Anyone else "old-fashioned?"

Nikki - posted on 05/26/2010

thank goodness! im right here with you. I was in the store with my son the other day when he just kept grabbing all the clothes off the rack i moved him tried to distract him but it was difficult i finally got to a place he couldnt reach the clothes than he started pulling everything out of the back of the cart and throwing it on the floor after15 min of repeatadly saying no i popped his hand just once and he started screaming bloddy murder! haha oh the looks i got from other moms and one other woman told me i "shouldnt beat my child, violence doenst resolve anything" 2 seconds later he was fine he he sat in the cart playing with his toy like a perfect angle after that :)

Jessica - posted on 05/25/2010

I guess I'm a mix. I do some crunchy parenting and some old fashioned parenting, but my best source of advice is def. my Mom.

Sarah - posted on 05/25/2010

I am an "old-fashioned" mom and proud of it!!!

Emily - posted on 05/24/2010

I guess I'm just an "old fashioned" Mom too!

Stefanie - posted on 05/24/2010

totally agree

Vicki - posted on 05/23/2010

Thank god I'm not the only one. My little man has his own cupboard of plastics and pots and pans in the kitchen that he can use when I'm cooking dinner. Mine loves to play in the dog water (and will munch on dog bikkies if he gets his hands on them) and in the mud etc. I laugh sometimes at these mums who freak out if their child gets a speck of dust on them. My 11 month old has 3 big brothers to catch up to so we are pretty relaxed with 4 boys.

Michelle - posted on 05/23/2010

Bravo! You sound just like me and my husband! I am not saying either way of parenting is wrong, but my philosophy is this what my parents did and I survived and turned out well adjusted so no harm no foul.

I parent exactly like you!

Sarah - posted on 05/23/2010

I agree with you. We do the same things to my son. He knows when he's not supposed to have something because he will look at you and give a poo-eating grin then put it down. He gets a little smack on the hand and moved away from it if it's something that would hurt him. He's on his own schedule for bedtime, usually asleep between 8:30 and 9:30. You are definately NOT alone and I admire you. It takes a strong parent to be able to correct kids the way our parents did. :D

Kim - posted on 05/21/2010

This has to be my favorite post ever. I am so happy to see that I'm not the only "old-fashioned" mom out there! I stay at home with our daughter, we don't baby-proof, she's allowed to drink tap water and play outside barefoot, and she gets a swat on the bottom when she hits and pulls (the newest stage, heaven help us).

I see a lot of parents that coddle and over-protect their kids and I personally find it pretty appalling. Kids are kids, and they are meant to get hurt and do things outside of a padded room - how else are they going to learn??

Olivia - posted on 05/21/2010

Oh honey, you are my mom-soulmate! These are all things that we do with my daughter!

Tina - posted on 05/21/2010

I agree with this post 100%. My husband and I are the exact same way with our little girl. Kudos to you for posting this! :)

Michal - posted on 05/20/2010

@ Lauren. While not a huge problem, my DS will occasionally bite me. I don't swat or hit him but I certainly do not ignore the behaviour!!! If I swat him, how to I explain to him later that hitting is not acceptable behaviour?

Ellie - posted on 05/20/2010

im old fashion nd most people thinks is wierd as im only 19 nd all my friends r diff 2 me, bt i do most things u say however i dnt hit my sons hand coz i dnt agree in that bt he plays with every things like his fav is a wooden spoon or the dvd player. i make all his food bt he eats diff to me as im a vegetarian nd i want him 2 eat meet 4 a while. i belive every mum nd baby are different nd they do what feels right to them. x

Lauren - posted on 05/20/2010

I am the exact same way. I can't understand why people let their children do whatever they want. She has started to bite people lately and I have had to start to "swat" her hand when she does it. I cannot imagine letting her just bite me and ignoring it!

Kristin - posted on 05/19/2010

I think families do what makes sense to them. I read current research and then go with my gut which is something people have been doing for generations, even though that research may change from day to day.

