The best snogs come to those who wait

I did not expect him to wait as a baby. I did not want him to. I wanted him to be reassured of my presence. He needed to know that if he was hungry, the breast would be there.

Gradually, I expect him to learn that there is sometimes a gap between his expressing a need and that need being met.

This happens slowly, with the length of time he is expected to wait extending little by little over time. The idea is that as he grows into an adult, he can wait without anxiety or distress.

In my opinion this is what distinguishes breast-feeding in public from snogging. I am grateful to Nick Booth for setting my mind upon this track.

I am irritated by snogging in public because the adults concerned are putting out the message that they can not wait. There is something undignified - as well as untruthful - about that.

A baby really can not wait. What's more, a baby should not wait. A toddler can wait just for a bit.

I am still breast-feeding Arch. He has a feed once a day in bed, before he goes to sleep. It serves little nutritional purpose. It is for comfort, for old-time's sake.

But I stopped doing it in public quite a long time back. I stopped when it was no longer a necessity.

Arch is learning the wait. The snoggers should have learnt it by now and that is why their behaviour is to irritating.

Hooray! I have nailed that one, in my own mind, at last.

Why is waiting so important? Because everything - snogs, breasts whatever - are all the sweeter when you do.