Thursday, July 22, 2010

things i don't care or stress about.

when reading things online sometimes, i wonder how more mothers around the U.S. arent dying of heart attacks or having stress hernias or something. the questions seem like the answer should be "don't worry/stress about it", but i understand there is comfort in knowing "someone else has been there. it will be okay".

and, as we all know, i DO get riled up about a few things. but this post isn't for that.

these are the things i really don't care about or simply cannot stress about.

1. my kid not eating a meal. please refer to this post about food consumption in this household. i truly do not care if they are not hungry. if i make their fave meal and they still won't eat? ok then - i will bet you they'll eat breakfast... or lunch the next day. they will not forfeit food for the rest of their lives and slowly starve. its just not the case. relax - if your kid only eats 1 meal a day or only grazes the rest of the time - he'll likely make up for later.

2. most fevers. unless it is absolutely ridiculously high OR my kid is acting lethargic/not their normal sick type self - then motrin and baths are my friend. and letting them sleep. there's only been one time where i truly worried about a 103 fever and thats bc aidan was just not acting normal. we went to the hospital *just in case*. of course she was fine, and i have no qualms about doing whats necessary, BUT i see a lot of times people getting VERY stressed over 101. and, in my experience, that needs nothing more than hugs, kisses, and motrin ;)

3. what size other kids are wearing. this is the strangest q to me online. why do i care that your kid wears a size 10 shoe and mine wears a 6 or 7? why do i care that your kid wears 2T pants and 3T shirts? oh. right. i dont'. and ironically enough, i still answer those threads. i mean you *must* care what MY child is wearing, right? lol

4. how many words my kid has. unless they are 18 months and it is ZERO. its just not something i stress about. yes, sawyer is a good talker. i rarely do not understand her. she has a word for everything and says 2-3 word sentences.

but aidan was not like that. aidan had words. but she had her own language til 2 and slightly after. and SHE knew what she was saying bc if i said "what?" she'd repeat it all over again. total gibberish with a few real words thrown in. lol then between 2 and 2.5 that gibberish turned into words! ta-da! that was it! :)

before people rail on the fact that EI is important (which i dont disagree with) - im hardly saying that all situations are unstress-worthy, but for me they are. but i think sometimes when parents of one year olds FREAK OUT bc their kid "only has 3 words!!" or "my 18 month old has x amount of words and the pedi said she should have x + 5!!! what do i do?!" i think its slightly ridiculous.

5. bottles and pacis gone at a year. we all know that i JUST got rid of sawyer's paci. and as for bottles - i see them no different than as a device to drink liquid from. i think its downright mean to tell a kid whose had bottles for a year "hey, you had your birthday - i'll be taking that!!" some kids get attached and a bottle becomes their lovey - you don't have to put milk in it - put water in it! lol no kid will go to kindy with a bottle.

6. bumps, bruises, vaccines, etc. maybe im a cold, heartless mom, but i do not cry when my kids bump their heads or have to get a shot. i dont cry if they trip outside. i give lots of hugs and smooches, maybe some special treat, a sweet band-aid and we get back up and play some more. when we're at the dr's office and my kid has to get a vax or something like that - i feel bad, but tears? no.

oh and let me add an addendum to the tears concept. i also dont cry on birthdays.

7. how long my kids sleep. the "is this normal? my kid slept til 10!" questions are so funny. be happy your kid likes to sleep. unless my kids are sleeping something ridiculous like 20 hours a day - they are welcome to be lazy as long as we aren't going anywhere. but sawyer goes to bed at like 730 and sometimes wakes up at 9 or later. AND she takes a nap. ;) some kids like sleep!

ok. so there's 7. seven things i dont care/stress about. :) im sure there's more. what is on your list?

10 comments:

  1. I heart you - I agree with it all and can only imagine the flack I'm going to receive as a parent. We were on vacation last week and my SIL's 15 month old is running around bumping into stuff. Sometimes he'd fall down. I'd pick him up and say "there ya go." He kept on running. If his mother or my MIL were around, they'd stop everything, pick him up...are you okay? He'd start crying. I mean seriously people...why try to exaggerate the madness. It's unnecessary.

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  2. oh ashley :) i cant wait til youre a momma!! lol

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  3. You not what I don't stress about that I know drives people crazy...My son playing with his sisters toys. I'm just glad that he takes the time to play kitchen, dolls and barbies with her. What matters is that they are bonding and getting along. So yes my eight year old son plays babies and guess what it doesn't stress me out one bit! I also don't care that my daughter dresses up in her brothers Flash costume.

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  4. haha faren. i understand. thats another thing thats asked a lot - "would you let your son...."

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  5. i just wanna say, i love this blog!!!!!

    i don't care that my kid wasn't potty trained until she was a bit over 2 1/2. IMO, that is normal. the kids that are trained earlier than that are having more accidents and still wearing diapers at night or during naps for a long time, while my 2 1/2 year old was PT 100% in just a few days with no stress.

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  6. omg jilly. that was the one thing i didnt add!! it went the EXACT SAME WAY for us. i waited with aidan and she was PTd, basically on her own, in a wkend.

    although i will say - night training (which i just learned) is not really physical. some kids sleep too soundly. BUT PTing your 15 mo old bc "LOOKY WHAT HE CAN DO!!" is dumb. lol

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  7. I love love love this post.

    I get awful stares from other moms at the pool/playground, etc.

    My kid is going to be knocked down and get right back up. Their kid is going to look around for mommy to make it all better, even at age 15!

    Before I had B, I thought I'd be the overprotective mom. Now, I sometimes feel guilty that I don't "baby" him more.

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  8. haha yeah. luckily most of the moms i see often are the same as me "youre okay! big hug!! now go have fun!"

    or i put bandaids on for fun. that helps too. ;)

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  9. A men.

    Let's ask the real questions and stress about the important stuff..college, major health issues, etc.

    I don't have time for ulcers. I already have arthritis, one health problem at a time people.

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  10. haha exactly carol. really that someone asked the other day "how many wipes do you use when your kid poops?"

    REALLY?!

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