Courtney - posted on 05/19/2010

This is exactly the way I parent my ten month old. Exactly.

Sana - posted on 05/19/2010

Hi you all. I'm a Pakistani living in Saudi Arabia, and over here kids don't grow up without being disciplined (usually over disciplined), but it's funny to read these comments from you all, because I always thought the majority of the American were the crunchy type.
I feel exactly the same way you all do, that kids need a little pat on the hands or the buttocks now and then. And I also have the 1,2,3 counting limit. My kids listen more to my husband though, he says no, and it's a NO. But with me it's pleease mommy, and then an OK (sometimes). And this is getting so frustrating because I have 3 kids (almost) under the age of 3 and i'm losing my temper very often. I've got to be more firm, and I don't think there's any use of the taps if I give in. Oh well, I hope things will be better soon. People say (the old ones), that kids grow up very quickly and you'll miss these times, so cherish these moments.
Really nice to read this topic. :)

Susan - posted on 05/19/2010

We pretty much do what you do too!!! Nothing wrong with it at all!

Amanda - posted on 05/19/2010

I do most, not all, of the same things!! People stare at me like i am crazy for smacking his hand or butt when he gets into something after i told him no. Certain family members also get mad that i occasionally let him "cry it out" at bedtime (which is rare). He uses the same laundry detergent and also eats whatever I make for my husband and I. We have up a safty gate next to the stairs, and other hten that, we took the books off the shelves and put his toys, so we don't have to worry about him getting into anything he shouldn't. I am only 21 and Daniel is my first child, people think I am crazy!!

Rachael - posted on 05/18/2010

Other than the hand pop and being strict on eating something he may not like, I am basically the same way! The only reason I don't pop him on the hand is that he's easily detered temporarily, so distracting him from the situation works better. As for the food, I was forced to eat food that made me physically ill on a regular basis growing up, therefore unable to gain much weight, so I'm a bit personally biased on that issue, lol.

Like you, I'm not a book parent, and I basically just do what feels right for me and my little guy. If I ever need advise (which is rare, being as I figure things out pretty easily as I go along), my aunts or grandmothers are the first people I call!

Jesse - posted on 05/18/2010

you sound just like me and i am completely bombarded by people always telling me i'm wrong... not so much people my age but a lot of times... people who don't have kids... i give you KUDOS for all your efforts, because we stay at home moms do so for our kids... not for a vacation!

Janessa - posted on 05/18/2010

Definitely not alone, I am right there with you. I've never looked up how to parent in a book, nor do I follow the advice of others, I do what comes naturally and feels right for me.

Holly - posted on 05/17/2010

Finally! Someone agrees with my way of parenting! I almost think I have a twin. Staying at home, slap on the hand, mom and dad food, bedtime, toys that are not exactly 'baby'. It's an exact fit with my household. My husband and I have found it teaches a great deal of self worth and independence to our children without ignoring them. No one is hurt, abused or unloved, and we're all happy! Do I consider it Old fashioned? No. I don't even consider my parents old fashioned. My grandparents maybe. What is old fashioned anyway? So many people consider it so many things. I don't go by a book or follow exact doctors orders or go by exact recommendations on the medicine bottles either. But my kids are sick less than I am so I must be doing something right! I have a gate for my dog not the kids and the only reason I have zip ties on my cupboards is to keep my daughter from hiding my pots! They'll learn from their mistakes, the same way I did. I tell you what I never stuck my finger in a light socket again after the first time I did it! Neither did my first son when he found a paper clip and put it to use in a plug in. Some call it cruel or abusive but I call it a learning experience. Obviously I don't keep anything harmful in my childrens' reach but if they don't want to listen when they are told no about the plug ins or can openers or scissors, they just might learn the hard way. I love my children and would do anything for them. I wouldn't tell anyone how to raise their kids, even if I didn't agree with it, I would expect the same from anyone else as a parent.

