First of all , thanks to my GDM friends and in particular Lave and Anjali for remidning me of this blog:)
I have never really been a SAHM, but the past week, I got a taste of what it feels like. Now I feel very well equipped to give my unsolicited opinions on the same!
I dont know which world I have been living in , claiming how I juggle work and life after work blah blah but SAHM is the TOUGHEST job a mom can do. I am totally in awe and salute each and every one who has chosen to do this. To keep a kid entertained, fed and maintain a house is no joke!! All I did was put on TV and /or put on TV. We read some books for a little while but I kept coming back to TV to suit my needs. Its a good thing I am not a full time at home mom - I see absolutely no benefit from this arrangement for any of us. Simple said in tamil : " Urupudama poyiduvom" :)
On the bright side, I am getting lots of sympathy from hubby dear who is travelling and has left me alone to deal with a sick kid. I have to really use this to my advantage!! A dress maybe?:)
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Parenting. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Parenting lesson 103
Try to finish your potty work at home when u take your toddler out!. Try not to use the public bathroom as much as you can. Read on to see why.
We were at Target last week and I really had to use the restroom, so I took my daughter in as well.
She was at first very curious ( first time in a public bathroom) and then her mouth got ahead of her mind and she started the questions , LOUD and clear
" Mommy what's this? ( pointing to the potty)"
" its mommy's potty"
" OK. What are u doing?"
" Going potty. Can you not talk for 5 min?"
" not talk? OK."
After a second
" mommy U like potty? Sonu also wants to sit on a potty"
She then bends to look at the adjacent restroom and goes:
" mommy what's that"
" Another restroom sonu"
" I want to go another restroom, sonu likes it. Sonu wants to go NOW mommy"
I was so ready to vanish into thin air right there!
Have you had such experiences? Share them so I feel better please:)
We were at Target last week and I really had to use the restroom, so I took my daughter in as well.
She was at first very curious ( first time in a public bathroom) and then her mouth got ahead of her mind and she started the questions , LOUD and clear
" Mommy what's this? ( pointing to the potty)"
" its mommy's potty"
" OK. What are u doing?"
" Going potty. Can you not talk for 5 min?"
" not talk? OK."
After a second
" mommy U like potty? Sonu also wants to sit on a potty"
She then bends to look at the adjacent restroom and goes:
" mommy what's that"
" Another restroom sonu"
" I want to go another restroom, sonu likes it. Sonu wants to go NOW mommy"
I was so ready to vanish into thin air right there!
Have you had such experiences? Share them so I feel better please:)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Take your child to work...
...or not.
My office had a " take your child to work day" yesterday. Most activities were tailored for kids 7-13 yrs of age, but on my admin insisting that it would be " cool" to bring sonali in for lunch, I decided to take her in.
I took her in the morning under the assumption that its only a few hours until lunch and she will be very excited seeing new faces, new gadgets and so on. Everytime I make an assumption about my daughter these days, she finds a way to disprove it. She did very well this time too. To begin with, she would not look at anyone or talk to anyone. A cheerful " hi cutie" was met with a sideward glance in the opposite direction and dead silence. Needless to say, the cheerful HIs stopped after a while.
I gave her a piece of paper and some crayons and put her on a chair near mine at my desk. She was excited and so was I. It lasted for exactly 7 minutes. Then I gave her an unused keyboard and some tissue paper and my daughter got very busy wiping down the keyboard, then my desk, then my mouse, then the keyboard I was using and finally she wanted to clean my nose with the same tissue. No she did not give me a choice.. I had to oblige.
She was bored again after her cleaning spree. So I put the headphones on her and opened a tiny window and started playing some youtube rhymes for her. She sang along with them, without a care in this world. I had to go around apologizing to the folks I share my cube with. Once she figured the headset was too much work and much less fun, she removed it and tried to see if she can break it. So off we went to find something else to do.
I walked around with her a few times, got her back to my desk and put her on the chair again. She stood up in the chair almost immediately , bent down a little and a few seconds later, I heard her voice LOUD and clear : " Amma, Poop". Yes yes, its one of the mistakes of potty training I know!. Anyways, I told not to worry and that I will change her once we get some lunch. She was quiet for a couple of seconds and again went : " Amma Poop, poop, thonu poop ". only louder this time, as if I dint get her message the last time. I think even the guy is the remote corner office heard her.
Now the worst part was that I forgot her diaper bag at home, so I decided to head out and forget lunch. As I was walking out, I saw lunch come in and I was once again coaxed into taking a bite. So I sat there and took the first piece of pizza and started feeding my daughter.
