Month: October 2012

Bizarre Bazaar

LagosMum3 Comments

There’s a bazaar on Saturday and I’ve bought myself a table!

I’m rather excited about it – because it’ll give me a chance to really get my name ‘out there’.

But I’m also very nervous.

1. Should I take all my products?  All the shoes and all the clothes?

2. I don’t want to be scrabbling around under the table looking for sizes!

3. What will be the best way to display my products so that I *don’t* have to scrabble around under the table? *makes mental note to find out size of table*

4. Should I take everything? (I know this was number one, but it’s really bothering me.)

5. Who can come with me to help?

Does anyone have any experience of taking part in a bazaar?  Any words of wisdom?

 

(I know the title of this post makes so sense. It’s named after a mix-up in a school newsletter a few years ago)

What Do You Mean, ‘No!’?

LagosMum2 Comments

Here’s a scenario that happens in our house on almost a daily basis.  Usually more than once a day.

V is watching television, but it’s time for his bath.  I’m not so mean as to switch everything off in the middle of a DVD (even if he’s seen it five million times).  

So I tell him, ‘Vinay, it’s time for your bath.’

He immediately starts making a fuss.

‘Vinay, you can watch one more song and then it’s time for a bath.’  

He agrees.  

I make sure he has understood what I’ve said.

‘Vinay, how many songs can you watch?’ He tells me, ‘One’ and holds up one finger.

‘What will you do after that?’ He replies, ‘Go for bath.’

So he understands.  

After his chosen song is over, I remind him it’s time for his bath and that he AGREED that he will come without a fuss.

Cue tantrum and a whole lot of ‘No, no no!’

I don’t let him watch any more, but he can spend anywhere between ten and thirty minutes stamping his feet and throwing himself around the room.  

This SAME scenario happens throughout the day. 

When it’s time to eat, time to sleep, time to get dressed, whatever it is.  We agree on something. I check he understands, but then he has an absolute shit fit.

I’ve tried it the other way round as well.  E.g. ‘Yes, you can watch Wheels on the Bus, but you have to have dinner first.’  

Doesn’t happen.  He screams and cries and then nothing happens for the next hour. 

I find myself losing my patience more regularly and really need to come up with some strategies to deal with this nonsense.

Am I being too soft?

Any advice?

Hair Fetish?

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About a year ago I wrote a post about shaving Vinay’s head when he was thirteen months old.

He really was very attached to it – maybe it was much more of a soother than I realised.

This has become a slight concern for me because during his ‘down-time’ (watching TV, feeling sleepy), he likes to stroke my hair.

It doesn’t matter if it’s tied up or not, or even if it hasn’t been washed for two days.  He will stroke it and pull it.  And I don’t know how he does it, but he always manages to get hold of ONE strand and pull.  Hard.

It bloody hurts.

What’s worse is that he’s more inclined to shove his hands in my hair and rub my head when my hair is freshyly blow-dried!

Now when we watch television together, I tell him he cannot touch my hair.  Cue tantrum.  And he says, ‘Touch mama’s hair.  Only gently!’

So I let him stroke it gently.

What can I do to get him to stop?  What if it turns into some kind of fetish?!

Maybe I should buy him a doll with nice long hair for him to play with!

An Official Mid-Term Progress Report

LagosMum7 Comments

Vinay got his very first mid-term progress report from nursery.  It’s very simple – just a check-list with a space for a comment at the bottom.  Apparently his December report will be more detailed.

Here’s what it says.

Number Skills – Needs Improvement

Language & Literacy Skills – Good

Social Skills – Good

Art & Craft – Good

Fine Motor Skills – Needs Improvement

Gross Motor Skills – Good

Comment: Vinay is very well settled in class. He displays great enthusiasm and initiative in all his class activities.

So here are my thoughts…

1. Awww – my baby has a report card!

2. WTF? His number skills need improving?  What should I start doing with him at home?  Is it because he mixes up four and five when he counts?  Is it because he’s only *just* learnt to count to 10?  Is it because he can’t count to 10 reliably?