Michal - posted on 05/17/2010

I don't understand this whole conversation. What makes any of your parenting style "old fashioned" I do not at all consider myself an old fashioned parent or a "crunchy" parent. I think I am in the middle and that works for us. I don't follow a book, or what my parents did. I would consider my parents old fashioned parents and I am not close to them at all and I would like a different relationship with DS. Our house is baby proofed but not overly. Just anything that would do him harm is protected. I give DS lots of attention - and I don't think this is old fashioned parenting!!! We don't CIO with him. We barely watch tv. We do (non-organic) baby food and DS is gradually eating more and more of our food. But that is because babies don't have the gag reflex to eat all the foods that mommy and daddy eat right away. I will be going back to work in 2 months, because I want to. Everyone needs to do what works for them and not be judged by other parents.

Amy - posted on 05/17/2010

I guess i'm an "old-fashioned" mama too! We haven't baby-proofed at all. Someone got us a big baby-proofing kit but we haven't used it. I used to be very much against "crying it out", but i've learned the differance between my son's "mommy i'm hungry/need a diaper change/scared" cries and his "OMFG I'm so angry I just need to let it out RAWWWR!" cries. Sometimes he's just overtired and needs to let out some frustrations before he goes to sleep. If that's the case, then me picking him up only makes it worse for him.

We don't do organic. If there is something baby or I like that just happens to be organic, then fine, but we don't go out of our way to ONLY get the organic stuff.

We use disposable diapers. I actually would have liked to use the cloth ones, but we would have had to spend big bucks to get a decent supply and we just couldn't afford it.

I don't "pop" my son though. He understands what "no" means. If he ignores me then he gets moved to another room, away from whatever it was he was messing with. I don't think 'popping' him would get the point across. Sometimes I tell him no and move him away and he throws a fit and starts kicking his legs and screaming, thats when I put him in his crib for a few minutes. I guess its like a "baby timeout" lol. When he gets older i'll probably do the slap on the hand, but at 11 months old I don't think it's the right thing to do right now (for me).

I'm also a stay at home mom, which I love. I've been trying to find a part-time job to make it easier on my hubby and to make life better for my little guy. He won't be put in daycare though, he'd either be with my mom or my mother in law. :)

Kat - posted on 05/17/2010

I'm gonna go with Debra here, and say that I would have thought that was "modern" parenting! :-) I mean, there are soooo many different books/resources etc out there that will inevitably contradict each other that you just have to go with heart mummy instinct.

However, in saying that, I think it is a shame that (and it is no-one in this group that I have read) there is new info, and I mean scientific stuff, that tells us things that are a 180 turn from the "old-fashioned" way. Because, 20-50 years ago they couldn't take a saliva swab from a baby that is crying and tell how stressed it is, but now they can. Also, the whole "children-should-be-seen-and-not-heard" society back then ruled a lot of the ways of parenting, whereas I think as a society on the whole we now like children to be respected and listened to, so as to build confident and spirited children.

Hopefully that makes sense. (definitely not intended as a jibe, I just think it's healthy to question the reasoning behind our own parenting sometimes)

Kylie - posted on 05/16/2010

I have 3 young boys 5yr old 20mth old and a 10mth old and we have parented the same as you do, I like the old fashioned way, My kids have manners and respect for them selves and others! Its the best way!
My pots and pans draw always has little fingers in it pulling everything out and so does my tupperware draw! LOL! We also sacrifice everything so I can stay at home with the kids, my hubby works long hours but its so worth it!

Allison - posted on 05/16/2010

SO agree with Carrie on the points of manners, not interrupting , and earning and chores!!! These are things I believe you need to instill from day 1. The first time my little guy handed me something I said thank you, and please when I want something. That's all it really takes besides a few reminders now and then! My 3 year old has little chores like taking the recycling outside and putting them in the big can, feeding the cat, and of course picking up after himself. He has never fought me on them because he thinks it's fun to help!! He started to feed the cats on his own, and used to help me with the recycling when I would take it out, until finally one day he was like "No mommy I will do it." And I have always told my 3 year old about staring and how it's not nice. These things are just basic manners and respect and I think alot of it has been lost with the current generation and my boys will not be part of it!!

