I have a soon-to-be five year old and we are planning a trip to Disney this winter–my dilemma? Do
I take her stroller or is she too big to be riding in one?  I have been going back and forth with this for some time. Are people going to look at me and think..”gosh what is that lady thinking, that kid grew out of that stroller two years ago!”  Well if you have ever been to Disney you know that there is a lot walking to do! Not only do you get an early start in the morning but you also go, at times, until late at night.  I know as an adult, at times I would love to be pushed around in a stroller or just curl up and take a little snooze in one!  After much contemplation I think I have decided that I really don’t care what others think! I am going to do what’s best for us as a family to make our trip enjoyable.  If it means that I will have a less cranky and more energetic five year old–then so be it! I’m packing the stroller—Disney here we come!

My almost 3year-old daughter had her first day of preschool this week. I was pretty nervous but I knew it would go well because I got to stay with her this time. Tomorrow is the “real” first day because I have to drop her off and leave! I observed a few things I wasn’t aware of with my daughter on her first day. First of all she is pretty dependent on me to play with her. When we were interacting and playing in the classroom she kept wanting me to play with her and not other kids. Second I am almost positive she misbehaves when I am around considering she threw a tantrum when the teacher rang a bell for clean up time! These teachers have their work cut out for them! Moral of this story I think preschool is going to do her some good! I have been fortunate enough, as a nurse, to just work weekends so I am home with my kids all week. My daughter needs some independence from me and I am looking forward to the two hour break. I am anxious for tomorrow because I am sure she will shed some tears at the drop off. My plan is to walk her to her classroom, give her a hug and kiss, reassure her that I will be back to get her in a little while and head out the door. The preschool offered parents to hang around in another room just in case their child cannot settle down. I don’t want her to even have the option of coming to get me. I figured if she is that upset they can call me. This is my first child so as crazy as it may sound to some, sending her to preschool is a big deal!

Going back to school is always kind of a hectic time in our house!  Even though we have all summer to prepare for the new year I always seem to fall behind with things! I guess I am just enjoying summer too much to even think about the next year; unlike some parents, I actually enjoy having the kids home.   Waiting to the near end actually has some benefits– I get the school supplies at Target for 30% off…YEAH! However my son complains that it’s quite difficult to scrape the clearance prices off of the notebooks without taking most of the front cover off (gosh forbid his friends see the clearance sticker!!) I can also manage to get the school clothes, shoes and other required school items requested by teachers for sale price.  There is one catch though…you can’t wait too long because then everything is picked over–you can’t get the right sizes, there’s no 3 subject notebooks left, my son’s favorite blue pens are gone and my daughter can only choose from the hello kitty folders, back packs and lunch boxes..ok so that’s why the timing has to be absolutely impeccable! I have definitely learned through the years!  I always swear I will get an earlier start the next year…but I don’t! So I have just accepted the fact that’s just how I am!

As a mom I have made many mistakes when it comes to discipline.  Four children later I have realized at least two VERY important things.  Be Consistent! Yes, this is a big one. Set limits for your children and follow through with them.  Children will take advantage of situations if you let them.  If they know that there aren’t any consequences for their bad behavior they will continue misbehaving. Nagging and negotiating with them only conveys that cooperation is optional..it’s NOT! So when you say something..mean it and follow through. Secondly, what works for one child may not necessarily work for another…don’t compare!  I have made this mistake time and time again.  All children are different and should be treated according to their personality.  You may have to use different techniques with each child.  My daughter responded well with a verbal reminder, however my son needed to actually experience a consequence.  I have been accused of having a favorite, loving one child more than the other and just “not being fair.”  It’s ok I will tolerate all the accusations because as a parent I try to tune in to the different needs and styles of each child’s indivituality.  The punishment should not only fit the crime but also the child!

I recently started using a sound machine to help my baby boy sleep at nap time and at night. I got one very cheap at Target but I believe they pretty much sell them everywhere. The particular one I purchased has waves, streams, white noise, heartbeat, nature, and waterfall sounds. I never thought I would use one of these and I honestly never wanted too. I wanted my kids to be able to sleep through everything. Well that idea quickly came to an end when my dog barks, kids scream, phone rings, or someone knocks at our door and of course wakes the baby. When I place my baby in his crib I turn on the water sounds and it helps him to sleep and drowns out the noise. Everyone is much happier in this household since this awesome $10.00 purchase!

When my older kids were little I wanted to be the perfect mom.  I would stay up late at night to make sure the house was spotless–this meant fresh vacuum marks on the carpets and not so much as even a dirty piece of silverware left in the sink! The laundry was fresh – I even ironed ALL of their clothes! There was ALWAYS a home-cooked meal every day and on most days… dessert. I would also never leave my kids…I thought if I did I wasn’t a good mom.  I ran myself ragged because I had to do everything myself–obviously, if I didn’t it wouldn’t be done right.  My grandmother would always offer to watch my kids and help me out with things at home.  I would always say, “Thanks, but I’m ok I do not need any help.” She would see that this really wasn’t true upon visiting because I was always rushing to get things done and short with the children.  One day she pulled me aside and said, “Listen I know you are trying to be a good mom and think you don’t need help or a break away from your kids but did you ever think that maybe they could use a break from you and that things don’t have to be perfect around here.” Well I thought about what she said and she was right.  It took me a while to break my neurotic cycle and not be so hard on myself.       

