There are a ton of posts which I have started and need to finish- like the book review for Positive Discipline the First Three Years, but I never seem to have more then a few minutes on the computer lately and those posts need more time then that.
I want to update my blog more regularly though so I thought I would add a nice new Bad Mommy Confession.
You know that kid at the playground? The one with snot hanging from his nose, an untied shoe, dirt everywhere, and just a general look of uncleanliness.
That is totally my kid.
Which is awesome because before I had a child....(you know nothing good is coming when you hear the phrase "before I had kids") I was totally that person who was really grossed out by snot and very dirty children.
This is why I of course had a child who zones in on anything which can get him dirty in a new place, who constantly throws all of his food on the floor (seriously this is driving me batty, does anyone have any tips? We let him do some snacks on the floor but the floor can't handle much more of his abuse), and who has some sort of allergy which causes him to constantly have a runny, snotty nose which can't possibly be wiped clean.
I do try and wipe his face off but the kid hates it and I already have to do enough wrestling with him during diaper changes. So normally there is a nice layer of dried food (peanut butter is one of his favs), sand- thanks good weather!, and snot all over most of his face and clothes. I mean today he was pouring sand over himself like a shower, how am I supposed to combat that??
So instead of fighting it, I have accepted it. I enjoy the twenty minutes before breakfast where he looks clean and adorable and then the rest of the day I just look on in sweet acceptance as he gets incredibly dirty. Sometimes I even wipe his snotty face with my bare hands... I know in my head that that must be incredibly disgusting but for some reason it doesn't bother me at all. It also doesn't bother me when he wipes his dirty little face all over my clothes- because for some reason my clothes are much much better then any tissue. I love my son for the cute little man he is and have now become that parent who doesn't care that her child looks slovenly.
So sorry to everyone who has to look at my snotty, dirty child. I'm hoping he'll grow out of it in the next 10 years.
That is not a sign of a bad mom, that is a sign that you are a great mom! He's a toddler - and you know that it's more important that he play and explore and get messy in the process, than to be totally clean all the time.
ReplyDeleteSo I say good for you!
Maxim isnt a thrower yet but I've bought a splat mat for under his high chair. Its enormous (Booginhead) and its easy to dump the bigger pieces down the sink/garbage and wipe the mat than to clean my whole floor all the time. Plus I have wood laminate so things like liquid can be a real mess for the flooring. Anyway, they have baby dishes that stick to surfaces if he's a dish thrower. Even if my floor is clean enough to eat off of, once he tosses it, I dont give it back as a way to deter throwing. And usually he is done eating when he starts to drop stuff. I also would give him less food at a time. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteHe's a baby and a little boy, I think it's in their job description to be runny nosed and full of dirt. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm finding there's an increasing list of stuff I swore I would never do with my kid that I am now doing. LOL!
ReplyDeleteElla: Thanks for saying that! I do really appreciate his adventurous spirit so that is what I need to focus on:)
ReplyDeleteRuby: Unfortunately we already do one thing on the tray at a time, it doesn't make a difference. Sometimes he immediately throws the things on the floor only to eat them 10 seconds later so it isn't that he isn't hungry. We tried the stickable dishes but he just pulled on them until they came off the tray and plastic when thrown hard enough towards hard wood floor can break so now he doesn't get any dishes at all which is a bummer as I would love for him to be able to practice with cutlery. I hope Maxim doesn't ever become a thrower!
Lil' Woman: Yeah I guess even as a kid I found snot and stuff like that gross- I didn't even like band-aids so this was totally unexpected for me:)
Adrienne: Haha me too!
I love this post and I love that you are so honest about things. Every Sunday at family lunch I do the same thing, thinking I will never do X with my kid though I'm willing to bet that when it comes time I'll end up doing that and worse :-P
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I think you're a great mom!