Listen To Your Parents!

When I had my first child, he only weighed two pounds fourteen ounces. He was two and a half months premature, and came into the world with a resilience that he still has to this day. My son was a fighter, and was out of the hospital in a couple of months. The only problem was that he was the first grandchild. I am one of ten siblings, so everyone was very excited to have another baby around. My youngest brother was just thirteen, so my parents were having baby withdrawals. Everyone couldn't wait to get their hands on this four pound baby. I stayed at my parents house for the first months of his life because he had to be fed around the clock. My mother was more than happy to help me, and I was grateful for my parents help. My three younger brothers would stand guard around my son's crib when he would have visitors, and he was held constantly. This was going to be one spoiled baby. If he made even a squeak, he was out of the crib and into one of many arms. My father had warned me that this might not be a good thing, but I wanted this baby to be cuddled and loved as much as possible. After all, he did not have the luxury of staying where he was supposed to be so I figured this was what he needed. The problem was that this poor baby was extremely OVERSTIMULATED, and still is to this day! (sorry John) When John was just fifteen months old, his baby sister Trish was born. This was a very confusing time for him because he had been the center of attention for over a year. I am surprised he learned how to walk, because he was always being held. He took his first steps right before Trish was born, and had caught up to what he should be doing for his age. Now I had two children, and juggling my time was harder than ever. There were always toys everywhere, (I don't think I ever had to buy them, because someone was always coming over with gifts for both of them.) We were given drum sets, trains complete with tracks that went all over the living room, and games with pieces that I was constantly picking up. I wasn't the type of person that would clean up at the end of the day. I was always picking up toys and putting them away. My father told me that I should have John help me pick them up. Are you crazy? He is ONLY two years old! He isn't old enough to understand the concept of cleaning up! When he bit his sister in the head because she crawled over to one of his toys, I couldn't punish him! After all, he didn't understand that he was supposed to share. Remember this right now, before I go any further. It is NEVER too early to discipline your child. It doesn't have to be complicated, but just let them know you are the boss and still love them.  When your baby cries in their crib, let them cry for awhile. As long as they are fed and changed, it is ok to let them fuss. Obviously, if they cry too long, there could be something wrong, but you can usually tell. You will be doing your baby and yourself a very big favor if you let them learn how to comfort themselves. My youngest daughter Jillian was a preemie and I had her in bed with us every night. If she made even a peep,(which was about all that could come out of that little body) I would pick her up. The cradle was just a piece of furniture at the end of our bed. So when my husband came home late one night from an evening of bowling, he thought nothing of throwing his jacket across the cradle. Unfortunately, I had actually put her in it for a change. If for no other reason than that happening , keep your baby in their crib. You would be surprised what can get thrown in it if people think there is no baby in it. I cannot stress enough the importance of listening to advice that your parents will offer you. I tuned them out every time they would give me their humble opinion. I always took it the wrong way, thinking they thought that I couldn't do it myself. That was not the case, and is usually never the case. Your parents have something called "experience" and want to save you the trouble of making the same mistakes that they did. They are not your enemy, they are your friend. Too bad that once again, I had to learn the hard way, like everything else in life. So remember, LISTEN TO YOUR PARENTS. They have your best interest at heart and are only there to help!