I know I've been posting a lot lately, and I normally try not to do that because I know it's hard for most normal people to keep up with it. However, I am bored and need a place to put my thoughts, so you're just going to have to deal with it.
I have a MOTHER TIP for you. Now that I am going to be a mother, I am FINALLY entitled to give mothers advice, right? I have been waiting for this day since I was 12, when my brother was born, and my mom would always say, "Let us be the parents, OK?" Because I always thought I knew best. And I still pretty much think that way but know I'll be humbled in about three years when Maryn is a living nightmare.
Talking on the Phone with Small Children hanging on you, running around, falling down the stairs, hitting you, swallowing bobby pins, etc.
Moms (especially stay-at-home moms) need adult human interaction. This may only be possible by phone some days, so telephone time is treasured. I speak from experience on this one. When I talk to several of my friends on the phone, we are constantly interrupted by what seems to be, on my end, a three-ring circus that has gone very, very wrong. Like a tightrope walker just fell and the elephants are on a rampage.
I am a firm believer in prevention and preparation. It's not developmentally appropriate to expect your two year old to understand why mommy has just stopped helping you build a castle to talk into a device that, for some reason, spews the sounds of mommy's friends' voices. They're thinking, "What's the big deal? Why does mommy want to talk into that thing and not talk to me?"
So comes this idea from the book Positive Discipline. Place a basket or container on top of your refrigerator. Decorate it if you wish. Put some special toys in this basket that your child doesn't normally play with, and add some new ones from time to time to keep the basket a novelty. Check out the dollar spot at Target or the little birthday party favors for some good, cheap ones.
When the phone rings or you call someone, bring the box down for a time of special play. This way, your little one still feels special and you can be encouraged by some adult conversation.
9 comments:
hyGood suggestion. Do you remember the bag with the monster face your dad put on the refrigerator and that's where your toys went if you didn't pick them up? I remember that Monster bag...you were terrified of that thing!
Cathy
Oh the monster bag idea is great! Love it!
Mom and dad did that when they went to Jamaica and Gramma Lou babysat us in the house for that time. I still remember it, at 30. :)
Were you scared of the monster bag or the Yoda mask. I remember you being scared of the Yoda mask off the cereal box and it was on top of the fridge?
The monster bag was a horrible idea, so never do that to your kids. And the Yoda mask was bad, too. Both were placed on top of the fridge. But I don't think the blinking possessed doll was, so that's good.
That blinking doll was a present from your grandmother. How was she to know it would have an eye that stuck:)
It's probably all Jeremy's fault and that stupid Chuckie movie. Why did weird things scare me?
It's totally normal Amanda :). Some friends and I stayed at an older couple's house for a youth thing in like junior high or high school and they had all these dolls in one of the rooms we stayed in. We felt like they were staring at us so we shoved them all in the closet until it was time to leave. lol...So, either we're both weird or we're totally normal and other people are weird. I like the latter of the 2! :)
Too funny! My friend Tina had a huge doll collection from her mom and her grandma. There were about 350 dolls in her room. Really old, some evil looking and some that really old real-flesh feeling type!!! Yuck. The only way to be able to stay over night with her in high school was to drink a lot of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill and just get silly!!!!
Cathy
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