No way would I ever claim that I know everything about being a parent. I know that we have barely scratched the surface of this whole parenting thing.
But what I do know is when to ask for help.
So here I am with a few of our current issues, hoping that someone out there can give us some sage advice.
Issue One: We are in the midst of utensil training. First of all, is it normal to use an entire box of wipes for each meal, or to have the urge to just have dinner in the bathtub? We have some really good toddler utensils (we think) but what I really want to know is what are some good foods to actually get this learning process moving. George gets the idea of stuff goes on the fork, but he gets as impatient as his parents and ends up just using his hands after a couple scoop/stab attempts. Any advice on how to handle this process is welcomed by this sauce and oatmeal covered mama.
Issue Two: This may be my biggest dilemma. The days are very rare that Tom is around to help in the morning with George. The shifts he is on are all the worst timing for me to have backup during morning time. What I have been doing up to this point to actually get a shower is to put George in the bouncer while he drinks his morning milk. This allows me the 10 minutes I need to shower and not worry that he is getting into any danger while I am unavailable. But I think my time with the bouncer as my saving grace is soon ending. What do people do to be able to shower when they are solo? George is still to young to be left without some eyes and quick response, especially if I want all my cabinets in tact when I get done. I don’t think I have ever seen him sit still without being strapped down so just hoping he would just watch some TV quietly is out of the question. My son likes to play hard from sun up to sun down. I know those little gates/baby jails wont work for Gdubs. He could either climb them or knock them down. Other ideas? Or should I just keep using the bouncer until he can climb out of that thing? Seriously, I have nightmares of him finding his way through the basement door and falling down the stairs. Someone help! And yes I know there is the option of showering at night, but I need the shower to wake me up and my hair doesn’t do well with night showers. Showering after Gdubs is in bed is an option if none other are presented, but seriously there have to be some other ideas right?
Issue Three: George is a teething biter. Whenever he has multiple teeth coming in at one time, he thinks biting people is ok to test out those new teeth. He has bit multiple people in our family, the babysitter, and another girl at the sitter’s. He has even bit himself. I don’t believe that it is out of attention since most of the time it happens when we are playing (for me at least). I believe it is purely because he has to have something in his mouth because of those teeth breaking through. Everything goes in his mouth. But how do I make him realize that it is not an ok option for teething pain to become a walker? And what kid bites themselves?
Issue Five: How do people brush their kids teeth? George hates it. Like he screams like we are torturing him, and then refuses to open his mouth if we even come near it with the tooth brush. We are able to somewhat brush with the finger brush, but that is equally scary because see issue three. I am surprised we aren’t missing digits from his biting during our brushing attempts. He has his first dentist appointment coming up which I will definitely consult with the expert, but I wold love to know your tricks if you have them! I am a little worried because we cannot get in there to adequately brush. I also don’t want him to grow up thinking this is a torture device. Is this a phase? What do you do?
Issue Five: One issue that has been solved is him wetting the bed. About a month ago, George started peeing through his diaper causing him to wake up at an ungodly hour. We had gotten this far without using overnight diapers, and I didn’t really know where to start with experimenting with diapers. This Influenster box could not have come a better time! We were able to review the Babies R Us brand of diapers.
I put these diapers through the wringer. He slept in them for 12 hours (which was the time limit written on the packaging). He wore them playing, a car trip to KC, and every day goodness.
And surprisingly, they rose up to the test. I would never have thought the Babies R Us brand to be anything worth bragging about if I were to be honest. We only had one incident of leakage, which I honestly think could have been parent error in not making them tight enough. It has been so nice not to have to strip the bed and bring him into our bed to get some precious sleep. He also had no diaper rash while in these, which is another bonus for my teething little monster.
If I am to be completely honest, I don’t know if I will go out of my way to get this brand. We didn’t even register at Babies R Us, I can probably count on one hand how many times I have been in that store in my entire life. Plus this 28 pack is their jumbo pack. I feel that this is really misleading. A jumbo pack should give me a lot more than 28 diapers. But this pack was only $7.99 which is close to the Target brand price. (My calculation though is that I am saving 6 cents per diaper though with Target.)
So did they do the job? Yes, and I would recommend them to anyone. However, I am still on the lookout for a more convenient option of overnight diapers since we never go there. I don’t like making extra trips to places since I normally have Gdubs with me. We like one and done types of shopping trips.
I did receive these diapers complimentary for the review from Influenster, and these thoughts are my own.
If you are interested in getting an Influenster box (you don’t have to be a blogger), just let me know, and I can send you an invite. They are a fun surprise! The community is also really easy to navigate. The more you interact, the more they will be able to find boxes that fit your style and needs. It is really versatile, and you can use it a lot or hardly at all. I have really enjoyed it so far!
Can anyone help a parent out with these issues? Do you have any issues you need advice with or problems I am not even aware of? Can we all be in this together?
findingmyyellow.com 