I sat her down in a chair in some empty cube and as I give her the food, she promptly spits it out. As i bend down to clean it, she takes the receiver from the phone and wraps it around herself and starts giggling. She is very surprised I am not smiling at this point, so she does it again to see if I get it this time!!. Then she stands up in the chair and loses balance and starts to fall down. I manage to catch her in time but I could not stop the tears or the loud wailing. Once again the remote corner office guy knows my daughter is hurt.
After some calming down, we go back to eating pizza. This time, she wants to feed herself and since all parenting rules say you got to teach ur kid to be independent, i let her have the plate. She simply took the plate, turned it upside down and dropped everything on the floor. Mommy cleans again, gets a new plate some more pizza and more of the spitting follows. I give up and decide to take her back to her daycare.
As we walk out, she goes : " Poop amma" again and this time also pointing to her back ( Like I dint know where it came from)!! I was so exhausted by noon and felt like I gave birth all over again.
So really, don't let people talk you into being " cool" and bringing your 22 month old to work - especially if it even remotely resembles mine!
Oh and the remote corner office guy is our Vice President. I'll let you know if I have a job on Monday!
My office had a " take your child to work day" yesterday. Most activities were tailored for kids 7-13 yrs of age, but on my admin insisting that it would be " cool" to bring sonali in for lunch, I decided to take her in.
I took her in the morning under the assumption that its only a few hours until lunch and she will be very excited seeing new faces, new gadgets and so on. Everytime I make an assumption about my daughter these days, she finds a way to disprove it. She did very well this time too. To begin with, she would not look at anyone or talk to anyone. A cheerful " hi cutie" was met with a sideward glance in the opposite direction and dead silence. Needless to say, the cheerful HIs stopped after a while.
I gave her a piece of paper and some crayons and put her on a chair near mine at my desk. She was excited and so was I. It lasted for exactly 7 minutes. Then I gave her an unused keyboard and some tissue paper and my daughter got very busy wiping down the keyboard, then my desk, then my mouse, then the keyboard I was using and finally she wanted to clean my nose with the same tissue. No she did not give me a choice.. I had to oblige.
She was bored again after her cleaning spree. So I put the headphones on her and opened a tiny window and started playing some youtube rhymes for her. She sang along with them, without a care in this world. I had to go around apologizing to the folks I share my cube with. Once she figured the headset was too much work and much less fun, she removed it and tried to see if she can break it. So off we went to find something else to do.
I walked around with her a few times, got her back to my desk and put her on the chair again. She stood up in the chair almost immediately , bent down a little and a few seconds later, I heard her voice LOUD and clear : " Amma, Poop". Yes yes, its one of the mistakes of potty training I know!. Anyways, I told not to worry and that I will change her once we get some lunch. She was quiet for a couple of seconds and again went : " Amma Poop, poop, thonu poop ". only louder this time, as if I dint get her message the last time. I think even the guy is the remote corner office heard her.
Now the worst part was that I forgot her diaper bag at home, so I decided to head out and forget lunch. As I was walking out, I saw lunch come in and I was once again coaxed into taking a bite. So I sat there and took the first piece of pizza and started feeding my daughter.
I sat her down in a chair in some empty cube and as I give her the food, she promptly spits it out. As i bend down to clean it, she takes the receiver from the phone and wraps it around herself and starts giggling. She is very surprised I am not smiling at this point, so she does it again to see if I get it this time!!. Then she stands up in the chair and loses balance and starts to fall down. I manage to catch her in time but I could not stop the tears or the loud wailing. Once again the remote corner office guy knows my daughter is hurt.
After some calming down, we go back to eating pizza. This time, she wants to feed herself and since all parenting rules say you got to teach ur kid to be independent, i let her have the plate. She simply took the plate, turned it upside down and dropped everything on the floor. Mommy cleans again, gets a new plate some more pizza and more of the spitting follows. I give up and decide to take her back to her daycare.
As we walk out, she goes : " Poop amma" again and this time also pointing to her back ( Like I dint know where it came from)!! I was so exhausted by noon and felt like I gave birth all over again.
So really, don't let people talk you into being " cool" and bringing your 22 month old to work - especially if it even remotely resembles mine!
Oh and the remote corner office guy is our Vice President. I'll let you know if I have a job on Monday!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Parenting Lesson 102
" When you give a timeout to your child, make sure you give one for your husband "
My daughter has progressed from the no-biting stage to the sure-beating stage. Now that we have taken care of that no-biting thing with Stern NOs and 2 second timeouts, she needs a new way to express her excitement. She decided to start beating. Again, we are the privileged ones for the most part.. but sometimes she has a soft spot for friends of ours she likes and they suffer too:)
The beating is something I really need to control so I get very strict with her. I immediately put her down, keep my face still and give her that Look and say NO. She stares at me for a minute , wondering if I will change my expression and I don't move. As she pouts her lips, her dad comes running to her, swoops her up and starts to pacify her. Worse yet, he also makes her laugh and what does she do again? Yes she gives him a good beating. I don't stop her now because I think this one is worth it!!