3. There must be something wrong with me – the child is only two.  Obviously his number skills need improving.

4. Oh – his language and literacy skills are good!  That’s excellent, considering not many people can understand what he says most of the time.

5. I’m going to Google ‘Improving Fine Motor Skills for Toddlers’ and start doing some activities over half-term.  Maybe he should do more colouring and/or painting at home?

6. Jesus, I really don’t want to be one of *those* parents.

7. We’re going to do lots of counting over half-term.

8. If his numercy skills don’t improve, LagosDad is going to say he takes after me.

9. Should I make an appointment to see his teacher to discuss what we can do at home to help him?

10. Get a grip, woman!  The child is TWO!

Any thoughts?

Give Me Strength!

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So…  Vinay’s been home sick since last Thursday.  Today and tomorrow are public holidays for Eid (so nursery is closed) and all of next week is half-term.  

Now, don’t misunderstand me – I love him to bits.  And I can’t wait to pick him up in the afternoons.  But I also love that he actually *goes* to nursery!

Poor baby.  He has been unwell.  But he’s been in very good spirits (most of the time) and has been his usual destructive self for the last week.  

And now he’s home for *another* week! *throws self on bed and weeps*

Funny how when I was teaching I couldn’t wait for public holidays and half-terms.  I would count-down to them and wonder why all the mums were complaining about having so many days off school!  Didn’t they want to spend more time with their precious darlings?!

Can someone please tell me – WHAT am I supposed to do with him for a whole other week?!

You Give Me Fever

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As a mother, and I’m sure you will agree with me, one of the hardest things is when your child is sick.  You can rush to the doctor and you can ask your friends for advice on what to do, but that’s just so much more confusing sometimes!

About ten days ago, Vinay started coughing.  I immediately started on the cough syrup.  I’m a bit paranoid about his coughs after he got a chest infection last year.  

I sent him to nursery on Monday and Tuesday as usual.  As a teacher, I’ve always hated when parents send their kids into school when they’re unwell – but he was in such good spirits and he *wanted* to go.  

On Wednesday I took him to the doctor because the cough hadn’t become any better.  The doc said it was a viral infection and to continue with the cough syrup.  I kept Vinay home on Thursday and Friday.

From 3am on Monday up until 3am on Wednesday, his temperature has gone up to 104 and back to normal several times.  The doctor said it was viral and that I should stay calm and dose him with paracetemol, continue with the cough syrup and give him antibiotics for three days.

I have sighed with relief when his temperature came down to 99, cried with worry when it spiked and done a little jig inside my head when it’s come down again.  

His temperature has been normal for a few hours now; so fingers crossed!

But I’m very confused!

Maybe I should instinctively know these things, but I don’t.  Maybe it just needs common sense…

When V was coughing, the doctor said to be careful of the air conditioning, etc. Fair enough and easily done.

But when has a fever, is he meant to be kept warm?  Or cool?  Should we have turned the air conditioners on or off?  Should he be dressed warmly?  Or just in a vest?

My mother always told me that if his temperature was over 101, I shouldn’t let him sleep until I’ve brought it down to 100 or less.  I’m meant to do this by rubbing brandy on his forehead, navel and soles of his feet, using a cold compress, giving him a cold bath.  But the doctor said that if he wants to sleep, I should let him sleep (and of course I should monitor his temperature).  And if the child is already weak, won’t sticking him in a cold bath make him scream and make him worse?

Thank you to all the people on Twitter who advised me to give alternate doses of paracetemol and Nurofen every four hours, it really helped!  But a friend has just told me that *her* doctor said to give alternate doses every two hours!  Isn’t that too much?  

My mum (again) said that if a child has a cough, don’t give them fried food.  Is it because of the oil?  But what if they won’t eat anything apart from something fried?  Isn’t it better that they eat *something* rather than nothing?

I’m so confused – How do you know when to do what?  Maybe I don’t have that ‘mother’s instinct’?