Mother Knows Best

This morning I watched an episode of Reba that I hadn't seen in a long while. A small focus of the episode was Cheyenne's (the daugher's) feelings toward motherhood. She is going to school and is gone most of the day, while her husband cares for their baby. One day Reba (the mother) throws a birthday party for her young son, and Cheyenne is worried that all the noise will wake up the baby. Reba tells her daughter to let the baby cry it out so the baby can learn to soothe herself back to sleep. Cheyenne is horrified at this advice, especially when Reba says she let Cheyenne cry it out as a baby. Later, Reba goes upstairs to bring a piece of cake to Cheyenne, who is sitting outside the baby's room looking miserable while the baby cries. Reba says she remembers what it felt like and that it was hard, but that in her heart she knew it was right and the best thing for her baby. Cheyenne replies, "But it doesn't feel right in my heart." She then cries as she explains that being away from her baby all day and then letting her cry does not feel right to her. Reba is silent for a second and then tells her that no one but the mother knows what is right for her baby and asks Cheyenne that if it doesn't feel right, what is she going to do about it. "I want to pick up my baby," Cheyenne responds and then does.

I am not writing this in support of my post against crying it out. I am writing this to support the claim that only the mother knows what is best for her child. We mothers make many difficult decisions daily, and as long as we are informed of and review our options and feel good about the choices we make, they will always be the right ones, no matter what other people, including me, say.