If mommy tries to discipline her and daddy comes to her rescue every time,, she is really not going to get anything out of it. Every time I tell her not to do something and she doesn't like it, she will go running to daddy and knows she can get away with it.
So I have decided that every time sonali will likely get a timeout, I will first put my husband to a timeout room and chair and then handle my baby. Preferably lock him in there and maybe even go shopping:) Ok now my evil mind is working.. so I'll stop.
My daughter has progressed from the no-biting stage to the sure-beating stage. Now that we have taken care of that no-biting thing with Stern NOs and 2 second timeouts, she needs a new way to express her excitement. She decided to start beating. Again, we are the privileged ones for the most part.. but sometimes she has a soft spot for friends of ours she likes and they suffer too:)
The beating is something I really need to control so I get very strict with her. I immediately put her down, keep my face still and give her that Look and say NO. She stares at me for a minute , wondering if I will change my expression and I don't move. As she pouts her lips, her dad comes running to her, swoops her up and starts to pacify her. Worse yet, he also makes her laugh and what does she do again? Yes she gives him a good beating. I don't stop her now because I think this one is worth it!!
If mommy tries to discipline her and daddy comes to her rescue every time,, she is really not going to get anything out of it. Every time I tell her not to do something and she doesn't like it, she will go running to daddy and knows she can get away with it.
So I have decided that every time sonali will likely get a timeout, I will first put my husband to a timeout room and chair and then handle my baby. Preferably lock him in there and maybe even go shopping:) Ok now my evil mind is working.. so I'll stop.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Good mommy?
My daughter is 19 mos old now so I am kind of expected to be an expertise in baby raising for the first 19 mos, and everything that has to do with it!. I, unfortunately don't think I live up to those expected standards.
A lot of my friends are pregnant and they want to know many many things and I understand that since I have been there. Totally. I would not hesitate to ask a stranger at my daughter's future daycare if they liked size1 or size 2 diapers!
But when the very same questions are posed to me, I go blank.
" Did you use preemie diapers or the regular ones from day one?"
----hmm, maybe preemie, wait.. maybe size 1. just try one of both
" Do you remember the day your baby had her first solids?"
----I think i can get that from our camera. I have a pic.. it was around 4-5 mos!....
" what did you give her?"
----the usual
"hmm like what?"
---- I think its best to go with ur Doc's advice.
" How was her poop for the first few days? How much would she go?"
----not sure, but certainly ask my husband -bet he took some measurements:)
" What was her first word, when did she start recognizing you? when did she blink her eyelid? when did she first smile......"
----I wasn't blogging back then, so I really DON'T KNOW!
These are the times I feel the need to assert myself. As far as I have heard, mommies remember every little detail ( even the poopy ones), but the fact is I don't!. The surprising fact is also that I do not mind it at all. I really don't think I need to remember every little fact to be a good mommy. I I love my daughter and she knows that and I'll be there for her always!. Phew! Felt good to re-affirm that:)
Having said that, I also admire moms who do remember all that. It shows their attention to detail and their memory power... but not necessarily their power of affection over moms like me.
My friend A asked me a question last week( I can't even remember the question now:)) but needless to say I dint know the answer. She was really sweet and said : " Don't worry, you don't need to remember everything". Thank her for that rule!
The next time someone asks me and I know what to say, I am going to challenge them to get an answer from my husband!. Then they'll see how cognizant I am.
A lot of my friends are pregnant and they want to know many many things and I understand that since I have been there. Totally. I would not hesitate to ask a stranger at my daughter's future daycare if they liked size1 or size 2 diapers!
But when the very same questions are posed to me, I go blank.
" Did you use preemie diapers or the regular ones from day one?"
----hmm, maybe preemie, wait.. maybe size 1. just try one of both
" Do you remember the day your baby had her first solids?"
----I think i can get that from our camera. I have a pic.. it was around 4-5 mos!....
" what did you give her?"
----the usual
"hmm like what?"
---- I think its best to go with ur Doc's advice.
" How was her poop for the first few days? How much would she go?"
----not sure, but certainly ask my husband -bet he took some measurements:)
" What was her first word, when did she start recognizing you? when did she blink her eyelid? when did she first smile......"
----I wasn't blogging back then, so I really DON'T KNOW!
