here's what i wrote back.
a few things i've discovered as a new mom...
1) you don't always have to like being a mom. it's ok not to like it all the time. no one told me this - i discovered it on my own and it's helped me and a lot of friends get through tough moments/days/weeks (although a friend of mine shared it with her mom and her mom was appalled that i'd say such a thing). whatever. i'm a realist, and maybe i'm a bit too selfish (or more selfish than my friend's mom is), but i know that giving of myself 100% of the time is challenging and painful and it doesn't always make me smile. there. i said it.
2) you HAVE to get outside at least once a day. without your kid(s) is ideal, but if you gotta bring them along, so be it. it's so important to get fresh air, see that there's a world beyond your walls, remember that life will go on despite diaper rash, no sleep, piles of dishes and laundry...seeing trees and birds and people running always helps get me out of whatever funk i may be in.
2b) get outside with your kids at least once a day. more often if possible. for the same reasons listed in #2.
3) brush your teeth. put on something other than your PJs. it's so important for your mental outlook.
4) at the end of the day, if your child is alive, you're a successful mom. if your child is alive and happy - you're the best mom in the world!!!
5) if you go out and leave your kid with a sitter (you MUST do this sometimes...) and you're fretting about it, just remind yourself the the kid isn't going to DIE because you're not there. go enjoy yourself. your baby will be alive when you get home.
6) happy kids start with a happy mom, and if mom is married, a happy marriage. kids thrive when they're surrounded by love. hug and kiss your spouse (if you have one) every day, in front of the kids, as often as possible. have big family hugs. nothing is better!!!
6b) along those same lines...just like the attendant tells you on the plane: "if you're traveling with a child, put your oxygen mask on first, then attend to your child." to be a good mom, you HAVE to be good to yourself and take care of yourself first sometimes. happy, healthy moms = happy, healthy kids.
7) read read read to your kids.
8) teach your kids manners from the get-go. please, thank you, excuse me, may i have your attention?, i'm sorry, etc. and remember that kids do what they see, not what you say. so you need to practice good manners too.
9) respect your baby's nap schedule. don't be a slave to it, but understand that sleep is as important as food, and that their brains are wired to sleep at certain times. a great book: healthy sleep habits, happy child by weissbluth.
10) once your child is talking, have a notepad on hand to write down all the crazy, wise things your kids say!!! what gems come out of a child's mouth.
11) keep a journal by your bed and write down at least one thing that made you smile that day, or one thing that you're grateful for. it's always nice to go to bed with a smile in your heart.
12) get a big bed (if you have the room and the money). snuggling with everyone in the early morning is one of the best things in the entire world.
13) TV is a privilege, not a right. (at least in our house.)
1 comment:
For your notepad with the funny things your kids come up with here's your quiz question....what was Grant's made up funny word? Did you write it down?
If didn't get written down it will posted here so we don't forget the fun Grant had with "Abbaboo". His funny word that always made him (and us) laugh!
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