life with a new baby
Posts tagged parenting
What? Seriously? They’re threatening to sue McDonald’s over Happy Meal Toys?
Jul 1st
I came across this article and was completely floored. After I read it, I was thinking, Are you kidding me? Is this a joke? But no, it’s not a joke. There really is a group who is threatening to sue McDonald’s because ”McDonald’s marketing has the effect of conscripting America’s children into an unpaid drone army of word-of-mouth marketers, causing them to nag their parents to bring them to McDonald’s.”
In other words, this group is blaming the toys for making kids fat.
Seriously.
Yes, these people really are that dumb. Because apparently, they all forgot that PARENTS are ultimately responsible for their kids’ diets. THE PARENTS need to learn to say “no” to their children. If they have such a problem with toys being included in Happy Meals, if they really think that’s are making kids so fat today- I have a very, very simple solution:
DON’T EAT THERE.
Or at least learn to say “no” to your children. Let your child eat the healthier Happy Meal, you know the ones with the apples and milk. We are in a sad, sad state as a country if parents are really “worn down” and “tired of saying ‘no’ to their children.” THAT IS OUR JOB AS PARENTS, to not let our kids do things that are unsafe or unhealthy.
If McDonald’s or their toys are the cause of your child’s obesity, you and you alone are at fault for allowing them to eat there.
Just, wow. That’s all I can say. Wow. A prime example of parents no longer wanting to parent.
For the love of books
Jun 29th
In Nathan’s room, we keep the bookshelf sequestered behind a Rubbermaid tub and Paul’s great-great-grandmother’s rocking chair so that Nathan doesn’t try to climb the bookshelf or inadvertently pull it down on top of himself. We place the rocking chair in front of the bookshelf and tie a string from the doorknob to the handle of the chair so Nathan can’t slam the door (which he loves to do!) and the Rubbermaid tub is there to prevent him from crawling behind the rocking chair.
The very bottom shelf of the bookcase houses some stuffed animals that used to belong to me and Paul, and the shelf above that holds some of Nathan’s books.
Nathan loves his books. LOVES them. To the point that I read him multiple books multiple times a day, and he STILL cries when I finish each one.
Well Nathan, being the tester of boundaries that he is, wasn’t going to let an old rocking chair and a silly Rubbermaid tub cramp his style. No, sir. So what did the benevolent little dictator do? Why, he mustered all his strength and somehow managed to pull the rocking chair away from the door, still tethered to the doorknob, and made a beeline for the shelf with all the stuffed animals and his books.
That kids loves his books.
He got a couple stuffed animals out, but he got every single one of his books off the shelf and scattered them around himself. He tucked his legs under the rug and thoroughly enjoyed himself as he “read” each of them.
Having boat legs doesn’t just happen on boats
Jun 2nd
So Nathan has really been practicing his new walking skillz lately. A few days ago, he started taking the initiative to walk… so he no longer waits for me to prompt him or play our usual psychological warfare games in which I attempt to manipulate him into thinking that something he is hellbent on not doing is actually fun and worthwhile. Remember the whole saltine crackers episode? That is just one example of me having to convince him that it was his own idea to do something. For the longest time, he wouldn’t eat anything but pureed foods… if I DARED to put something solid on his tongue, he would open his mouth and scream so loud that I swear it could have woken the dead. But I sat down and happily devoured handfuls of saltine crackers, and once he saw how good I thought they were, he decided to give them a try himself. And we just went from there. I introduced a new food here and there, and each time, I would eat it first in front of him, pretending it was The Best Thing I Have Ever Eaten. Without fail, Nathan would be straining to grab it out of my hands with his slobbery little fingers. Because it is so not fair that Mommy gets to enjoy all these delicious foods while he doesn’t. According to Nathan, anyways.