Today things are much different.  I am proud to say that my house doesn’t have to be super clean (however, still can’t go to bed with dishes in the sink–some things you just can’t change!) I don’t always have a home-cooked meal and I am willing to accept help…..ok, most of the time. My children get their break from me–and I also take time for myself. I do not stress if something isn’t done.  This has helped me become, I feel anyway, a better mom.  I have more patience and much more quality time to spend with my kids.  My grandmother never steered me wrong and I will pass on all her advice!!

As a baby my daughter was a horrible sleeper! The one thing that did sooth her to sleep was her mobile. She loved to watch it as the music  played, however, just as she was about to go to sleep….the music stopped! She started crying!  I then had to sneak in the room and, without her seeing me, wind the mobile back up.  As luck would have it…I was usually unsuccessful since I had to reach over the crib to rewind.  She would see me–start crying even harder and the whole bedtime ritual started all over again.  I would always think to myself, “Wouldn’t it be great if this mobile was remote control and play longer than 5 minutes?!” Well today today you can now get a remote control mobile–some of them actually play 20-30 minutes! Fisher Price and One Step Ahead have some great ones to choose from. If only I had the luxury of one of these when she was a baby!

Another bonus I recently discovered is a baby swing with a plug. When the batteries  ran out in our swing it made for some pretty long days this past winter. It would have been great to be able to plug in the swing! Baby equipment has come so far! We are so lucky.

So this is a little difficult to admit but my 2year old almost 3year old still has one binky she uses in her bed at bedtime.  We never let her use it any other time, it stays on a shelf in her room and she gets it at bedtime. My husband and I always had plans to take it away but something always came up. We moved, she was sick, we had a new baby. No matter what we found some reason to allow her to still use it. She is turning 3 in October and the binky days are over! I have been telling her every day that when she turns 3 the binky fairy will pay us a visit. I am trying to ease her into this because I know this is going to be a difficult change. She never had a special blanket or doll that she wanted to use at night so “purple binky” is her security. When I check on her at night while she is sleeping she isn’t even using it but she does use it to fall asleep. So here is the plan: We will place purple binky in a special box at bedtime. We are going to color a picture for the binky fairy and leave it in the box as well. The binky fairy will visit while she is sleeping and take her binky to a little baby that needs one. The binky fairy will leave behind a special letter to my daughter thanking her for giving her binky to a baby. She will also leave her money to go to the store to buy a special baby doll or stuffed animal to sleep in her bed instead of purple binky!

We have mastered potty training, sleeping in a big girl bed and now lets say goodbye to purple binky! Hope this works!

After spending a day at the pool my son would always complain that his ear hurt.  An earache with children is hard because there is not much you can do to make it better! I would try everything I could think of to ease his pain–I even had him put the wax in his ears before swimming–it never stayed in!  We would always end up at the pediatrians office with swimmer’s ear (a painful inflammation and infection that occurs when water gets into the ear canal causing bacteria) and leave with antibacterial ear drops. The infection usually cleared up within a week….just in time for everyone to want to go swimming again…..GREAT! I couldn’t keep going through this with him.  His doctor recommended that for future swims I dry both ears afterwards with a towel, then I put a few drops of a mixture of half vinegar and half rubbing alcohol in each ear to prevent the buildup of bacteria.  For the most part this worked(once in a blue moon he would get an earache) and we could enjoy our summer at the pool!

All you Mom’s out there know it can be tough raising kids, keeping a house clean, working, and keeping everyone Happy and Healthy!! Well I just recently realized play dates are more for me than my kids. Yes it gets them some interaction and play time with other kids but it gets ME some MOM time with other Moms. I don’t mean to sound selfish here but most of the time a happy Mom is a better Mom.

I have a group of friends with kids. We have all become a lot closer since we became Moms. We share the same lifestyle now. Some of us work part-time and some of us are full-time stay at home moms. We have sort of become a support group for one another regarding motherhood. We started meeting one day a week depending on everyone’s schedules. It has become something I really look forward to doing and something I need. We talk about the craziness of our lives, potty training, breastfeeding, working, husbands, developmental milestones, you name it we discuss it. I think it helps us all refresh to see we are not alone in our journey of motherhood and parenting. We swap recipes, kids clothes and toys, and ideas as well.

So my advice here is ….go join a Moms group or playgroup in your local area or surround yourself with families that are in your same phase of life. It helps everyone to get support and ideas from one another. By the way I never realized how tough and amazing it would be to be a Mother! <3