  I know that some of this is developmental; this change happened at a time where Little Man's separation anxi...