My Parenting Reflected at Buchela's Second Play Group

When he is not with this play group, he is usually with the group below.



Some of his babies are not under this particular blanket when I took this picture but rest assured, all ten/eleven of them (I have lost track) are well taken care of at various point of the day by him.

Sometimes, he lays some of them on the bed and wipes their bottoms with a wipe.

Other times, he reads for them his favorite books.

Lately, he has been putting some of them on time out for bad behavior. "NO NO NO" He yells, his index figure pointed at the offending lovie. "TIME OUT!"

Sometimes I find him giving them a stern but calm lecture in a mostly Amharic tirade but with a dash of English and Chinese.

He also tries to feed them pretend food (after I strongly discouraged real food).

I have had to explain to him that under no circumstances they are to take a bath with him.

But he is allowed to take them to bed.

He kisses them.

He cuddles them.

He holds their hands.

He is their care taker.

He is their teacher.

He is their authority figure.

I see my parenting being mimicked in his interactions with his lovies. I am sometimes uncomfortable because I am not sure what it says about me....to him.