Monday, October 22, 2007

Confessions of a Modern Mama

Cinderella was bottle-fed and tried solid foods at 4 months old.

Sleeping Beauty is breastfed; she is 5 months old and has yet to try solid food.

I am completely comfortable with nursing her in public.

I nurse/rock/sing Sleeping Beauty to sleep. I did the same with Cinderella, minus the nursing.

Cinderella sleeps just fine on her own now, thank you very much.

I co-slept with my girls for a few months after they were born.

Sleeping Beauty still naps in my bed.

I use paper diapers, preferably Pampers, but Kirkland is good, too.

I use commercial baby food, though I will make some of my own this time.

I try to limit TV time to one movie a week for Cinderella, ideally.

I went back to work 5 months after Cinderella was born; she came to work with me and a few ladies took turns watching her for me while I worked mornings. The next year I went back to work full time for 2 years.

Cinderella spent 2 years in full-time daycare in someone's home. She thrived in daycare!

I am currently homeschooling her for preschool.

She will go to a public school for kindergarten.

I taught Cinderella delayed gratification. Because of it, she can wait days for something promised to her.

I do NOT let my babies cry themselves to sleep. I can't do it. I couldn't with Cinderella and I don't even try with Sleeping Beauty (not that I let Cinderella do it for more than 10 minutes).

I wear my babies.

I am okay with hand-me-downs.

I immunize, but I don't do flu shots.

I try to avoid medicine for the girls, but have no problem using it.

I have used Benedryl on Cinderella while traveling, but only when she was sick.

I use household cleaners, but not when the girls are around.

I have overstressed the importance of being aware of dangers; because of this, I can completely trust Cinderella to be by herself, even in the front yard (don't worry; I don't leave her alone in the front yard, but I could). Despite this training, she is not timid; she is cautious.

I let Cinderella choose her own clothes for the day, even if that means pairing a purple Easter dress with striped pink tights.

I have no problem dressing Sleeping Beauty in blue.

I have no problem dressing my girls differently, though I'm not opposed to matching outfits.

I limit Cinderella's sugar intake and make her eat fruits and veggies.

I don't cater to Cinderella's food tastes. She eats what I eat, unless it's too spicy; only then will I make her something else to eat.

If she doesn't finish her dinner, she gets it for breakfast.

I use "time out" as a punishment, though I do spank on occasion (I threaten it more than I perform it, and I don't threaten it very often). No, I don't beat my child; it is done in love (threaten, question, perform, question again, hug/cuddle). I have spanked in anger before.

Cinderella plays with Barbies, and I'm okay with this.

3 comments:

  1. If I had read this list two years ago, it really wouldn't have made any sense at all. Now, with a 19-month-old, I get it. I really get it.

    Confessions are hard. Confessions are fascinating. Confessions are good.

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  2. Sweet, we totally have to get together! I agree with everything on your list! Well, other than the co-sleeping since I am a light sleeper and my boy is a LOUD sleeper! so that wouldn't have worked, plus (my confession?) I slept with a teddy bear until I got married and I would usually just sleep on it so I was afraid I would do the same with the baby.

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  3. Just curious...why did you not breastfeed the first one and did the 2nd one? Also curious why your are homeschooling now but going to public school next year. We have done both and I prefer the former.

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