I wrote a book

I was a bit of a secret nerd in school. I’d occasionally spend my lunchtimes in the library, savouring the stillness and quiet, reveling in the excitement of what stories awaited me in those endless rows of books.

Fast forward many years, and my little humans are developing a love for books too. The first book I read to them was “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle. They were babies, not exactly great conversationalists, so I’d read to them while breastfeeding or while they lay on the floor. Books became a constant in our lives.

To this day, books are still a big part of our routine. Every night, I read at least two books to them, and sometimes we squeeze in a few more during the day. Back when they had multiple naps, we were reading up to ten books a day! Whenever they’re quiet for a long time, they’re either making a mess in the bathroom by bathing their toys or “reading” in their room. I definitely prefer the latter.

Every two weeks, we visit our local library and borrow up to 30 books at a time. I really enjoy these trips, and I think the kids appreciate the stillness too. They usually pick a few books and sit down to explore them while I go and select books that have some meaning or relevance to what’s happening in our lives or the world around us.

This habit has allowed us to discuss topics that might not usually come up with little kids. I always aim to be age-appropriate and honest with them, but they’ve shown me how much they understand and absorb. Never underestimate what your little ones can grasp.

When they turned three, I wanted to borrow some books on weaning from our library, but they had none. They had to order some from online sources, and when they finally arrived six months later, I borrowed them all. Unfortunately, most of them carried an underlying message of shame towards the child breastfeeding and suggested they were "too big" and should stop. This didn’t sit right with me, so I decided to write my own book for Mila and Thomas.

Initially, it was a form of therapy to help me cope with the emotions of weaning. I cried a lot while writing it. But what started out as a book to plant the seed for weaning evolved into a story of appreciation and celebration for our journey. By the end, I embraced full-term weaning, deciding to let them wean when they were naturally and biologically ready.