I have always been told that when newborn babies smile, that they are playing with angels. There's no way to verify that theory, but Ivana seems to smile a lot at such a young age.
This being a homeschool blog, and since homeschoolers typically walk to the beat of a different drummer, I will reflect just a little bit on my parenting preferences.
First of all, I think that breastfeeding is best, but have never been able to do so. I don't always have an ample supply of milk, and even if I did, it might not be beneficial for my baby to be given a heavy duty dose of insulin and thyroid meds. I'm not heartbroken over this, and will never judge a woman that chooses to bottle feed for any reason.
I think that babies are a lot more comfortable and secure if they can sleep with Mom and Dad. There is a lot of controversy about this, because it could be dangerous if not done correctly. If you are a mama that can sleep through a tornado, then co sleeping may not be the best thing to do. I, on the other hand, have always had some pretty messed up sleeping patterns, so I can co sleep because every little sound or movement made by the baby will wake me up.
Tarja was the first baby that I had the pleasure of getting to wear with a sling, and I will tell you that it is the greatest thing in the world. The baby doesn't cry as much, and you have your hands free.
I have always been told that I hold my babies too much, which could spoil them. There is no denying that the princesses are spoiled, but now that they are in different stages of their lives, I can see that they are no worse for wear. Melody and Abbey are both very hard working, emotionally stable young ladies. Tarja is still a little princess, so the jury is still out on her progress, but I suspect that she will do just as well. If the worst thing that I ever do to my children is hold them, then things must be going in the right direction.
The fun thing about the stay at home mom vs. working mom debate is that I have been on both ends of the spectrum. In fact, I am now a work at home mom, which is even better. I feel like the more time that I spend at home with my children is also more time that I am working and earning money with my various little ventures. I did not enjoy working outside the home, but I did do it when it was absolutely necessary.
Questions come up all the time about how parents should handle certain issues in their households. Some of my favorite questions include:
Q: What time do your kids have to turn off their cell phones at night?
A: Because I am an insulin dependent diabetic, I want everybody's phones turned on at night. I realize that the question is really for the families whose children will stay up all night texting their friends, but I want to be able to communicate with everybody in the house, at any time, even if it has to be from the very next room. Phones, in my house, are not turned off. As for the texting issue, it hasn't been a problem here. They do have friends that they text and talk to for hours on end, but it has never interfered with sleep or school time.
Q: Is it right to make your children cook, clean, do laundry, etc?
A: I have always required that the girls help out around the house, not because I don't want to do housework, but because they need to learn how to take care of themselves. Melody and Abbey can do almost anything that I can do. Unfortunately, this idea was tested when I was put in the hospital a week before Ivana was born. They proved me right in that they were able to keep everything running smoothly while I was gone. This would not have been possible, had they been raised to expect that meals and household chores just get done by way of magic.
Q: What time do your kids have to go to bed?
A: Because my kids are homeschooled, they don't have to be in class by 8a.m. I used to stress over things like bedtime, until I realized that many of the things that the girls do independently in the evening hours are educational activities of their choosing. Consequently, they go to bed when they are tired, which is normally at a decent hour. When the night drags on to the point of ridiculous, then I will ask them to please put away the computer, classical music, library books, etc. and go to bed. Otherwise, I want them to continue learning, exploring and creating.
Have a Great Day!
Laurel
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