I always knew my parenting style would be somewhat lax. I laugh too easily, and find things that should be naughty funny. But I hadn't thought about what I would really do as a parent until recently. I don't want Lucy to be naughty. I want her to understand "no". I want her to get along with others. I knew disciplining would be hard. I would need to have a plan of attack. I would need....a naughty spot.
I've had "the naughty spot" for a month or so now, and only really used it once. The moment I sat her on it, she bawled and ran for daddy. She wouldn't sit on it. (I didn't expect her to, she's only 15 months...she won't sit anywhere unless strapped in.) But she knew she was in trouble, and stopped doing whatever she got in trouble for in the first place. Success!
However, she's now going through a rather clingy phase. She just wants to be with me all the time. Which is easy during the day for a stay at home mom. She just is...because she has to be. The trouble comes when I have to leave her...even just in the other room with Jeff. I know this is a phase every kid goes through. And what mom can just ignore their kid when they are screaming and reaching for you? And not a naughty scream. A sad, scared scream. So I try and be with her when I can. When we are around "strangers" I hold her. I don't make her go to them. When we are home, we sit together, and play together as much as possible. But sometimes, I have to go to the bathroom, I have to cook dinner, etc, so what then? I don't want to discipline her for wanting to be with me. So we are together as much as possible, and just deal with being apart. I take her to grandmas, and leave her at the nursery, even though she cries. I'm just hoping she'll get over this phase. Advice is welcome.
So, anyway, all this to say that today, I decided she's being a brat, and that it's not always just because she want to be with me. So I picked my battle. Lunch. We will eat. We will sit in our highchair. We will not throw our food on the floor. After a few trips to the naughty spot, lots of screams, and Neako getting a good helping of pears, I feel rather accomplished. She didn't eat the first thing I made her. But she did eat something. She sat in her highchair...when she wasn't in the naughty spot. And she...threw a lot of food on the floor...BUT I think she at least begun to understand that throwing food on the floor is a "NO!". She is now sitting beside me, laughing and trying to ride Neako. Win.
I always knew my parenting style would be a little lax. But she will be good. She will not be mean. She will not be a brat...even if it kills me.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
One year and counting...
I can't believe how fast time goes. My sweet little baby is a year old. I feel like it was not that long ago when she was just a little blueberry in my stomach, and now she's eating whole blueberries! She used to only be awake for 4 or 5 hours a day, and now she only sleeps 4 or 5 hours a day! It's crazy, but I got to say, I love this age. I like little babies, they are sweet and precious, but I've waited desperately for this day:
Walking and holding hands! I love it. Although, we do have to work on "come with Mommy!" and not just going where we like.
Our little family is doing well. Jeff is back to school and really enjoys it. I'm enjoying working the the Prairie Camp ministry in new and exciting ways. We plan on taking a trip to Florida during Christmas break, which I'm super psyched about because I've never been to Florida! We are currently planning a little kitchen make over weekend project. My poor 70's kitchen has been a work in progress. I finally got a new dishwasher and new floors, and now hope to update the decor a little and add a new island! It's funny what you find exciting when you get old and own a house. My life sounds boring...but I like it.
Blogging is a funny thing, because I'm not really sure who I'm writing this for. But I like to write it. Maybe it's just for me. A scrapbook of sorts. Yes.
Walking and holding hands! I love it. Although, we do have to work on "come with Mommy!" and not just going where we like.
Our little family is doing well. Jeff is back to school and really enjoys it. I'm enjoying working the the Prairie Camp ministry in new and exciting ways. We plan on taking a trip to Florida during Christmas break, which I'm super psyched about because I've never been to Florida! We are currently planning a little kitchen make over weekend project. My poor 70's kitchen has been a work in progress. I finally got a new dishwasher and new floors, and now hope to update the decor a little and add a new island! It's funny what you find exciting when you get old and own a house. My life sounds boring...but I like it.
