Like many people who have never given birth, I just assume that once you have a baby, some maternal instinct naturally kicks in, and you know exactly what to do. But I’ve been told that isn’t necessarily true. Some women are great at being moms, whether they’re taking care of their own children or someone else’s. Debby was that kind of mom — a natural nurturer who could even make a complete stranger’s child feel loved.
We all know parenting is hard work, but I think it’s a little easier when you have complete control of a child’s upbringing. When you’re filling in for a weekend or a month, you have to find a way to enforce your own house rules while also honoring the hard work that child’s birth mother is doing.