She (I) never left. I’m still around. Just a wasting-away unkempt version of myself. And Cool Dad did nothing to deserve this!
I realized today that my hair-washings are so infrequent that I no longer need to use conditioner (yuck, I know). And my clothes are getting a little too loose. I think Cool Baby has a Mum is Doing Something Necessary to Her Survival alarm. And it’s very loud.
I am making a commitment to do something about this and I need any tricks you can offer! (Again, not here to complain–just a call for advice after being let down many times by Google.)
What do you do if you’re watching a baby/toddler and you:
a) desperately need a shower?
b) would like to do something luxurious, like have a bite of your lunch?
c) have to answer the call of nature?
d) would like to brush your teeth before 2pm?
There must be some super parenting tricks that everyone else knows but me. The baby carrier is helping, but it too has its limits (like not being waterproof). How do you keep these little people entertained and out of trouble while you keep yourself alive?
I see other parents walking around looking like normal people. Some even have more than one kid and I would venture to say that they look somewhat glamorous. Maybe they start the day at 4 in the morning, Proverbs 31-style? It must be possible.
So please fill me in here! (On a side note, Cool Baby is traipsing about in swimming trunks right now thanks to no clean laundry.)
Related posts:
Look on the bright side – at least the boy is ready to go swimming on a moment’s notice!
A baby can be left alone in a room once it is made safe, contrary to the beliefs of the new-age panic parents that exist today. Put him in his cot, and leave the doors open while you shower.
very true cool dad! always thinking!
hmmm…when my kids were smaller i got up a bit earlier than them to take my shower. it just worked for me. even though i despise getting up real early. but maybe cool baby doesn’t get up all that early and you can swing this.
i would also have my kids have some quiet time in their rooms. even at cool babies age. they would sit in their cribs (or a pak n play) with some of their favorite toys. i would put music on for them and set the timer for at least 30 minutes. even though they couldn’t understand what i was saying, i would tell them each time that this is their special quite time, have fun…balh, blah… eventually they got used to it and liked it. they still do it to this day in fact.
thats all i have for now. maybe we can talk about this on chat tonight!
If I don’t get up early enough to shower before getting them out of bed, then at our house, shower time is “movie time.” When they were little I’d put them in the pack & play and put a movie on, and also throw some books and toys in there. When the pack & play went away, i’d start sitting them on the bed with the movie of their choice. They still pop in on me, but I can always redirect by asking what’s going on in the movie.
It’s the only time we used the electronic babysitter when they were babies.
I always thought it was okay if they cried, as long as I knew they were safe – because they needed to learn that mommy had needs too.
eh? don’t you aliens have parenting classes or support groups?
Or grandparents?(grin)
Okay, I have some tips since I have no help with twins that are a year and crazed.
Children need time to decompress and have imaginative play. I put the babies in their cribs with a few toys and allow them to have quiet time. I see this as a time for them to relax and I have the monitor on just in case anyone freaks out and bonks their head or falls our of the crib.
At mealtimes, I prepare my food first and then put them in their chairs or seat them with some cheerios to placate them before I serve the meal. We all eat together after saying grace, just like the table that I intend to have them at their entire lives. They are great in a restaurant because I also play music.
I also trade people for services or barter with friends to do things that are hard to do effectively with the two of them, like my hairdresser cuts my hair at my house with friends.
HOPE THIS HELPS!
thanks all for the ideas!
sam–major cool points for using the word “cot”! like it.
tam–CB is starting to get up later, so maybe I can pull that off and get myself some glamorous hair in the morning! I think it would also be a great pick-me-up in the morning if I can just get myself out of the bed! also like the convincing them that this is their “special” time. haha very clever
amy–good thoughts. it hadn’t even occured to me to let CB view a movie/tv through the mesh of the pack n play. good idea! we don’t do tv much around here so that would probably be a great treat for him to get him to stop screaming during my showers.
jimmy–nope. too busy trying way too hard to be cool to get involved in that stuff. and the grandparents don’t live in town unfortunately!
starlite–i like the idea of playing music at the table and preparing your meal first…just like on the airplanes, we need to take care of ourselves in order to take care of the little people!
CoolMum – I have an 8 month old, and I have yet to figure out how to eat dinner! I either wait until she goes to bed…or frantically shove food in my mouth while bouncing around trying to entertain her. So, I feel your pain.
As for the showering/bathroom part, though – I’m with some of the other posters. I say plop Cool Baby in the pack and play, start the Baby Einstein video, and take 10 minutes for yourself! (Or 30 if you must – those videos are usually about half an hour…if Cool Baby will stay interested that long.)