Danielle - posted on 05/16/2010

It is kind of sad all the stereotypes out there of parenting "types".

I still can't reconcile hitting a kid on the hand "pop one on the hand" or anywhere with trying to teach them to not hit. It just seems counterproductive. My husband does it and I am fine that he does.

I try to keep my daughter from playing with plastic even supervised, and I removed plastic bags out of our small garbage cans around the house. Ditto on what one person said about her husband being a paramedic and having seen too much suffocation, it just makes me nauseated to think about it!

Not everyone has a idyllic childhood from which to learn from. I don't think my parents did a perfect job of raising me so there are some things I don't want to repeat. I intentionally read a LOTS of parenting books, but I am a rational thinking humand being, so I took the advice that made sense to me. Ditto to whoever said they agreed from the start to not be high anxiety/high pressure parents. Particularly good advice for a first child, you have to stop yourself from coddling and make sure they get enough discovery time.

Denna - posted on 05/16/2010

Am right there with you! Cessie favorite toys are the plastic bowls lol I pick on my neice who has a 3 year old because she tells him time out and he does his own thing like whatever mom. I have raised my children the way my momma & daddy raised me and my older girls are yes ma'am no ma'am thank you please things you don't hear from the younger generation. I agree that it won't kill em and its not child abuse to smack the bottom or the hand. There are consequences other than. Sitting on the steps for minutes. I don't buy kids/baby food either. You eat what I fix or you don't eat. I give them choices lol they have to earn tv or computer time. I too am a stay at home mom I believe if parents were more involved in their childrens lives and spank them when they need it that maybe the kids wouldn't be so violent or video game crazed. Then again I am also a parent that believes we should still have prayer in school too. I'm glad there are parents out there that I can talk to who still believe in generations of raising not research studies. God bless you! :)

CARRIE - posted on 05/15/2010

Common sense gets everyone through most anything life throws at you. With that said I'd say I'm somewhere in the middle between total hard core old school and new age. I worried about who I should go to for advice and who was right about how to raise a child these days. Should I listen to all the over protective know it all psycho babble experts or should I play it straight old school? After my son was born we realized that there is no one size fits all way to parent and we followed the idea of doing what felt right for us. Some things should never go out of style but, you need to be flexible and leave room for change. We co-sleep because we did it from day one and my son has slept through the night since 2 months of age. My thought on that is if it ain't broke don't fix it. I let him watch t.v., we never used special laundry detergent, he eats what we eat because he rejected his baby food at about 8 months of age. We try to feed him healthy foods so he will develop good eating habits and not end up being a 600 pound adult but, we don't go to any extremes. We have decided no video games and we will review the no video game policy after he can read and write. We want him to concentrate on important things first. We hug and kiss him as much as possible because we want him to know that he is loved and what better way to teach the concept of "actions speak louder than words". We talk to him, read to him, and teach him fun games and songs because we enjoy spending time with him. And I am a stay at home Mom because I believe that is what is best for us. We didn't go crazy on the baby proofing but, we did some things like cabinet and drawer locks because he is very clumsy and I figured better safe than sorry. I am absolutely against spanking because of my own experience growing up. He will be disciplined in a way that makes us comfortable......but, rest assured he will get the point because I won't put up with any bull crap. One thing I will say is that I still agree with a few old school concepts that the hard core new age parenting followers have forgotten along the way 1. don't interrupt adults 2. don't stare because it is rude 3. chores build character and teach kids responsibility ( my son will have plenty of chores), 4. you are not entitled to anything..........you should earn things and not expect to have them handed to you. I see a lack of common sense and respect in kids these days. I want my son to be raised in a safe healthy way but, I don't want him to end up lazy and feeling like the world owes him something.

