On fairness

We named this toy "small pieces", because OO says the pieces are too small and are a choking hazard for Little A. It has, therefore, been a secret toy that only OO gets to play with when little A is not around.

How time has flown by... Little A got her hands on "small pieces" tonight. To our amazement, not only was she not putting the pieces in her mouth, but she was actually capable of matching the pieces' shapes to the slots with great precision. I secretly applauded her well developed fine motor skills, but I also felt a pang of guilt - I guess I have not paid enough attention to how much she has grown and changed.

On the other hand, I reckon that however hard I try, I still won't be able to offer them the same kind of attention at any given point in time. Their perception of our interactions won't ever be the same, meaning I probably will never be fair in their eyes. But the world will never be fair for them either, and I think it may even be beneficial for them to get used to and accept the unfairness of everything. Right from the beginning.

For that reason, I will not be the parent who counts all the cookies or measures the size of slices of pizza, or one who strives to make everything equal for them.