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?

dear paci.

dearest soothie,

your green (and later, blue and pink) translucent sheen has covered my middle child's face for long enough. her teeth and palette have grown fond of you - and even made a nice comfy form fitting home for your rubber (is that what it is? lol) shape.

my deepest apologies for cutting a large hole in your tip on saturday, but its tuesday now and it seems sawyer has forgotten about you.

through the tears, sawyer conning to come "downstairs" for a "nack" or to try to play in the "gameroom, peeeese!", and lack of naptimes - i can safely say that im 95% sure we dont need you anymore.

it was hard. it was. sawyer told me you were "broken. need new paci!" at first. but since sawyer has gone to bed without her beloved paci for 2 nights now without a fight, i am confident that naps will continue to go back to normal and that life will resume without you.

sincerely yours,
amanda.



now. for the *how*.

i was tickling sawyer and playing around in our bedroom on sat. she was laughing hard and i look into her mouth and see exactly what that bastard of a paci has done. so that was it :) i had EJ cut a whole in the top of one and only let her have that at bedtime.

it was rough going on sat/sunday nights. we'd have to bring her down and wear her out a bit more (she is not a very good self soother. never has been. she's just the type of kid to settle down MORE if she could have a few mins of time with us alone... then she's good to go back to bed).

monday/tues nights she went to bed perfect. :) so we'll see how it goes. the only things we have to do now is be on the look out for stashed pacis ;) who knows where she has them! lol so i have to catch them before she does!

what are your great paci transition stories? do tell!