Try not to sweat the small stuff.
My whole life, I couldn't WAIT to have a daughter so I could dress her up in cotton miss-matchy tights, cute dresses and skirts, do her hair and paint her nails! Unfortunately, I didn't realize my daughter would be born with the stubbornness and determination of a bull. These are great qualities and I love them about her. Even when she wears dirty pants, has boogers dripping from her nose and her hair is hanging in her face. Is she smiling? Yes. Then sigh, and laugh about it.
"Me" time doesn't always have to mean sitting on your butt doing nothing.
You can squeeze in 'me' time. Even when that means you will be sweating and feeling incredibly uncomfortable in a lunge position at the gym. Its worth it. Tuning out to your music and not being asked to do anything for anyone (besides yourself) for an hour and half ? Sounds good to me. Not only that but your mood will be happier, you'll sleep better and you'll be a better parent because of it. Period.
Date nights are overrated.
All I've been hearing about since becoming a parent is "get out without the kids, date nights are so important"....Really? Are they? I think alone time with your spouse is important yes, but date nights? Who wants to get all dolled up in clothes that are too tight, go out late when you are already exhausted, come home late just to get up at 6am the next morning, have someone else read your kids a bedtime story, tuck them in and kiss them goodnight? No thanks. I'm much more into "Family Days" rather than "Date Nights". My husband and I have a few hours after the kids are in bed to watch our favorite shows together, chat about our day and share a dessert the kids aren't allowed to have. That's all we really need. Time together.
If you want something done, write a letter.
A well thought out LETTER. Not rant. Something with facts to back up your rant. I mean point. Make sure it goes to the highest up along with their assistant and whoever else has the power to give you what you want.
Kids actions aren't always the product of bad parenting.
Sometimes when a kid hits your kid, pulls their hair or bites them its not because the parent is a bad parent. Sometimes the kid is going through an awful faze and the most they can do is reprimand him consistently. Sometimes its because the kid is too young to understand consequences and those one kid parents need to get over it. If your kid doesn't get pushed or hit at least once on the playground how will they learn consequences, apologies and boundaries?
"Mommy, my tummy hurts".
On the list of top 10 WORST words a mother can ever hear.
Those 4 words are almost always followed by projectile vomiting. Repeatedly.
Just because something is labeled choking hazard doesn't mean it should be off limits.
Many of these "choking hazards" are great in helping kids work on fine motor skills. Example? Legos. As long as you are supervising them things are okay. I had a friend once that wouldn't give her kids after dinner mints until they were 5. 5!
I was shocked to see how Austin was able to build and take apart and build Legos over and over. A 18 month old playing tiny Legos appropriately. Who knew? Not the people deeming is too scary to play with.
To be continued . . . .