On a side note while shopping for baby stuff when I was pregnant we laughed at all the goofy stuff that they try and convince parents to buy these days. I always joke and say it's a wonder we all survived childhood with all of our dangerous cribs and the lead based paint that they used on everything........lol! Now every other day there is a recall on one item or another. An item I had a good laugh at recently was a strap the you put around your child's waist that had strap/handles that you held so you could teach them how to walk! What happened to holding their hands while walking behind them???

Faith - posted on 05/15/2010

I'm so glad I found this post. My son is 11 months old and I stay at home with him (I plan to go back to work after I finish college but he'll be in school by then). We don't eat organic unless we are at the farmers market and we see something that would be cheaper than at the grocery. When he does something wrong he gets told no about 2 times then gets a little pop on the hand. He has a few toys that were bought second hand but he mostly prefers the empty boxes we keep for him to play with. I do use cloth but only because it saves us almost 50 dollars a month. We use the CIO method for sleeping and have done so since he was 8 months old,my mom recommended that to us. I feel like I'm always on the phone with my mom or grandma for some kind of advice. Its nice to know there are others out there that aren't looking for an "expert" or book out there on parenting.

Michele - posted on 05/15/2010

Elizabeth - I agree with you! I wouldn't call other mothering ways wrong, either. I choose to parent with common sense. I gather information from moms around me and then use my best judgment (plus my heart-knowledge) to do what I think is best. Our daughter is the most precious blessing we've received and we know she has been given to us. But, we do not treat her like our world revolves around her. She is involved in our world - but we're her parents and don't always have to be her friend. Anyway, yes, I do feel a bit like you! We're a disappearing race, I think.

Allison - posted on 05/15/2010

I guess I am an "in the middle" parent. We are not baby proofed except where cleaning supplies are. My little guy loves to play with pots and pans, tupperware, and emptying the dish towel drawer. I tell my son No but I don't pop him. I don't let him cry it out but he's also not a big cryer. I don't do organic and we all (hubby, me, 3 year old, and baby) all eat the same thing at meal times. And my kids love Nick Jr. and PBS Sprout!! We sing and do finger plays (Thumbkin, Itsy Bitsy Spider) And I laugh at the child proofing tools they have come out with! A few others besides the knee pads, are helmets (while baby is learning to walk), toilet locks, corner guards, velcro straps to lock the fridge, stove guards, and "soft spout covers" for faucets!!!! Unbelievable!!!!

Tiffany - posted on 05/15/2010

wow this conversation is fantastic ! i am 19 yrs old and my partner is 24, we have an 11 month old son. he plays in the dirt almost everyday and likes to get dirty, for the forst two months of his life he was in cloth nappies. if he falls over we dnt let him see we are watching him otherwise he cries but if we say nothing he wil get back up and keep doing what he was doing. if he does have a big stack and cry he has cuddles and kisses and then he is fine :) our house is a little child proofed as we dnt like to be right behind him watching him all the time but he gets in the container draws and makes a big mess and we let him be as he is a child and needs to do messy things :) he gets a 'pop' every now and again and we dnt let him rule the house but he knows his boundaries though he does test us sometimes. alot of ppl comment on my sons constant good happy behaviour ! he eats pretty much whatever and we just keep a close eye on him. um as for disipline we started giving him a tap on the hand at an earlier age and i think it has all payed off because we just have to say argh and he is good :) he looks at us and smiles and knows we mean no ! sometimes i turn him to look me in the eyes and i tell him no and why i have said no that way he knows i am not mucking around that im being serious. he sometimes has a tantrum so i pick him up look him in the eye and tell him to stop ! and he is generally pretty good. um we have lots of cuddles and kisses during the day and he reads educational books and hardly ever watches tv. we dnt watch much tv in our house at all. at night time while he is sleeping he wil have a little winge but i just listen as he is in the room next to ours and usually he settles down and i dnt have to go in there. its amazing how our children know things from such a young age !!

