by Jane Kay

Created on: November 21, 2009

It's your choice, but my answer is a resounding "no" for the three reasons stated below. You'd be doing your child and your life a true disservice to let your baby stay up late, determine when he/she will sleep, and basically run your whole life.

If a mom could be just a mom, and by the mere fact of having had a baby, shed all other responsibilities, it really wouldn't matter what time a baby slept. You'd have nothing else to do but keep your baby company and whether it's six in the evening or two in the morning, who cares? It's not bothering anyone.

But most people who become moms are not just moms. While it may be the most important duty, it is, quite unfortunately, never the only duty.

Wife

A baby spending time with its father is important.
But it is just as important after the birth of a baby to have the time, space, and energy to be a wife to your husband. I'm not referring to just the intimate moments; I am referring to interaction between a woman and man who love each other and had a child together. Eating a dinner together, sans child, occasionally by candlelight, is crucial to maintaining the relationship. It is out of this relationship that your child was born, and it makes an enormous impact on your child that this relationship remains intact, and good. It is this relationship that will teach your baby the dynamics of a relationship - you owe it to your child to keep it good and loving.

Your husband needs to talk to you about his day and what is going on at work. You need to share with your husband what your day was like and how you're feeling. You need to discuss important financial and family matters; you need to talk and connect like you did prior to the existence of a child.

Housekeeper

This may not apply to everyone, but having a disheveled house leads me to become disheveled myself. Not just in appearance, but I actually become frazzled in mind due to a mess around me.

Every mom will tell you that they are pressed on time after the birth of a child and the first place it shows is in housekeeping. The house becomes a disaster zone on some days. Between meeting the baby's needs, sterilizing bottles, stocking up on diapers, and finding time to shower, your house pays for your lack of time. Be it for your own sanity or your husband's, who also has to live amidst the mess, the house must be kept to some degree and the only time you will find is when the baby is sleeping.

Furthermore, each morning when the baby awakes, it's important to start a new

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