Blogging is a funny thing, because I'm not really sure who I'm writing this for. But I like to write it. Maybe it's just for me. A scrapbook of sorts. Yes.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Self Feeding and Facebook
There is something wonderful about the day that you can dump a bunch of food on your child's high chair tray, and they happily feed it to themselves. Now this requires a lot more meal planning, more baths, and fits of frustration when the time comes for you to spoon feed them; however the benefits far out weigh all that! For example, after dumping peaches and a whole wheat waffle on her tray, I made some coffee, played on Facebook, and started this blog! How wonderful! I can't believe how fast this baby is growing up! I love that when I go to get her in the morning, she's standing up in her crib, waiting for me. I love that when I come home from a meeting, she's sitting on the floor laughing and reaching for me. I love that she pulls herself up on the ottoman and cruises from one side to the other. I do sometimes miss that sweet, quiet, perfectly still newborn (usually when she's gabbing and squirming during church). But I love this age, this part in her life. I look forward to little things, like facing forward in the car, holding my hand and walking beside me, holding her own cup (this should be happening soon right?). But I'm trying to do my best to enjoy this moment in time. I know one day, she'll be this crazy teenager, wanting me to drop her off a block away from school. Hopefully in those moments, I'll remember her sitting here, pulling toys out of her box, blowing raspberries for no reason, and turning around to smile at me. (And for the record: I will not drop her off a block away from school. I plan on being super embarrassing.)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I love you store bought baby food!
My little Lu turned 4 months old and I began the wonderful journey into solid foods! After reading every article ever written by everyone from highly educated pediatricians to family bed, breastfeeding for the first four years, everything organic health nuts; I realized that no one knew what they were talking about. "Start only rice cereal at 6 months" "When your baby starts to show interest in your food, start letting her try pureed foods" I talked to my mom, my best friend, strangers at the grocery store...and eventually decided I was going to make it up as I went along. I started with rice cereal around four months, and oh man! She was hooked. Then came veggies, then fruits, and by 6 months, she was eating 2 servings of cereal, and a serving of vegetables and fruits, and weighted 17lbs 6ozs! (Luckily, she is super long also, so she isn't just a chunky monkey) I love letting her try new things and seeing her face. (She's not a fan of hummus...) I wanted her to try something other than the usual sweet potatoes and apples so I decided to try and make my own baby food. I bought some plums and Googled how to make food. After about an hour of carefully simmering, peeling, pitting, and pureeing the plums I realized something. It is TOTALLY worth the money for store bought baby food. I can get good organic food, perfectly prepared and stored. WORTH IT! So now I'm a bottle feeding, store bought food mom, and I'm loving it.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Don't tell the League...
Why I Love Bottle Feeding
When my first daughter, Lucy, was born, I knew I was supposed to breast feed. And I tried, until she spent her first 24 hours in the NICU. When a nurse suggested (in hushed tones) giving her a bottle, I said "YES!" After many attempts, and fails, I decided I would go against the main stream and bottle feed. And sometimes, I feel bad about it. Usually when I'm shelling out $24 on formula... but other times, I'm reminded of the pros...all those wonderful pros...
When my first daughter, Lucy, was born, I knew I was supposed to breast feed. And I tried, until she spent her first 24 hours in the NICU. When a nurse suggested (in hushed tones) giving her a bottle, I said "YES!" After many attempts, and fails, I decided I would go against the main stream and bottle feed. And sometimes, I feel bad about it. Usually when I'm shelling out $24 on formula... but other times, I'm reminded of the pros...all those wonderful pros...
- When I'm sitting at a table full of my husband's buddies, and my daughter is desperate to be fed RIGHT NOW, all I have to whip out is a bottle.
- I can drink 2 Starbucks a day, without my baby getting addicted to the caffeine..like her mom.
- My ridiculous Triple D's aren't Triple Z's
- I can wear a T-shirt and not worry about flashing my post baby belly when I need to feed.
- When Lucy wakes up on Saturday and screams "FEED ME" at 6 a.m., my husband can go into the kitchen, shake up a bottle, and feed her...all while I dream about going to Hawaii.
- I know exactly how much I'm overfeeding Lucy.
- I never have to discuss nipples, nipple shields, clogged milk ducts, and leaks with anyone.
- My bra doesn't pop open at random, unless I want it to.
- I don't have to worry about getting too attached to breastfeeding...and doing it til my kid is able to stand up and reach my boob.
- I can eat ice cream all day, and only worry about my own nutritional failure.
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