My first two kids are girls. For a first-time parent, taking care of them was surely an adjustment. But my wife and I managed well. Sure, while they were growing up, they had these stages such as the terrible twos. To some extent, these still come back in some form or another. But now with our youngest–who’s a boy–things are drastically different.
I don’t know what kind of energy these little toddlers have. Every since our little boy learned to walk, he’s been up and about, running all around the house. He’s climbing up the sofa, dining table, my office desk, and even the stairs. He’s also running around pulling at drawers, opening closets, slamming the door.
It’s endless.
I guess boys are, indeed, made different from girls.
My parents often tell me that I was such a rowdy kid when I was little. I guess it’s no surprise that at least one kid of mine would inherit this trait, then! And, I guess raising a little boy might require a bit more patience than raising a girl.
A parenting.com article sums up the difference–and the challenges–in raising boys and girls in an article.
The bottom line? On balance, the general consensus seems to be that boys are more of a handful early on, and girls more challenging beginning in the preteen years.
In short, having kids of both sexes means they’re going to be a handful for the next ten years or so!
When I was young, I remember being very fond of playing with Lego blocks. I guess I was an imaginative kid. I had this whole bucket of loose Lego blocks (some were previously parts of sets). I made space ships, fortresses, cars, and all sorts of things.
Then I would keep these sets atop the piano for safekeeping, only to find out the next day that these have been packed away, much to my consternation.
All my lego blocks would be back in the bucket, ready for building new things.
Just today, I got to be on the other end of the packing away. I was clearing my study (which also serves as the kids’ play room), when my daughter tearfully complained about my packing away the monster she modeled out of mega blocks. I told her she can just create another monster, and helped her re-do the creature out of the blocks. She was mad at me for a while, but was satisfied when she was able to do a bigger, better monster.
There’s a lesson to be learned here, I thought. And this quote from Batman Begins comes to mind: Why do we fall? … So we can learn to pick ourselves up.
Lego models weren’t meant to last forever. But Lego pieces probably are. Whatever you build on these blocks will probably crumble and fall as fast as you can say “Lego.” But one thing’s for sure–you learn basics of building. You learn to use your imagination to create something from scratch. And when your creation comes to naught, you learn to pick yourself up and rebuild from the pieces.
Life’s like that, anyway, isn’t it?
Like I always like to tell myself–you learn something from your kids every day.
No parent should ever have to lose a child. This goes especially for young kids. But sometimes, things happen, and no matter how we try to avoid it there times when you just cannot change the course of events.
October of last year, my wife and I lost our baby boy to SIDS. We had just recently commemorated his first death anniversary. Looking back at the year so far, we realize that it has been full of blessings as well as sorrows.
It’s difficult to cope. The pain never goes away. You just get used to it. No matter how you try to cope, you would have to face the truth.
Some would offer advice, but trust me–it’s not as easy as one, two, three. It never is.
My wife and I believe that all this has a purpose. Our loss should not be for naught. And we have learned a lot from this experience.
This experience has humbled us greatly. But it has taught us to value life more. It has taught us to value our family more. And it has taught us to value our time more. We are born to this world naked and with empty hands. But God gives us gifts so that we may create and do good things. We have but limited time to accomplish this—some of us have more, while some less. Therefore the time to act is now because you never know when your time is up.
In a way, we are perhaps more experienced parents than ever before. Probably even more than other parents out there, even my own.
Baby milk formulas are an essential need and depending on the recommendation of your family pediatrician, it would be best to be careful as well such as asking how long or what effects could possibly be watched out if and when the infant is not keen on the baby formula.
Normally as parents, we would trust our pediatrician. But sad to say, these days you also have to be aware of the current crop of milk formulas that are in the market. We have a mixture of local and foreign brands and while we look highly of imported milk formulas, this Chinese formula scandal is something that should serve as a warning for building better awareness on the milk our babies feed on.
Nearly 160 babies are suffering from acute kidney failure and more than 1,300 are still in hospital, Chen said. Free medical care is being offered to all of the sick babies and officials are setting up an information hotline.
Officials believe that suppliers to China’s dairy companies have added melamine, a banned substance used in the manufacture of plastic products, to watered-down milk so it would appear to have a higher protein content.
Of the dairy companies tested so far, investigators have found that 20 per cent have sold products tainted with the chemical.
Tests have confirmed that all of the sick babies consumed milk powder produced by Sanlu Group Co., Chen said.
One thing about baby formulas is that they are essential for a child’s overall need as far as food and nutrient is concerned. But perhaps an additional responsibility is to check out the history and of course the ingredients that come with it. We are after healthy babies that grow normally and wisely. Staying away from added things to keep our babies in top shape would be a good recourse.
We all know that children lack the proper understanding on the things around them but surely, they know when a parent or sister will be angry at them. Giving bad looks and perhaps shouting at them would be easy ways to understand this but the fact remains, should we as parents shout at younger children?
Shouting is a form of showing power and also striking fear in the hearts of others. But for babies who are still in their developing stages, should shouting be included among the forces of instilling discipline?