These are the times I feel the need to assert myself. As far as I have heard, mommies remember every little detail ( even the poopy ones), but the fact is I don't!. The surprising fact is also that I do not mind it at all. I really don't think I need to remember every little fact to be a good mommy. I I love my daughter and she knows that and I'll be there for her always!. Phew! Felt good to re-affirm that:)
Having said that, I also admire moms who do remember all that. It shows their attention to detail and their memory power... but not necessarily their power of affection over moms like me.
My friend A asked me a question last week( I can't even remember the question now:)) but needless to say I dint know the answer. She was really sweet and said : " Don't worry, you don't need to remember everything". Thank her for that rule!
The next time someone asks me and I know what to say, I am going to challenge them to get an answer from my husband!. Then they'll see how cognizant I am.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Man, Woman and Baby
If you are a baby, you can get away with many things in life!. You are very cute even for the silly things you do, no one wants to berate you or beat you, you are the apple of everyone's eye and you can eat as much as you want without worrying about your weight.
The problem is when Men think they are like babies, or want to be treated like one.
Baby : Drops an entire pack of cheerios on the floor moments after woman has cleaned it twice and polished the juice stains left by man earlier during the day.
Man : Follows baby, only its chips this time.
Woman : Sweeps the baby up, blows a million kisses and playfully even congratulates it.
Man : Wondering why he was not treated the same way, but was instead left with broom in hand after a few irate words that matched the tune of chips breaking inside his mouth.
Baby : Bites woman's nose and starts clapping hands
Man : Tries to kiss woman to make it better
Woman : says oooooooooh to the baby, another million kisses, claps along with the baby and walks away
Man : Wondering why he got a book to read on Post partum depression, along with a bite on his nose
Baby : Kicks woman on her face, arms, tummy in the bed
Man : Touches woman with little finger to attempt a massage
Woman : Holds the baby, cajoles for sometime, million kisses again, wraps baby in blanket, sings and puts the baby right next to her
Man : Wondering why he is in the other room on the floor, with the postpartum book again and this time a few lines highlighted in Bold.
Baby : Stares at ceiling, kicks hands and legs and giggles endlessly
Man : Stares at TV, giggles at the comedy channel
Woman : Claps her hands, million kisses again and keeps taking pictures and encourages baby to giggle at nothing.
Man : Wondering why he is in the kitchen, with a cookery book, a spatula and the postpartum book
Baby : Screams at the top of its voice for Milk, or maybe diaper change or maybe nothing
Man : Asks to pass the dessert a little closer to him on the table
Woman : Pleads with the baby, Dances to the baby, feeds baby , cleans after baby throws food, million kisses again
Man : Really wondering why he is sitting in the garage with his dog sympathizing with him, postpartum book in its mouth
Baby : Soils the brand new silk duvet on the bed
Man : does nothing
Woman : Cleans baby, cleans cover, puts new cover, million kisses, sings to baby, covers baby in blanket and puts it on the same bed again.
Man : Has absolutely no idea why he is locked in the bathroom with a "Dont even think about it" note stuck on the post partum book.
The problem is when Men think they are like babies, or want to be treated like one.
Baby : Drops an entire pack of cheerios on the floor moments after woman has cleaned it twice and polished the juice stains left by man earlier during the day.
Man : Follows baby, only its chips this time.
Woman : Sweeps the baby up, blows a million kisses and playfully even congratulates it.
Man : Wondering why he was not treated the same way, but was instead left with broom in hand after a few irate words that matched the tune of chips breaking inside his mouth.
Baby : Bites woman's nose and starts clapping hands
Man : Tries to kiss woman to make it better
Woman : says oooooooooh to the baby, another million kisses, claps along with the baby and walks away
Man : Wondering why he got a book to read on Post partum depression, along with a bite on his nose
Baby : Kicks woman on her face, arms, tummy in the bed
Man : Touches woman with little finger to attempt a massage
Woman : Holds the baby, cajoles for sometime, million kisses again, wraps baby in blanket, sings and puts the baby right next to her
Man : Wondering why he is in the other room on the floor, with the postpartum book again and this time a few lines highlighted in Bold.
Baby : Stares at ceiling, kicks hands and legs and giggles endlessly
Man : Stares at TV, giggles at the comedy channel
Woman : Claps her hands, million kisses again and keeps taking pictures and encourages baby to giggle at nothing.
