Category: parents today

What I Don’t Need

Alarm Clock In my youth, which means before I had kids, I had trouble getting up in the morning. I had to be very careful to set my alarm, or else I would sleep through whatever it was I had to do. Ahhh, youth.

I haven’t set an alarm clock in four and a half years. Surprise surprise, that’s exactly Thing 1’s age.

It is impossible for me to oversleep for anything now. Most days, Thing 3 is my alarm clock. We can’t set the exact time he goes off, but he is sure to be standing in his crib and doing his cock-a-doodle-do (aka crying) sometime between 5-6:15am.

Just in case Thing 3’s wakeup call doesn’t work (not likely), I have backup Plan B – otherwise known as Thing 2. As soon as he wakes up Thing 2 will come into our room and climb into our bed.

So, what happens on those rare occasions, like when I travel for work, when there are no Things to wake me up? Do I go back to my oversleeping youth? Not to worry.

My natural clock has been “readjusted”, from so many years of waking up by 6am, that it is impossible to sleep any later. It’s quite a curse blessing, really. It doesn’t matter how late I go to sleep, I will be up at 6am. Just like the Things.

Parenting Poll Of The Week – Do As I Say Not As I Did

We all have episodes from our past that we may not be proud of. Many are the exact behaviors we tell our kids not to do. Don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t have sex, don’t pierce, don’t get a tattoo.

Luckily for us parents, MySpace, YouTube, and digital cameras weren’t around when we young, so maybe there is no publicly available evidence. But, we still need to decide what, when, and how much to tell our kids about our checkered past.

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Go Dads!

Thanks to dad-to-be James, I just learned about a new site called BabySpot for sharing photos and videos of your baby.

Parents from all over the world congregate here to share their child’s baby pictures, offer parenting tips & tricks through parenting blogs, and to meet new people and share family stories on their family blog.

And the best part is it was started by dads. Imagine that, fathers excited, interested, and involved with their babies!

TV Turn Off Week? Not A Chance

This week is National Turn Off Your TV Week.

Turning off the television gives us a chance to think, read, create, and do. To connect with our families and engage in our communities. To turn off TV and turn on life.

A nice thought, but I don’t think I could make it. Well, maybe a few weekdays, since I don’t watch much TV during the week. Usually I can barely stay up 30 minutes later than the kids, which doesn’t leave much time for TV. But on a weekend!? We need at least a few shows on the Disney Channel, or a movie or two to help smooth over the rough spots.

I just did battle with a not-quite-three-year-old for 30 minutes, trying to get him to take a bath after no naps the entire weekend. Did I plop him in front of the TV for 25 minutes to watch Mickey Mouse afterwards? You bet. Was it the only time today he went without a tantrum for 25 minutes? You bet. It helps him transition to bed.

I know, I know. I’m a terrible parent. Whatever. For what it’s worth, I watched way more TV when I was a kid, and I think I turned out fine. And what I watched wasn’t nearly as educational as what they see. Remember Tom and Jerry? I showed it to my kids this weekend and they absolutely loved it. Seeing it now, it’s a little on the violent side. Not to mention the political incorrectness.

Needless to say, there will be no National TV Turn Off Week in my house.

Unexpectedly Hot Parenting Topic

Wow! My parenting poll from last week about leaving children unattended in cars, touched off a firestorm of discussion.

I must say, I didn’t realize this was such a hot topic. I also wasn’t aware of some of the tragic incidents which have taken place across the country. I want to thank Andrea and Jason for their impassioned comments.

Some of the incidents on Kids and Cars are as hard to believe as they are tragic. Some are freak occurrences. Some are adults acting very stupid, like just plain forgetting a kid is in the backseat.

I think this boils down to awareness and common sense. Being aware of the dangers is important. I am now more aware of some of the things which can happen to kids left alone in cars. It’s similar to the warnings we are given about bathtubs and swimming pools. Don’t leave a child unattended. A kid can drown in very little water. Hearing these warnings over and over helps raise awareness.

But freak accidents can occur anywhere. When you leave the room to answer the phone. When you are making dinner in the kitchen. Riding a bike. You can’t keep your eyes and hands on your kids 24/7.

When I think about all the potential dangers out there, and when I see my kids doing some of the things they do (jumping off stuff, running full speed without looking), it makes me paranoid. And my oldest is only four and a half. What happens when they are older? Jumping off higher stuff. Riding skateboards. Driving a car. Yikes!

30 Trapezoids

As a parent, you often find yourself doing things which to the casual observer would seem ridiculous. But, to you, there is a very logical, rational explanation.

Case in point: Tonight, I had to draw 30 trapezoids on a piece of paper before Thing 1 would go to bed. Seem a little strange? Not at all.

We’ve been using potty charts with good results. Each successful potty trip results in a sticker on the chart. Fill up the chart and the reward is a trip to the toy store. The charts get bigger each time, so more stickers are required to fill them up.

So, where do the trapezoids come in?

Each time we use different shapes on the chart. This time, Thing 1 decided he wanted to have trapezoids. Since it would take forever for him to draw so many trapezoids (we are up to 30), I did it. Then he puts in the numbers.

Like I said. Perfectly, logical reason.

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Routine Not Just For Kids

With three kids 4 and under, I am well aware of the importance of routine. Kids thrive on knowing what to expect and when to expect it.

My days are like the movie Groundhog Day. The same exact routine over and over. Not necessarily bad, just very predictable.

The last few days my routine has changed. I’ve been on the west coast for work, staying in a hotel, eating in nice restaurants, and staying up late (for me).

Incidently, a nice restaurant is defined as no chicken nuggets or mac n cheese on the menu.

What I have discovered is that I really miss my routine. I miss Thing 2’s 5:30 wakeup call (sort of). I miss the crazy morning rush to get everyone out the door at 7am. And I miss the relief and quiet after all the kids are in bed, then recalling the Things’ antics of the day with SuburbanMommy.

Tomorrow is groundhog day, and I’m glad.