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Member
Member Since Sep 2011
Location: texas :)
Posts: 25
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Sep 30, 2011 at 12:40 PM
#1
so im an 18 about to be 19 yr old girl who does pretty good with kids and babies. i live in an apartment complex and sometimes through my walls i can hear the newborn next door crying. my dilemma is this: i genuinely want to help the young mother, but i dont want to come across as 1) insensitive (acting like i know how to take care of her baby and she doesnt) or 2) offended (acting like the baby is suuuuch a bother that i feel i have to drag myself all the way over here to make it shut up).
i genuinely want to give the mother a break, the baby doesnt bother me at (i can BARELY hear it). sooo should i offer my assistance? we hardly know each other ive only seen the mom twice. or should i just maybe wait to see if any opportunities arise to get to know the mom better then offer my help? i dont think we will get to know each other, i rarely see her. |
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Poohbah
Member Since Mar 2011
Location: US
Posts: 1,019
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Sep 30, 2011 at 07:28 PM
#2
You sound like you have a good heart and care about people. I hope you will take the time to go over and introduce yourself to the mom next door. After all, you are neighbors - why not be friendly!
Perhaps during the time you talk, you can tell her about yourself and ask if she would be interested in having coffee breaks together. She is a new mom and trust me, it isn't easy! Ask her questions. It could be that she might be in a situation where she doesn't have close friends or family nearby to give her a break. If that is the case, you have a chance to offer to help her out. __________________ Never look down on anybody, unless you are helping them up. |
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 krazi_kristi
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Member
Member Since Sep 2011
Location: texas :)
Posts: 25
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Sep 30, 2011 at 08:12 PM
#3
Quote:
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Poohbah
Member Since Mar 2011
Location: US
Posts: 1,019
13 65 hugs
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Sep 30, 2011 at 10:38 PM
#4
Ah, if you just start out extending a neighborly greeting with no comments about hearing the baby cry, no one should feel as if they are offended or offensive! Let us know how it goes. I am hoping that you discover a new friend!
__________________ Never look down on anybody, unless you are helping them up. |
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Magnate
Member Since Jan 2010
Location: New England
Posts: 2,371
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Sep 30, 2011 at 10:38 PM
#5
Krazi I'm a stay at home mom and she would definitely appreciate a cup a coffee sometime and some adult conversation (I've been there). You could also offer her some help like as a mother's helper. You help out around the house while she's there. It gives both her and you a chance to get to know each other and build some trust. If she's a new mom it's hard to want to let anyone else take care of your precious baby. I was a 'mother lion' for a while when my boys were little babes.
Hope this helps! __________________ "Be careful how you speak to your children. One day it will become their inner voice." - Peggy O'Mara Don't ever mistake MY SILENCE for ignorance, MY CALMNESS for acceptance, MY KINDNESS for weakness. - unknown |
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Member
Member Since Sep 2011
Location: texas :)
Posts: 25
12 |
Oct 01, 2011 at 12:08 AM
#6
idk how to quote posts yet but caretaker: i have commented on it before, i didnt mean it to be offensive at all, i wasnt even thinking when i said it. i was leaving my place and she was going onto hers and she had the baby. i exclaimed "oh! youre the one with the baby!" to which she replied, "yeah i am. can you hear it?" and i said "oh barely i didnt even know what it was at first."
which is partially what makes me stutter with this. it was definitely a kick-myself moment. also, we NEVER see each other. we have only crossed paths once since my blunder, when we both happened to be outside enjoying the weather. and geez, that is exactly what i had in mind  i would never ask a mother to trust her babies to a near stranger lol. thanks for the input
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