Comments on: Mother as Container | 5

By: cerebralmum

cerebralmum — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 14:11:01 +0000

I’m still playing catch up with my reading so I’m going to put some time aside to read this post series thoroughly. Your posts are not for casual, breezy scanning (which is why I like them so much). But I just had to say I sat and rewatched Firefly myself recently and it really is a wonderful show. I think I spent a few days afterwards with the disappointment (or perhaps, disbelief) that it didn’t get renewed for another season. There was just so much in it to explore.

By: Alida

Alida — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:16:51 +0000

I just watched the whole Firefly series. How sad my husband and I sat and watched all weekend while we scooted the kids outside.

We watched and they got a good dose of mommy being her own person.

This series has been wonderful. Yesterday, Isabela was headed for the sprinkler with her clothes on. I said, “Baby that is not a good idea.” She stopped, furrowed her brow and said, “Mom, it’s O.k., it’s hot, the water not cold…I’ll dry up in the sun. It’ll be fine!” With that she rushed right into the sprinkler before I had a chance to answer.

I have to say, it wasn’t such a bad idea, the little stinker was right

By: Eve

Eve — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:01:45 +0000

Anthromama, sometimes you take my breath away. That’s what you did with that last paragraph.

By: henitsirk

henitsirk — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 00:41:43 +0000

Oh Eve, I love you. Any post with ice cream and Firefly has got to be wonderful. In fact, if I had those two things this evening, I would be quite contented.

I think many psychological and physical illnesses may come about from a lack of boundaries, kind of like those you are describing as resulting from a lack of containment. Babies generally love to be swaddled, because it gives them a very firm and literal container. Children need loving guidance, to form a boundary for their behavior and interactions with others.

But if, as Captain Malcolm pointed out, these boundaries are not given with love, then they cannot be internalized and worked with properly. The child won’t learn to fly.