A fine line

One of the things I struggle with as a parent is how to keep my girls safe without being too over protective. My girls are still very young but are starting to learn some independence both physically and emotionally. I am finding it hard to go from newborns who depend on me to take care of their every need to toddlers who want to do things on their own and can run off at the speed of lightening. Pie wants to walk when we go to the store now "No cart, Mommy, no cart" she tells me, even though she concedes and rides in the cart when we are getting groceries. Sammie still rides on my back in the Ergo but is starting to fight me when I try and put her in, once she's there she's content to ride along.

I bought both girls the backpack harnesses last week so that they can walk around when we are places that where they could run into the street or get lost in a crowd. Pie really likes hers and we've gotten both looks of disgust and support from other parents who realize that I just want my girls to be safe.

Every time I start to let my guard down a little and get comfortable with my girls gaining independence I hear of something that has me scared to death. In this last week there was a 10 year old boy stabbed to death, along with his father and his friend in northern Maine, and also an attempted kidnapping of a young boy at Old Orchard Beach, while his parents were having a picnic. Luckily the boys father saw what happened and rescued his son in time.

Even though we live in the "safest" state in the country, and I usually don't worry too much about random crime, I still feel the need to never let my girls out of my sight and I'm not sure that feeling will ever go away.