It is true that if you fail to discipline your child while they are young may result into making them grow-up like brats. But disciplining them can be done in several ways. Some use the traditional disciplinarian practices like:
1. Being sent to a corner until he is told to move from there
2. Kneeling
3. Squatting
4. Belt or hangers showing
We all remember these things from our parents but that is the key point. We remember them and as babies before, who knows what happened or if we were punished in such a way!
Remember, that even if babies cannot understand it for now, it remains that it will have a baring on their overall development into maturity. Consider that thought before even pitching your voice. It can be a critical point against you.
By now, we are all aware that Sarah Palin has been chosen by presidential hopeful John McCain as her running mate. While it seems that there is not much to know about Palin, there is one glaring mark on her right now and that is the presence of her pregnant teenage daughter which has captured the attention of most media and people as far as finding waterloo marks on aspiring political figures today.
At the moment she is the governor of Alaska and apparently she has gained further exposure as far as vying for the Vice President seat of the U.S. But many are divided on her current status, using her daughter as an excuse to question her standing as a responsible parent.
But the real question is on whether we should pass judgment on her. Sarah is a parent and just like us, it is not different from going to work although politics is more on the high side of things. Questioning the capacity of a parent on choosing between career and parenting should not be made as an excuse towards hitting the people running for public office. If people were mature and rational, for sure they would know that Sarah Palin knows how to handle her career and her role as a mother to her children.
Once your child reaches his teens, chances are he or she will spend more time with his or her friends. Among the things to watch out include:
1. Late Night Outs
2. Frequently Absent from Home
3. Mannerisms
4. Extensive Time Spent on the Phone or Texting
The youth of today are indeed a different breed and while we as parents would be tagged as enjoying the same privilege, we still have to watch out for them and make sure that they grow up as rational as we have been. We have had our share of mischief but at the way that society is projected today, the youth may find itself having run-ins with the law and that is something you would want to avoid.
For one, it is a dent in the image you want your kids want to have especially when they grow up. To some, it may also tarnish their image as respected people in society. But there are things today you cannot avoid and the best you can do is turn to provisions to avoid these things from escalating to unmanageable levels.
Even if it means handling them with an iron hand, do it. Kids today are totally aware of how to take care of their future. Hard as it may be for them to understand, we just have to play our part as their parents.
It is only normal to hear that most kids would ask for a pet at some point in time of their age. It normally comes from culture or from seeing other kids who have their own dogs or cats. But while that is a need that can really be passed up, perhaps this new discovery as far as health and potential snoring problems in kids can convince parents to refrain from buying kids these traditional pets.
Snoring is something you don’t expect to hear from kids. But these days, advanced studies and technology has helped us identify and sum up causes of heart diseases or respiratory problems. Kids may not sleep with these animals but normally the exposure that they get can be entirely dangerous. Worst, it can lead to complications and put your child in danger if you are not careful.
“These factors may enhance inflammatory processes and thereby alter upper airway anatomy early in life, causing an increased susceptibility for adult snoring,” the study conjectured.
The harsh, occasionally nerve-wracking sounds associated with snoring are caused the vibrating of the soft palate.
When you hear of family breakups that lead to divorce, it will always be the father who will be blamed and perceived to be at fault. There have been instances where the mother is to blame but if you check out figures, you are bound to notice that fathers are tagged as the majority reason for family breakups.
Among the reasons we hear today would be:
1. A second party
2. Psychological Incapacity
3. Failure to Provide
4. Domestic Violence
The list can go on and if you look at it, perhaps fathers need more time to mature and some level of psychological help to get themselves out of this niche. There are exceptions where fathers just plainly need a longer time to mature. A lot of this happens especially among teen parenting where though they claim they are ready, mentally, they lack the proper seasoning to be acknowledged as full-pledged parents.
As a whole, fathers may not always consider parenting as their main role in the family. To them, it is always to provide. But you would be surprised at fathers who would make great parents if given the chance. Timing and proper growth into parenthood is just something lacking these days.
If there is one thing that kids hate seeing it is mom and dad fighting often. Due to misunderstandings, a normal family cannot see parents quarreling a lot due to work, time and finances. While that is a familiar site, one thing you have to worry about is the impact it will have on the siblings.
We have seen the sharp rise of juvenile delinquents and psychologically affected kids these days and most of them come from broken homes. Some are products of failed marriages which often lead to divorce. Once this happens, kids are forced to grow up with only one of their parents in sight although they can go with the other at times like weekends.
It is too much to ask for some parents to try and get along for the sake of the children. There are occasions that it has work. But along the line, there is bound to be a pop in the line which leads to arguments and totally giving up on the family relationship. The next thing you know, they are filing for divorce which will have bearing on what a simple child wants.
This is perhaps something kids have to deal with. Even though they don’t want to, some have adopted the understanding that this would be the best alternative rather than seeing their parents fighting often. There is no guarantee that being a single parent will likewise be good for the child. But one thing every parent must do is to make sure that misunderstandings with the partner should not be the case with their kids. They are not to blame for any of it and in fact should be the reason for you to mature and work hard to ensure them a better outlook in life.
