What is it with these parents that pratically wrap their kids in bubble wrap before they send them out to play? Or better yet, before they hover about nervously as their children attempt to play without actually getting dirty, bruised, mosquito bitten, or sweaty? I am somwhat nervous when my daughter attempts to climb soemthing new for the first time, or if she wanders too far away without my knowledge at the playground, but other than that, I let her have at it. Kinds need to get dirty and sweaty and fall down at times. It's part of childhood. If I hang around my kid giving her dire warnings and saying no every time she wants to do something physical all I'm gonna do is teach her to be afraid of everything and not have the confidence to set out on her own to try new things.


I do want my child to be safe, but I also want her to experience all that being a child has to offer. I will teach her caution and wariness but I won't take away the reckless abandon that comes with childhood. That will get taken away from her soon enough as it is, why should she remember mom as the one who did it?

Kids need a cetain amount of germs and dirt to keep them "healthy" so to speak. We as americans seem to have forgotten that. I point out americans only becasue of my own observations. I live in a city with a very diverse cultural atmosphere. There are families here from all over the globe and it seems that only the moms from north America hoover so protectivly around their kids. Other cultures seem to still understand the value of letting kids be kids and I believe we could take a lesson from them. These families do not love their children any more or less than we but they seem to not have forgotten what it is to be a child. To climb and run and jump. To yell and fall and role in the dirt or get splashed by the fountain and get grass tains on their clothes is not the end of the world. I have no problem letting my daughter come home from the park with dirt under her fingernails and on the seat of her pants. When I see her sweaty little head running towards me and see that smear of dirt on her cheek it always makes me smile.

If I want your opinion I'll ask for it!

I find it very interesting how people are always trying to tell me how I should be raising my child or what I need to be doing to insure her well being. I understand that sometimes it is just advice and often solicited by me in the first place. What really gets me are the people who are always insinuating that you don't know what youa re doing and that they could do it so much better than you are. I would bet that everyone reading this has on or two of those people in their lives. Its the person who innocently says "shouldn't she have a hat one?" or " oh baby it's so cold out there. Didn't your mommy bring any gloves?". Or a million other phrases said in that tone we all know and dread. This is the voice of someone who doesn't say it but in their own passive aggressive way is telling you what and idiot you are and that they are a much better parent than you are. I have someone like that in my life and it makes me totally insane.


Let me just say that my daughter is 2 1/2 and she is still alive and we have NEVER had a trip to the emergency room, larges amount of bloodshed or criticle head injury. She is still alive and as far as I can tell she is thriving. I have managed to keep her alive this long so I would have to guess that I am doing a pretty good job. She has never lost a finger or toe to frostbite, never had an ear infection, case of the flu or even pinkeye for that matter. So I will take that as a sign the she is healthy. As far as happy....well thats is for her and her therapist to decide when she is older.


When I found out I was pregnant I was devestated. I did not want to raise children. I thought I would be a terrible mother and i had no desire to be one in the first place. Even when I finally came around to the idea of being a mom and was excited and happy be in this state I alot of apprehension about my ability to be the kind of mom I wanted to be for my daughter. The last thing I needed was someone in my immediate circle making me feel less the adequate by all the aside comments and insinuations that I was doing it all wrong.


Everyone good parent(one who doesn't need child services called on them), and there are thousands upon thousands of you out there, has their own way of raising a kid and no one way is right or wrong. Parenthood is hard enough without someone always making you feel like you are doing it wrong. Lets just all try to support each other and keep our judgments and comments about "well this is how I did it" to ourselves unless solicited. And even then I would have to say that we should think carefully and not be too quick to speak. Parenthood is the hardest job out there and we need all the support we can get.

Little Stinker

I really can't believe my kid is still sleeping. It is now 8:03 a.m. and for more than a week Sofie has been getting up before 6:30 a.m. and coming into the bedroom to announce that she is awake. Thanks. I couldn't have figured that out by the sound of her little feet plodding into my room. I am half womdering if I should check on her just to make sure she is ok, but the other half is saying "let her sleep. You get some quiet time to do what you want to do." I'm torn. The guilty mom part of me says " well what is something is wrong". The enjoy your freedom side says "you've kept her alive this long. What could happen." Really what's a mom to do. Guess I better go check.......ok, she's awake now. Dang there goes my free time.


Seriously though, this kid has been so stinky lately. I don't know if it's been too much $10 a pound french cheese or what but she has had the worst gass for a 2 year old. And by the way, not smart to get your kid addicted to expensive french cheese. To costly to feed a growing toddler like that. Keep that tone in your memory files for future reference if you have a cheese hound like I do. The bad part about her having a bad case of toddler flatulence is that as I mentioned before, Sofie thinks there is nothing funnier than a fart. Especially if it comes from her. She has no opposition to letting me and anyone within ear shot know that she has tooted. It doesn't matter if we are at home, the playground, the grocery store, or worse; church. She takes great pride in telling us when she farts. Sometimes I am a bit embarassed but most of the time I have to admit that I do what all parenting books say not to in those situations, I laugh, or at least snicker a bit which of course only encourages her more. I guess it is a genetic thing becasue I too grew up thinking farts are funny due to my parents encouragement by saying "good one" whenever we ripped one. Or they would just laugh out right like I do with my daughter so I guess we can leave that one up to the nature nurture debate.

Tired

I cant believe that a tiny little 2 year old can make me feel so exhausted I can hardly keep my eyes open as I write this. I know I was tired when she was a newborn but come on! When does it end? My daughter can be on the go non stop from the time she wakes up until she goes to bed for the night. Minus the still necessary afternoon nap of course(mommy would be in a straight jacket some place that does electroshock therapy if not for the nap). Then there is the ever present narration a of all our daily activities in addition to the non stop questions and just general babble that comes from a 2 year old. Is it wrong to long for the 8 pm bed time when it's only 2 in the afternoon?

But really it's not all bad. My daughter has a keen sense of humor for her age. She has great comic timing and she knows just the right moment to let loose with some potty humor such as a gigantic fart. It's usually when she is naked after bath time and I have her standing on the changing table so I can better apply her lotion. And it's usually at the point where her rear end is facing me. Then she happily announce with a laugh " I farted momma". Really? I couldnt tell by the dirty diaper smell right in my face. The kid has potential in the comic aren. She also finds it extremely funny to sit on my lap and smoosh my breasts with her hands as she says "boobies, boobies, momma's boobies".

Well that's all for now. My momnesia is kicking in and I need to go to bed. Good night world!