Be parents

There is a phrase that I have always liked and that as a result of becoming a mother made a 'click' inside me. It is the one that says: "love me when I least deserve it, because it will be when I need it most."

Now it is common to hear about the carbon footprint of each activity we do. Having children does not escape these studies, according to which each one of them supposes an emission of 58.6 tons of CO2, data that have led to currents such as anti-natalism, since people are afraid of the possible scenarios in which their children have to live and the contamination that having them supposes. However, the path may be different: having fewer children is not necessarily the salvation of the planet, but it can be (in addition to a change in the world economic system), assuming our individual responsibility in the face of climate change, committing ourselves to live off a more sustainable one.

Many families choose to sleep with their children, and although it should be an option just as respectable as any other, the truth is that collecting is one of the most controversial practices of parenting.

I still remember the nerves while we waited for the test to tell us if we were pregnant and the silence after confirmation. Of course, it only lasted a few seconds because although we were not yet looking to be parents, from the first lack of menstruation we were clear that any result would make us very happy.

There are many parenting decisions and practices that are frequently questioned. One of them is co-sleeping, on which I have already established my position in favor of it and I have defended it here as in my personal blog. Although there are many families who practice it, it is still something that tends to receive comments that are not always positive.

The course that ended in June, the first full one that has been experienced in a pandemic, has been especially hard for Spanish parents, even more than for those from the rest of Europe. This has been confirmed by a survey of the parents of 3,000 Spanish, French, German and Austrian students, carried out by the GoStudent platform, to detect how they have lived their children's last school year.

Reconciling work and motherhood is difficult for everyone, regardless of your profession and the way you feed your baby. However, breastfeeding has the peculiarity that no one can do it for you, so it is something that can sometimes take us to the limit and that requires a great effort to continue until both of you decide to quit. Sara Sálamo has reminded us with a post on her Instagram of those moments of sleepless nights in which in the end, a smile from your baby heals everything.

There are topics that are often difficult to address with young children, which are important, but for which it is sometimes difficult for us to "break the ice" and start a conversation without seeming forced. Issues such as sexual abuse, gender violence or bullying are unfortunately the order of the day, and they are situations that we must talk about so that children know how to identify when they may be in danger and how they could defend themselves.