Preparing to become a mom

     I have to look at what I am doing now to prepare myself to be a mom. I guess at my age and with the number of kids I babysat over the years, one would think I was all over this. I would be one of those people.  I can't even tell you the number of kids I have watched and helped with over the years, so why does it feel I am not prepared?  Well, I am about to tell you.........

     While I can't tell you how many kids over the years I have watched, at the end of the day, I just went home when their parents got back. I wasn't there for every meal, every bath, every struggle to get them to go to bed (however, I do have my fair share of these bedtime struggles). I wasn't there for all the bedtime stories, and "I love you mom" as they turn over to sleep. 

     It's easy, once you have watched kids, to think you know what this mommy business is all about, but as I begin to prepare myself for the quest on which I have embarked, I can only imagine what all I need to do. I have always tried to be the cool babysitter, or the cool Aunt. You know, the one who has all the fun with your kids, then walks away after getting them all jacked up on Pepsi? 

     The day to day stuff I am good to go with. Bathe, feed, teach, love, hug, etc; It's the emotional part I haven't had the experience with. Having a child bond with me emotionally (as a mom) is something I have never thought about. Making sure a child KNOWS he is loved by me, using discipline to teach, helping a child create a routine for himself......things I haven't worried myself with......EVER. 

     So let the advice begin. Tell me as a mom (or dad) what you did to help bond with your child. Tell me how you do the whole parent thing day in and day out. What worked for you and what didn't? How did you prepare yourself to become a parent?