Things I said I'd never do
You know....when you're younger, more niave, and so much more starry-eyed, you say that there are things that you will definitely NOT do when you become a parent. Some of these resolutions are kept, while others are thrown out of the window minutes after birth. Since I'm sure I'm not the only one who has given in to some of these things.... Well, anyway, here they are, the things I've let slide.
- I said I'd never, ever feed my child foods with articificial colors. Well, sometimes those Color Goldfish crackers beckon from the shelf, as a pick-me-up when he's tired of the same old pale orange varieties. And when he busts his lip, out come the Otter Pops from the freezer. I have still not succombed to artificial colors in breakfast cereals, though....that will be a while.
- I thought I'd never let him keep a wet diaper on longer than five minutes. Well, when they're mobile, that's virtually impossible. There will be times when I don't see him for twenty minutes at a time (when he's quietly playing in his bedroom), and when he reappears, he has left "a present" for me to clean up in his diaper. I finally quit feeling guilty for letting him stay dirty for longer than ten minutes (especially if I was unaware!). I used to change him so often that sometimes I'd do it before he was finished. That meant another dirty diaper to change five minutes later.... Those things, at 19cents a piece, are not quite that expendable!
- I said I'd let him get daily sunshine and outdoor activity. Well, when the temperatures outside are hovering right around 40 degrees, and when I have a massive sinus headache, and when the wind is whipping around at 30 mph, it's just not something I feel like doing....even if the sun is shining ever-so-brightly. Let me tell you, though, these spring temperatures lately have been just the ticket....we have spent about 2 hours outdoors every day, and we're both happier for it.
- I thought I'd not let him watch ANY television until he was two, and then, only supervisied, one hour per day, max. Ha. I don't keep the TV on all day....we do have definite "movie times" (all TV is "a movie" to him). Yet there comes those fussy minutes between 4:30 and suppertime when nothing else will console him but Jack's Big Music Show or Baby Einstein....just so I can manage to get a hot dinner on the tabletop. (**AND, I said I'd NEVER let him watch Barney. Ahem. It's actually playing in the DVD player right now.)
- I said I'd never give him juice....only water and milk. He does like water and milk, but sometimes (at snack times) only juice will settle. I still dilute it, of course, but I don't think that a total 6 ounces per day will be a threat to childhood obesity....I think it takes a lot more than that.
- I said I'd puree everything and make ALL my own babyfood. Reality hit, and the only things that I made and froze into cubes were chicken, sweet potatoes, applesauce, peas, and green beans.
- I also said he'd only eat organic food. This became something Ken had to question, however, when our food bill budget suddenly jumped up $100/month, and I was beginning to travel 30 miles weekly to the only organic grocery store around. As much as I'd like to, it's just not financially possible. If it were, we'd ALL eat that way! What I can do, though, is to grow what I can at home, pesticide-free, and pick the most important things (milk, eggs) to buy organic. That makes me feel a little better.
When I see this written out, I see how much I have truly swayed from my original convictions. I do want to remind myself, though, that there are many things which I DO do, and with regularity.....like making sure that most of his TV time is also mommy-and-me-time (sitting and watching with him), making crafts, teaching him how to cook, teaching early vocabulary, not over-medicating him, feeing him daily multivitamins, cooking homecooked meals, and going on long walks outside.
The promises we keep are just that....promises we keep.
- I said I'd never, ever feed my child foods with articificial colors. Well, sometimes those Color Goldfish crackers beckon from the shelf, as a pick-me-up when he's tired of the same old pale orange varieties. And when he busts his lip, out come the Otter Pops from the freezer. I have still not succombed to artificial colors in breakfast cereals, though....that will be a while.
- I thought I'd never let him keep a wet diaper on longer than five minutes. Well, when they're mobile, that's virtually impossible. There will be times when I don't see him for twenty minutes at a time (when he's quietly playing in his bedroom), and when he reappears, he has left "a present" for me to clean up in his diaper. I finally quit feeling guilty for letting him stay dirty for longer than ten minutes (especially if I was unaware!). I used to change him so often that sometimes I'd do it before he was finished. That meant another dirty diaper to change five minutes later.... Those things, at 19cents a piece, are not quite that expendable!
- I said I'd let him get daily sunshine and outdoor activity. Well, when the temperatures outside are hovering right around 40 degrees, and when I have a massive sinus headache, and when the wind is whipping around at 30 mph, it's just not something I feel like doing....even if the sun is shining ever-so-brightly. Let me tell you, though, these spring temperatures lately have been just the ticket....we have spent about 2 hours outdoors every day, and we're both happier for it.
- I thought I'd not let him watch ANY television until he was two, and then, only supervisied, one hour per day, max. Ha. I don't keep the TV on all day....we do have definite "movie times" (all TV is "a movie" to him). Yet there comes those fussy minutes between 4:30 and suppertime when nothing else will console him but Jack's Big Music Show or Baby Einstein....just so I can manage to get a hot dinner on the tabletop. (**AND, I said I'd NEVER let him watch Barney. Ahem. It's actually playing in the DVD player right now.)
- I said I'd never give him juice....only water and milk. He does like water and milk, but sometimes (at snack times) only juice will settle. I still dilute it, of course, but I don't think that a total 6 ounces per day will be a threat to childhood obesity....I think it takes a lot more than that.
- I said I'd puree everything and make ALL my own babyfood. Reality hit, and the only things that I made and froze into cubes were chicken, sweet potatoes, applesauce, peas, and green beans.
- I also said he'd only eat organic food. This became something Ken had to question, however, when our food bill budget suddenly jumped up $100/month, and I was beginning to travel 30 miles weekly to the only organic grocery store around. As much as I'd like to, it's just not financially possible. If it were, we'd ALL eat that way! What I can do, though, is to grow what I can at home, pesticide-free, and pick the most important things (milk, eggs) to buy organic. That makes me feel a little better.
When I see this written out, I see how much I have truly swayed from my original convictions. I do want to remind myself, though, that there are many things which I DO do, and with regularity.....like making sure that most of his TV time is also mommy-and-me-time (sitting and watching with him), making crafts, teaching him how to cook, teaching early vocabulary, not over-medicating him, feeing him daily multivitamins, cooking homecooked meals, and going on long walks outside.
The promises we keep are just that....promises we keep.
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