Rachael - posted on 05/15/2010

I totally agree and that is how I am trying to raise my baby too. I think it is such a time saver to make just one meal, not two or three to suit everyone. A few bumps here and there are ok - there is no need for the bubble wrap. Kids will be kids after all! And if you don't teach them what they can and can't touch in your own home what is going to happen when you go out or to someone elses home? They are more than likely to have the same items in their house that you also do that they shouldn't touch. I'm so glad that there is so many people out there with the same ideas. I don't feel so alone any more.

Charmain - posted on 05/15/2010

Our house is quite baby proof, I don't like to walk behind my 11 month old all day long telling her what she's allowed to touch and what not. I'm quite laid back, she watches tv (I do control what they watch, no violence or programs teaching them bad manners etc. Mostly Cbeebies) with her brothers and we don't eat organic all the time, although I do prefer organic food when available. I believe in controlled crying and I believe that's the reason all 3 my kids sleep through the night.

Debra - posted on 05/14/2010

Haha that's funny because i am 18 & that's exactly how i parent. I thought that was modern parenting, i thought back in the old days everyone were worry-warts. I don't believe that babies need to be in a child-proof prison. I let my son eat almost everything we do & he plays with lots of things that other people think are inappropriate, & i will let my son cry for 10-15 minutes before he goes to sleep. I just use my commonsense & my instinct. I think that in this day & age, heaps of mothers have lost that maternal instinct. And by the way, i get so many comments on how well-behaved & content my son is!

Jennifer - posted on 05/14/2010

In some things, I'm very crunchy. In others, I just don't care. Her baby food is all organic, and I check the ingredients closely. I prefer organic food myself, and I'm not going to feed her something I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. Plus, she's allergic to dairy so I have to check ingredients. She shares the fancy organic puffs with the dog. I blame the dog. (caveat: I grew up on organic food; we ate fruit, veggies, and meat from the farm.)

I think the video systems are the dumbest things ever. She doesn't get to watch tv, either. I didn't watch tv at that age.

She's started the occasional tantrum when she wants something, and isn't allowed to have it, and to be honest I calm her down. I tell her that I understand she's upset, and that she wanted the toy, and let's do something else. I do NOT give her what she wants because she cried.

We've sacrificed quite a bit so I can be a SAHM, and I'm glad we did. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I'm considering switching to cloth diapers to save money.

Anjali - posted on 05/14/2010

Thank you Lord, there are others who think like I do. At least I dont feel like the wicked mother from the West now. I totally agree that children should be taught discipline from an early age. I dont believe that the baby has to do something just because I said so but do believe that if you are asking the baby not to pull wires or plugs out, and get into potentially harmful activity reprimand once , twice thrice, and if baby does not listen give him /her a smack on the hand till they learn no means no.

Elizabeth - posted on 05/14/2010

Yay April! My daughter came home on Friday from the hospital (with me, I was the hold up) and she was passed around at church that Sunday. :)

April - posted on 05/14/2010

Lol. This has been great to read. We are very much the same way, though the "pop" on the hand is reserved for dangerous items only (i.e., yesterday when she was trying to put her finger in a socket at a business we were visiting, not for when she reaches for the trash can). My hubby and I decided early on we didn't want to be high-anxiety parents, and to let our daughter learn things naturally. It's hard to let her fall as she learns to walk, but how else does she learn balance if we catch her all the time? How will she build immunity if she's never exposed to germs? So yes, I took my daughter to a restaurant for the first time at 1 week. And she's a very healthy, friendly, and tolerant baby for it.

Elizabeth - posted on 05/14/2010

Well ladies, we made is as a featured conversation! :) So here's to parenting like our Moms did!

Adrienne - posted on 05/14/2010

Me and my husband are both 26 years old with 3 children and we are definitely old fashioned.

