Prevention Continues

It really seems that Sydney has reached the stage where our focus is squarely on prevention. Now that she is mobile, we have to prevent her from falling down the stairs, climbing up the stairs, opening the fridge, pulling out drawers, staying out of the cupboards, staying out of the animal’s food and water dish, not touching cleaners and chemicals….ahhh, so much proofing to do. Might be easier to raise her in an empty storage unit until she turns six, or simply bubble wrap her until then. But, as she gets older she’ll learn what is safe and what is not…or more than likely she will also learn what to touch when she is in a bad mood and wants to get a reaction.

Past generations have really relied on experiential learning. If you pick up a fork or knife, stick it in an electric socket, and get a good zap...well, that'll teach ya!!! I'm not saying some of that old school parenting didn't work...in fact if the electric dishcharge from the outlet didn't kill you, it was very likely you wouldn't have attempted it again. Today, it's a different story. We try to be more proactive and preventitive. I'm sure 'nurturing' and 'tough love' both have good qualities.

In Sydney news, she continues to get new teeth in, both on her upper and lower levels. It's amazing how quickly they start to trickle in. Behaviorally, Sydney has also begun to realize that she gets a more favorable reaction from the cats if she slowly tries to pet them, instead of yanking out clumps of hair (I know...picky cats!). Although, typically when she gets within a foot of them she usually screams from the excitement. This is not really a stealth approach, and usually causes them to leave the scene.

Tip #12: Baby Schedule Training

During pregnancy, ask your wife to randomly set the alarm each night. At first you will likely sit up straight in bed each night and wonder what is interrupting your beauty sleep. But with repetition, soon your body will become conditioned and will even begin to react on its own accord. After birth, screams and cries will trigger your body into action. The clear benefit here is that this conditioning will enable you to check on the needs of your child without having to reach a full waking and conscious state.