It has been a week since Daisy was born. I love watching her gallop in the paddocks. I love watching Bella watch her calf, lick her clean and seemingly communicate to her. I love watching the cows. It is always relaxing to watch them and their peaceful ways.

I have seen Bella try to lie down for a rest, only having to get up again for Daisy. I have also seen Bella run towards Daisy, on hearing her calling loudly. (And I mean RUN! Have you ever seen a fully grown cow gallop?) So, you can learn a lot about being a good mother from a cow. Or, at least, Bella seems to be a good mother, and we can learn a lot about mothering from her.

being patient with children when they are ratty
I watched daisy head butt Bella over and over and over again. Bella just stood there, calmly, trying to nudge daisy every now and then, or lick her. She didn’t try to stop Daisy from playing, but simply stood still, looking tired, but standing strong nevertheless.

keeping your child clean
Cows lick each other, and it is adorable. Bella licks daisy all over to keep her clean.

letting kids experiment
Bella lets Daisy run around. She watches her as she gallops and bounds all over the place, but she moos to her gently if she thinks Daisy has gone too far or could be near danger (like the time daisy got a bit too close to a sharp drop in the ground). She lets her experiment with different textures, tastes etc.

showing affection
Bella shows so much affection to her calf. Actually, cows are really affectionate creatures. They stand close to one another, they lick each other and they seem to chat to each other too. Amazing.

eye contact
Bella will look right into Daisy’s eyes. Perhaps they are communicating!

feed them well
I remember the many years I have spent breast feeding, feeling like a cow (not in a bad way) as I nourished my babes. I was there for my babies when they needed me – at their beck and call. Bella feeds Daisy whenever she needs it. She just stands there and daisy drinks away, and Bella looks very calm and happy throughout the process (I can relate. I loved breast feeding).

walk away calmly
It is a natural impulse for a calf to headbutt the udder to help the milk flow down. If daisy is too rough with Bella, Bella simply walks away quietly and gently.

I’ve never been big on reading books to teach me how to be a good parent. I think so much of it is instinct. I’ve a good, strong, maternal instinct, but I can take a bit of advice from my beautiful Bella the cow. Why not look to nature, rather than a book.