Megan - posted on 05/14/2010

I just read the post about parents not taking their children in public. I find that hilarious because my boyfriend and I are always at odds on this one. He is starting to lean to my side a little more, but as a kid he never really went out to run errands. That was when you could lock your kids in the car while you ran inside a building without having the police called. When we first had our son, I took him EVERYWHERE with me, simply because if I didn't, I was stuck in the house by myself all day. Not that I don't love being with my son, but I do go a little crazy after about 4 days straight of not going anywhere.
It then got a little more difficult to take my son out because he was too big for his infant seat, but not able to sit up, so I stopped. Just recently we started bringing him out and about. He has gone out to eat with his grandma and me twice in the past two weeks. He LOVES it. He talks (ok, babbles) to the waitstaff, eats his bread and veggies,and dances nonstop to the music. I love taking him out and watching him react to everything around him.

I am also a more "Old School" parent. It's kind of weird being old school when I am a young mom with an unplanned child, but I believe in discipline. I don't pay attention to him when he throws a tantrum (unless he actually hurt himself- he will toss his head back and sometimes lose his balance and clunk down to the floor- then I cuddle him). I let him cry it out most the time. If he wakes up in the middle of the night and starts to fuss, I wait. If he starts screaming, I let him cry for about 5 minutes if he just sounds mad. If he sounds hurt I go in. Basically, I listen and communicate with my child.

Our home is not baby proofed really. Anything that could be poisonus is in our bathroom/pantry and that door is always shut and locked from the outside. We do have a floor lamp that he loves to try and pull down on himself, but that is in the living room, and I am always with him there. I just shut the doors to the rooms he can't go in, and unplug and hide his nightlite every morning, and I let him roam free. I can always see him, but I know there's nothing that will really hurt him. I will let him play in the kitchen while I work on the computer (they are right next to each other) and when I look into the kitchen, every cabinet door is open and pots, pans, tupperware, our popcorn maker, EVERYTHING is all over the floor.

I don't tend to pop his hand, I tend to raise my voice and call him by his full name, and he has already figured out that when I do that he did something dangerous. He then starts crying and crawls over to me. I do then pick him up and cuddle him. I think it's good to discipline in a loving way. He knows that even if I do raise my voice at him, or ignore a tantrum, that I am immediately there when he calms down/stops "misbehaving" to cuddle and play with him.

Elizabeth - posted on 05/14/2010

http://www.amazon.com/Snazzy-Baby-Knee-S...

Kalle - posted on 05/13/2010

Knee pads for babies???? You've got to be kidding me?!!! That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!

Camille - posted on 05/13/2010

This made me laugh because my daughter loves to empty the tupperware drawer and take all the baggies out of the boxes one by one and I have no problem with her doing it. Once shes done we play the clean up game and we put them all back (and then take them out again lol!). She also bangs on the pots and pans with wooden spoons and we listen to music and dance around the living room and sing songs and clap!

Elizabeth - posted on 05/13/2010

I guess Heather by being positive (because I didn't want to offend others) it might not be clear. I am just revolting against the large number of "must have" baby things to keep baby safe that are ridiculous. They make knee pads now for babies learning how to crawl!!! Knee pads!?!?
I've been told that giving my daughter solids outside of the 4-6 month range meant she would get diabetes. I looked it up, one study showed a possible link. Really? My daughter was grabbing mashed potatoes on my plate at 10 weeks.
As parents I really feel the culture has moved into this impossible notion that if you don't do exactly what the latest expert research says, you are going to screw up your kid before they are even 1. Now, we're being bombarded that if you let your child cry, at all, they won't remember you exist, they will feel abandoned, have psychological issues later on, and on and on. If you spank them, they will end up in jail. If they watch TV at all under the age of 2 they will have ADD.

All I'm trying to say is I'm not jumping on board with all that. I'm not going to be a hover parent. I'm not going to drive myself nuts with study after study. My husband and I employ common sense and I just wanted to know I wasn't the only one.

Jenna - posted on 05/13/2010

That sounds just like my family! You are doing a great job!!! Keep it up!