Steal the Bacon

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, however, is much harder to put into reality.  In a time where needing to care for myself is more important than ever, I often find myself filling Little Man's cup (literally and figuratively) without leaving any for myself.  It sounds silly, but there are moments I simply don't want to share.  To write about not wanting to share with a two-year-old makes me sound like the petulant toddler instead of him.  There are so many memes and quotes and TikToks about the sacrifices parents make daily, and I am struggling between fighting the stereotype and exemplifying it all at the same time.

So where's the balance?  How do I fulfill my kid without doing so at my expense?  How do I learn to keep my bacon to myself even when he asks so politely?  It's a constant struggle that is equal parts annoying and endearing.  Did I actually really want that last piece of bacon?  Yes, yes I did.  Is he not unbelievably adorable when he says "please" and "thank you"?  Yes, yes he is.  And so the battle rages on...