Ode to Parenting
I don't think I gave Chris Moore and his publications the attention he deserved yesterday. That short little post was interrupted while I nursed Laila and got her to bed, then not 15 minutes later I went back upstairs to repeat the process, by the end I just hit publish and grammar be damned. Anyhoos, love the books Chris keep 'em coming.
I have also been reading a lot of parenting books. There is a huge danger to reading parenting books, especially the sleep training ones. These books tell you what to do or say but your child is never doing exactly what the book says or she doesn't respond the way the book says, then you have to go and search out more books and those ones have different ideas and now you've ruined your child's self-confidence forever and you feel they are being left behind in the great race of life. It is always about the race of life, your 6 month old does not sleep through the night and likely will never get into med school and it's all your fault for letting her sleep in your bed.
Hello crazy, I'm Kristin.
Needless to say I am going to return the pile to the library tomorrow. Perhaps even spend a little time thinking about what I think about raising children and maybe use those ideas for parenting. There's a novel idea.
The reason I get into these book reading frenzies is that I am looking for a quick fix. Anything to make the madness end, a magic pill to solve all ills. But the more I look the more the madness grows so really the only way is to face it head on.
If I have another child, it better be happy as a clam to sit like a lump and not start to move until it's nearing 9 months. And I really have to knit a little more.
8 comments:
Totally NOT crazy!
oh those parenting books!
THEY can be crazy!
Oh, yeah, I remember that. I swore off parenting books when I realized that none of the authors had ever met me or my child, and that my own common sense was my best guide. My kids haven't dropped out of school or turned into ax murderers, and they're both happy and healthy, so I think I might be on to something.
At least you obtained your parenting books from the library, rather than barnes and noble or something. No accumulation of neurotic parenting books would go under the 'pros' list!
Read all that - it's all good! Here's something to remember (though very difficult to act upon): babies do NOT necessarily cry because they are sad, pained or bored. They have no linguistic capabilities. Second, do stick to your instincts, you'd be amazed how straight on they are. Next - in a year or so, check out "Parenting with Love and Logic". Funny, sensible - and it works (my youngest is now a responsible and loving father and a very nice man; if I hadn't read that book, he wouldn't have seen 15 and I'd be making license plates. Just sayin'. (For more info, my dear, from a genuine Jewish Mother AND bubbhe--feel free to write: mombearAHTameritechDAHTCAHM. (love your blog, btw)
i always read parenting books with a grain of thought. i find most of them to be "preachy" but that doesn't mean they don't have some good general ideas. I read Babywise with my little guy (recommended by my sister). it was preachy, but had some good general guiding principles. little man (breastfed baby) started sleeping through the night at 12 weeks. i think it was partly his great "sleeper" personality, but i do think it was partly due to my parenting and helping him learn to put himself to sleep. letting him cry it out was painful (i'm not going to ever say it wasn't), but it was well worth it in the added sleep. i love sleep too much and just had to get more or i was going to be an awful mommy. anyway, i know it's not for everyone. but if you want to talk any about it, feel free to e-mail me at ehstone[at]yahoo[dot]com. best of luck.
I have three entirely different children ... I'd have to buy a million parenting books just to figure them out. LOL
Thinking of another child, eh? I love my third (and my 1st and 2nd) but there will be no more children occupying my uterus.
I read a ton of books when my oldest was a baby (she is 15 now). I enjoy reading and like yourself borrowed them. I can't imagine paying for some of the stuff I read.
Anyway there were times when I got good ideas but 99% of the time I did what felt right and that wasn't always what others were doing. Times the hubby didn't agree but since I was the one on the front lines I won out.
I have found too that just when you have it figured out they up and change the course. What worked yesterday no longer works today.
I have said this to you before that it gets easier...it truly does. Will you have more knitting time....maybe. I will say that your knitting time will be less interupted as they get older.
Try to keep your sanity....be good to yourself. Do not skimp on "you" time. Try to make life as easy as possible too...even if it means the kids eat mac and cheese two or three nights in a row.
I am in the middle of Halloween costumes and I have come to the conclusion and my hubby verifed it last night that over the years I have done too much. Yes they love it and at one point I loved doing it but now not so much so and it is because I felt whatever pressure it was to make sure they had great costumes. Stupid. I am grateful that the youngest is using an old witch costume and all I had to do was buy a hat. The older two wanted something different but I will say my heart is not in it. It is more a chore and not fun.
As mothers we tend to put far too much pressure on ourselves. I would do a few things over for sure given the chance.
Anyway I have rambled but I understand very much how busy you are and hope a few encouraging words are helpful to you!
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