I have said before that wine makes me a better mother. While I do think that is true, it is more likely because spending time with my BFF drinking wine while watching trashy reality TV is one of my favorite things to do. We have a standing date that I look forward to every week. Sometimes it seems irresponsible and a little juvenile, when the house is a mess, but just watching a silly show and taking a break from my to-do list can make me feel like a new woman.
I love reading, most of the books I read involve vampires, teenagers, or both, but escaping into a silly reality makes me feel better when I am stressed out or overwhelmed. This is true for trashy TV also, some ABC Family is good for the soul. I've also found that when I feel the most stressed, and have tons of things to do, plan and clean, a break is usually the best thing for me.
Any marriage advice column will tell you to have regular dates with your husband, I think the same is true for dates with your friends. There will come a time when even the best husband will drive you crazy, and discussing these little things at monthly girls nights out (or in) does a person, and a marriage good. A little reminder that you are still a woman, not just a wife, mother, coworker (and the list goes on...) who likes to laugh and celebrate and eat food someone else made works wonders for me and my family. It also helps that I have the most supportive and understanding friends a girl could ask for.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Thou shall say "yes" as often as possible
Parents have to say "no" a lot. My house can feel quite negative at times, when I have to tell Luke, "no climbing on the fireplace." "Stop feeding the dog your lunch." "No, Woody can't take a bath with you." I am making an effort to say yes to every request possible. This has made for some interesting compromises. This morning I ended up snuggling with Luke, his child size Buzz Lightyear and Woody dolls, 2 Binky's, his cup and a DVD of the Wiggles, and a pillow pet.
Before my knee jerk reaction of telling Luke "no" I am going to assess the situation. Is it dangerous? (often times it is) Is it unhealthy? (pizza for breakfast?) Is it just silly? (Buzz and Woody coming into the grocery store with us) Although a more appropriate name for my child might have been "Danger", most of his requests are just silly. He likes his milk warm, and there really is no reason for me to say "no" to that. Of course, I don't want to raise a spoiled child, and there is no way I could possibly comply with every request he has to have his binky and watch TV. But I do want to raise a child who is secure and happy. If warming his milk and reading him five (yes, seriously, 5, every night) books before bed makes him a happy child, than my job is pretty easy.
He has taken to saying "do that again" every time he enjoys something and I have had the pleasure of spending a significant part of my Saturday tickling his tummy and listening to him laugh. This also resulted in me kissing his ear last night, but I got a good little giggle out of it. Of course, there are great joys that come with saying "yes" as much as possible, like the time he said "Daddy do it" when I was about to change his dirty diaper. As my sweet little boy grows up, I am sure I will have to say "no" more often, but for now we will make some pretty silly memories.
Before my knee jerk reaction of telling Luke "no" I am going to assess the situation. Is it dangerous? (often times it is) Is it unhealthy? (pizza for breakfast?) Is it just silly? (Buzz and Woody coming into the grocery store with us) Although a more appropriate name for my child might have been "Danger", most of his requests are just silly. He likes his milk warm, and there really is no reason for me to say "no" to that. Of course, I don't want to raise a spoiled child, and there is no way I could possibly comply with every request he has to have his binky and watch TV. But I do want to raise a child who is secure and happy. If warming his milk and reading him five (yes, seriously, 5, every night) books before bed makes him a happy child, than my job is pretty easy.
He has taken to saying "do that again" every time he enjoys something and I have had the pleasure of spending a significant part of my Saturday tickling his tummy and listening to him laugh. This also resulted in me kissing his ear last night, but I got a good little giggle out of it. Of course, there are great joys that come with saying "yes" as much as possible, like the time he said "Daddy do it" when I was about to change his dirty diaper. As my sweet little boy grows up, I am sure I will have to say "no" more often, but for now we will make some pretty silly memories.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)