So with the whole walking thing, I think I have finally convinced him that walking is the Most Awesome Activity Ever. And by golly, he is starting to love it! I tell Nathan to walk to Mommy, and he does this little dance where he jumps up and down without actually jumping, then he’ll smile a big toothy grin, and then he will walk his Little Drunken Sailor saunter. Sometimes he looks like he’s trying to walk on a small boat caught in a storm in the middle of the ocean, but hey, practice makes perfect. He’ll take a few steps, wobble around precariously while flapping his hands in an effort to maintain his balance, then will right himself and take a few more steps. He’s taking between 5-10 steps at a time now, and I even encouraged him to walk halfway across his room just the other day! In order to get him to take those wobbly steps, I used to have to sit on the floor, hold my arms out, and say “Come here, Nathan! Walk to Mama!” But now? Now, he does it on his own, wobbly legs and all.
It’s bittersweet so see him gain his independence. On one hand, it’s great because it means less bending over to pick him up and carry him, which means LESS BACK PAIN. On the other hand, however, MY BABY IS GAINING HIS INDEPENDENCE. He no longer needs me to do everything for him. He’s growing up, and these moments where he is so little are quickly passing us by.
Discovery!
May 31st
Nathan discovered something that he thought looked interesting. Of course, I quickly swooped
in and confiscated it before he could put it in his mouth for a taste inquiry.
Because civilized people use silverware
Apr 20th
Eating with silverware. It’s one of the many things that separate us from from the animal kingdom. We eat using silverware rather than with our hands and faces.
Well, ok. For the most part. Some things are MEANT to be eaten with fingers… like FRIED DRUMSTICKS.
I’ve been working with Nathan on learning to eat with a spoon. He’s getting the hang of it… and although sometimes he tries to eat the spoon itself, he so far, doesn’t make too much of a mess.
And the best part? I don’t have to stand in front of him saying “YUM YUM! So very GOOD!” just to convince him IT’S NOT POISON and it’s ok to eat… like I had to do with his crackers. So instead of mimicking me and saying “MMMmmm” while he eats, he eats in silence.
Silence!
As Time Progresses
Mar 16th
Nathan going through this big Separation Anxiety phase right now, so I’ve been having to carry him around a lot. Because if I don’t, the little guys just cries his little heart out, as if the lack of my presence is the most painful thing he’s ever endured IN HIS LIFE.
Oh, little guy. There are so many other things in life that are so much worse than Mommy taking 2 minutes to PEE.
I’ve had to carry him around so much so that I swear my right arm has become significantly stronger than my left one. Hopefully, it won’t be as obvious as that dude from Lady in the Water, though. I thought the size difference in his arms was just creepy.
But you know what? Nathan totally makes up for this semi- frustrating phase by doing some really super duper cute things. For instance, he hasn’t mastered the whole bending over thing, so when he’s holding onto the coffee table and drops a toy, he’ll slowly move his legs into the splits until he’s low enough to retrieve his toy. And all the bubbly noises he makes as he plays with his toys are just downright adorable. So are those cheeky grins and his laughter that is so hearty that it often reverberates throughout the room.
How I love watching him develop. I get so nostalgic watching him play sometimes because as I watch him, I’m thinking about how just BARELY A YEAR AGO, he was this tiny, helpless, and very loud miniature human who couldn’t even hold his head up on his own, much less make his way around a room.
I am in constant awe at how quickly the time passes.
Another First!
Mar 3rd
Nathan started cruising today! He pulled himself up onto the coffee table, danced around for a little bit, and then shuffled his merry little way along the edge of the coffee table! For the very first time. AND I HAVE VIDEO!
It’s a little longer than the length of video I normally post (two minutes) but it took him a while to move down the coffee table to the recliner.
It’s so cute!
Recent Comments
It's so cute how he finds the littlest things hilarious!
I'd say he gets pretty tickled, adorable!!!! .-= SuziCate´s last blog ..The Great Outdoors Of Virginia =-.
Yes! A personal maid would be perfect! Oh, that would free up SO much of my time!!
I'll take a double-layer chocolate one!!