Little Big Baby

'Mommy, teach me how to walk.'

No, Laila doesn't want me to teach her how to walk like a grownup. She wants me to hold her sando straps while she walks tip-toe, like how a newly mobile toddler would.

She'd also gush 'whaaa, whaa' and flail her arms exactly the way a one-year old would. While lying down, she raises her meaty legs and thrash and kick like a little baby.

It's hilarious!

People wouldn't approve of me encouraging these games of her. I've already been accused of babying her too much. To h*ll with that, I say.

I'd keep her little if I could. That she pretends to be a little baby is a bonus for me. She grows up so fast, these little games are a reassurance for me that she's still not so big as not to indulge in these silly games.

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By chance we got to sit together in Mass with a neighbor whose daughter, B, was Laila's age.

When Laila got bored, she asked for Dede and so Daddy Cat whipped out a bottle from her bag. I carried her as she finished her milk.

When B saw Laila drinking from a bottle, she quipped: 'Ay o, nakakahiya.'

I really should've just ignored her, but I couldn't help it. I said, 'No, hindi nakakahiya.' A little too forcefully, I'm afraid. These comments really just eat me up.

I understand the wisdom of weaning babies Laila's age from the bottle. Even her pedia recommended we stop giving her milk in a bottle because it could affect how her teeth grows.

But resorting to tactics that implant the idea of being embarrassed for doing something they've been doing all their lives is something I strongly oppose. Explain to them what'll happen to their teeth if they don't stop taking Dede. Explain to them the state of the family's finances.

But do not, not ever, shame them. If you do, then shame on you.