Love You Forever

Do you know how many copies of this book I was given when I had babies? At least 5.
Do you know how much I hate this book? You're about to find out.
It starts out as such a sweet moment of Mommy rocking her baby and singing a beautifully worded song. Sweet. Skip to the end where Mommy is climbing into her 30 year old son's window to rock him to sleep and sing the same song about how he'll always be her baby. Class, can you say co-dependent?
When I was single I actually met a man and his parents who I believe this book was based on. We'll call him Kia Man. At 40 years old he rented his first apartment and was so proud of himself to be on his own for the first time. Yet slept at his Mom and Dad's across town. They never told me she rocked him to sleep but I'm sure she did. I'm sure Dad was the one singing the song. Seriously, she not only washed his undies but picked out his clothes for him. Every. Day. She took him to Sears to shop for new clothes, 'cause Heaven forbid he shop on his own. They ordered his food for him at restaurants. I swear she even cut his broccoli so he wouldn't choke.
I now use this book as a tool to teach my daughters who not to date, because would you want your mother in-law crawling in your window to rock your hubby to sleep? Imagine the awkwardness of that on your wedding night. So many mental pictures this creates for me.
I use the book as a tool to teach my sons what personal space is. And to take me down if I ever cross that line. My 13 year old son would be so grossed out if I tried to rock him, he would put me in a head lock till my eyeballs popped. In fact, I use the threat of cuddling with him to get him to take the garbage out and keep his room clean. It's awesome incentive. The threat of kissing him in his school hall also works to keep him behaving at school (just a hint for those with boys).
The first time I read this book was almost 15 years ago when my oldest was a wee baby. I started out with, "awww" and ended with, "ewww." I called my Mom, "OMG, Mom, have you heard of this book??" I read it to her and I could hear the horror in the silence on the other end of the phone. I believe I heard retching too, but it could have been the cat had a hairball.
I do not buy this book for new parents because A) I don't want to spread the idea that co-dependency is okay or normal & B) I don't know if they would be the type to take it as parenting advice, and I would never do that to an innocent baby.