Man : Wondering why he is in the kitchen, with a cookery book, a spatula and the postpartum book
Baby : Screams at the top of its voice for Milk, or maybe diaper change or maybe nothing
Man : Asks to pass the dessert a little closer to him on the table
Woman : Pleads with the baby, Dances to the baby, feeds baby , cleans after baby throws food, million kisses again
Man : Really wondering why he is sitting in the garage with his dog sympathizing with him, postpartum book in its mouth
Baby : Soils the brand new silk duvet on the bed
Man : does nothing
Woman : Cleans baby, cleans cover, puts new cover, million kisses, sings to baby, covers baby in blanket and puts it on the same bed again.
Man : Has absolutely no idea why he is locked in the bathroom with a "Dont even think about it" note stuck on the post partum book.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Surprised beyond words
The other day I heard the door bell ring and with my daughter in one hand, and a spatula in the other, I rush to get the door. When I open the door, I see this 6 or maybe 7 year old, dressed immaculately, every strand of hair in place and quite fashionably so.! That to begin with, was quite embrassing for me - I was in my pyjama and my daughter's dress had food all over it!.
The girl then started talking, with both her hands behind her back, one leg slightly in front of the other. You get it? The very professional pose...
She : " Hello Maam, oh wat a beautiful baby"
Me : (Huh?!) " Oh.. th.. thank you"
She : " Maam, we are organizing this event..... blah blah "
Me : ( Look at her style of talking,,, what was I doing when I was this young).
She : "... so we are looking for sponsorships...."
She : " Maam?"
Me : " Yeah I I understand( I had no freaking idea what she was talking about, but my antennas have been well trained to respond to the word " outgoing money" , thanks to my husband)"
Me : " I would love to help you, but I will have to consult with my husband on this. Would it be possible for you to come at a later time?"
She : " Of course Ma'am, I understand. Thanks again. May I say, your baby is adorable"
Me : " Thank you"
That was the first of a kind for me.. a young girl, so precocious.. I could not believe her confidence and maturity.
When I was 6 or 7, I was probably running around trees in my house, playing make believe games with equally ambitious friends of mine:) I dont think I could even get money from my own parents, leave alone strangers!
So , what were you doing at that age?
The girl then started talking, with both her hands behind her back, one leg slightly in front of the other. You get it? The very professional pose...
She : " Hello Maam, oh wat a beautiful baby"
Me : (Huh?!) " Oh.. th.. thank you"
She : " Maam, we are organizing this event..... blah blah "
Me : ( Look at her style of talking,,, what was I doing when I was this young).
She : "... so we are looking for sponsorships...."
She : " Maam?"
Me : " Yeah I I understand( I had no freaking idea what she was talking about, but my antennas have been well trained to respond to the word " outgoing money" , thanks to my husband)"
Me : " I would love to help you, but I will have to consult with my husband on this. Would it be possible for you to come at a later time?"
She : " Of course Ma'am, I understand. Thanks again. May I say, your baby is adorable"
Me : " Thank you"
That was the first of a kind for me.. a young girl, so precocious.. I could not believe her confidence and maturity.
When I was 6 or 7, I was probably running around trees in my house, playing make believe games with equally ambitious friends of mine:) I dont think I could even get money from my own parents, leave alone strangers!
So , what were you doing at that age?
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Mixed emotions?
My 14 month old is now going to transition to the next toddler class at her daycare. When she started daycare around 10 mos, I was so upset every morning after leaving her, since she would cry her heart out as I gave her to the teachers. It tore me apart and some days left me feeling so guilty that I thought I was going to go to my office and write my resignation letter!
She and I have since then grown and gotten used to the infant teachers and feel comfortable. Now I am again worried about the new transition, on how she would cope, if she would cry again for a whole month , if she would eat- what if a bigger kid throws her down and jumps on her? ( note to self : teach her self-defense soon)... and the list goes on and on.
So you might think it would make me feel good if my daughter dint cry when I dropped her off? Oh how mistaken are you... if she jumps into her teacher's arms and gladly waves a bye to me, I probably would be crying more! ... Thoughts of my dear little one not needing mommy anymore would flash in front of me.
Really, I dont know how to deal with this mix of emotions in me:) Oh How i long for the clarity of thought some others possess.!
She and I have since then grown and gotten used to the infant teachers and feel comfortable. Now I am again worried about the new transition, on how she would cope, if she would cry again for a whole month , if she would eat- what if a bigger kid throws her down and jumps on her? ( note to self : teach her self-defense soon)... and the list goes on and on.
So you might think it would make me feel good if my daughter dint cry when I dropped her off? Oh how mistaken are you... if she jumps into her teacher's arms and gladly waves a bye to me, I probably would be crying more! ... Thoughts of my dear little one not needing mommy anymore would flash in front of me.
Really, I dont know how to deal with this mix of emotions in me:) Oh How i long for the clarity of thought some others possess.!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
