That Crying Baby!

So last night, during my "watch" at the restaurant (I'm a part time waitress while I wait for the shop to profit), a VERY young woman came in with a swaddled baby in her arms. Wouldn't you know, she happily let me hold "Chloe", and instantly the infant began to cry. Funny- this heavy, plastic baby, with her 8th grade "mother", cried a lot during their meal. A health class requirement, this lifelike doll had been with the "dad" for just a night and kept him up. And now it was "mom's" turn to care for the baby, and wouldn't you know she had her all weekend. Strange how society creeps in, even during a class assignment, where the mother cares for the child so much more.

Another mom came in with a very tiny baby- real this time!- who was about 2 months old. When mom spoke, it became obvious that she was of limited mental capacity. And when she spoke to her daughter, this baby knew who her mama was, made eye contact, and beamed. It was such a beautiful interaction that I was touched all night. But it also made me think back to my work with families. More than once I have seen parents with delays try so hard to make it work. Some have done well. Others, no matter how hard they try, and how much they love their children, still have fallen short. With constant, in-home support, these families would have been fine. But without the support, the everyday life skills seemed to fall away, and issues of safety and hygiene come up. And although there is no shortage of love and trying, somehow they just can't make it. And my heart breaks for them, to see how hard they've worked and how much they've loved. My wish for them would be for a program to be designed where these moms and dads could live in a home setting, have in-home supports to help them daily, and their children could flourish and be with them. But the mental health system is already strained for money and resources, and it makes me sad.