Jordan started back at the gym three weeks ago. I bring Jordan and Akiva to the gym by myself and try to leave Akiva in his car seat so I can have my hands free for Jordan. I usually place him next to one of the padded walls and a small basketball net so he is protected on two sides. I am always close by. Even when I am across the room with Jordan working on a skill my eyes are trained on that car seat. I am always watching.
The mothers talk and I hear "Whose baby is that?" dripping with complete disdain. It is like they are saying, "How can that mother just leave her baby like that?" Since I am never far away and always within ear shot I quickly and quietly say "mine" and they say "oh" and quickly walk away. Their children are drawn to Akiva like a moth to a flame. They want to touch him, squeeze him and poke out his eyes. Their mothers just stand there and talk completely oblivious that there precious little child is about to harm my devastatingly handsome son. So I patiently redirect their children away from his eyes and to his feet so that they learn to be gentle.
Last week there was a little boy completely infatuated with Akiva, he would not stay away. His mother moved the portable basketball net away from Akiva so that he could get closer (and she could talk). Now if that basketball net fell over it would land on my little guys head instead of the wall. It became such an issue for this mom that she felt it necessary to walk up to me and tell me that she was going to have to switch classes because the baby was such a distraction.
I suppose that if I were a nice person I would start to wear Akiva in the Baby B'jorn during class. But since he generally sleeps during the first twenty minutes and is content to sit and watch for the rest of the time, I am going to continue to chase the other mothers out of the class and away from my baby.
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