Gone are the days when it was all about you.
If you have a hard time not being the center or your own world you will have a tough time adjusting to parenthood. Here is a glimpse into the world of endless need and “gimme, gimme”.
My son is almost two and yes, he still nurses to sleep and drinks whole milk throughout the day. We recently started giving him the same meals we eat for dinner. I used to modify it for him because I figured he needed more nutrients, then I realized we were pretty much eating the same thing and that he kept leaning over for Jeff’s plate. A sure sign that he was ready to eat just like us. But mealtime is usually the easiest.
Dealing With A Child’s Needs
Some days are tough, and all I want to do is fast-forward everything and pretend the day just flew. But I know that dealing with a toddler means literally just dealing with it. I love being his mom, but there are moments when I have to take on several roles. His friend, his favorite toy, his bottle (at feeding time), his teacher and entertainment. Occasionally, Sebastian takes one nap a day. That is when I get less done and there is a happy, tired baby waiting to greet Jeff or already sleeping while I binge on snacks to stay awake. Some people suggest getting on the coffee diet, but I have not had a cup of coffee since I was about 8. I know, what was I doing drinking coffee at such a young age. Ask my Hispanic parents.
I had been feeling sluggish the last month or so and I decided to get back to my vitamins. Although I am still taking prenatals, I have decided to go back to Vit B12, folic acid, and Vit C as well. Slowly but surely I have been able to regain my strength. Hopefully, this just means I need to exercise and be a little more active. Sounds like an oxymoron since I hang out with a toddler and a Siberian husky all day. 😉
My son requires my full attention when he is awake. There are moments I give in to his cries and let him go through my hair appliances under the bathroom sink. I know he will not hurt himself and just likes to pretend the blow dryer is on — nothing wrong with having an imagination, right?
Other times I have to keep an eye on him with the bathroom drawer where we keep our brushes and combs just to make sure there are no shape objects like disposable razors.
“Family First, Always!”
My motto since becoming a parent has been “family first, always” and that is something I have had to remind myself from time to time. Because, after all, there will be moments when all you want to do is shower but your child needs you to go and shoot some hoops in their Step2 basketball toy. It happens. And when it does, I have to remind myself that I could either shower and hear him cry or stay smelly and play. Well, why not satisfy both?
There are times I have to think about it logically. Using the same example of my son wanting to shoot hoops when I feel I really need a shower, I like to do the following:
Discuss. My little guy understands way more than I think he does, and whenever I explain to him why we cannot do what he wants at the moment he pretty much calms down right away. But there are moments when I have to take a different routine.
Redirect attention. If he is having one of his tantrums, I explain why he should not act that way over not being able to do what he wants. If he threw something I have him pick it up and hand it to me. I hand him something else to play with and keep him busy while I sneak away for a shower.
Hold off. Because few things in life require you to react right away, I hold off on showering for at least 5-10 minutes until my little guy is busy playing on his own and go about with my day.
Keep him around. Most times Sebastian just does not want to feel alone, so I leave the shower door open and talk to him and play peek-a-boo or make funny faces so he laughs. Hey, it works, and I am not complaining!