There’s so much more to it than I ever thought possible.
I went to a baby shower where one of the games challenged us to identify mystery foods smeared in a disposable nappy. That was pretty gross, but for something even worse, click here, and navigate to picture 11 of 17.
It’s worthy of cake wrecks, but for the fact it was submitted by an amateur.
Doing this parenting course has made me think a bit more about parenting theories, and this morning I came across two that I had never heard of before.
The first, promoted by the Ezzos, uses the bible to promote old testament rigidity on children. The link is to a site explaining why the Ezzo method is dangerous – not to the official site.
The second, promoted by the Pearls, is very similar, but quite shocking in its promotion of violence against children, even babies a few months old.
Here is an excerpt from an article on toddler taming –
So, when your child of any age starts throwing a tantrum, NEVER, NEVER… I repeat, NEVER give in to their demands. Your denial of their lust, coupled with a good stinging swat or two, will cause the child to see the futility and helplessness of his demands. When your child is convinced by your consistent response of enforcing negative consequences for negative behavior, he will cease his vain and tiresome behavior, employing some other means to achieve pleasure.
I feel sick. It’s revolting and shocking to me that these people are allowed to promote such dangerous ideas. This is NOT my idea of Christianity, any more that suicide bombers reflect true Islam.
Inigo’s Temperature has been normal since lunch time yesterday, so I am starting to relax a little. The snot production is still in full swing though, and I’m having to express and bottle feed, since he can’t breathe through his nose enough to feed properly.
He’s also having trouble sleeping, but apart from all that is still a happy chap for fathers day.
More panadol, more screaming, and an hour later he was back down under 38 degrees, He was eventually able to sleep after a breastfeed. But I wasn’t able to sleep due to a really sore throat. I’ve been really lucky this winter, only having one mild cold, but this feels like something that might knock me around a bit.
Inigo is having his morning nap now, hopefully he’ll be stable and happy today so that I can crawl through my tasks and then into bed.
Through Liz from playgroup, I found out about a parenting course that has government funding through the schools as communities project. I enrolled yesterday, and started the first of three sessions today. Childcare is provided on site, so Inigo had his first taste of childcare today.
I was right next door (in an old building), so I could hear if he screamed. And after yesterday, I was understandably nervous about leaving him with strangers.
The training is on a system called 1-2-3 Magic, and I really can’t tell you much about it because you can’t cover much in 2.5 hours. Especially when you have a sick kid in the room next door.
Yup, the raised temp is back. During the break I went in to check on him and he felt a little warm, but I decided not to panic as he was still acting pretty happy, and the class would be over in less than an hour.
After class we went to the cheap chemist and I blew the better part of $100 on a high accuracy ear thermometer and some nurofen (which the doc at the hospital recommended if we need to re-dose before we can give more panadol). At 4pm his temp was 38.5, so I dosed him up and put him to bed.
Usually he has trouble going to sleep for his afternoon nap, but this afternoon he slept for more than 2 hours and had to be woken for dinner. He was drenched in sweat, but his temperature was back to normal.
And yesterday I weighed him on the new scales I bought last week. He was 9.1kg – up 300gms from last week, and squarely above the 50th percentile line on the WHO growth chart for the first time.
I could cry.
The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Lara
2. What is your favorite food? Tetsuyas
3. What high school did you go to? Australian International Independent School
4. What is your favorite color? Pink and Orange
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Oprah
6. Favorite drink? Gimlet
7. Dream vacation? Whale Island, Nha Trang, Vietnam
8. Favorite dessert? Caramel Dumplings
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Peaceful
10. What do you love most in life? Family
11. One Word to describe you? Fun
12. Your flickr name? discoknitter
1. New Canon EOS 30D – First shots …thank U Lara!, 2. Tetsuyas – Petit Fours, 3. Designer CONTACT +491789803472 – Phone Germany Cultural Jamming Interface Design, 4. ready for the party……???, 5. Mr. Winfrey, 6. You Lookin at My Gimlet?, 7. Whale Island, 8. Dumpling au caramel.jpg, 9. Meeting the pregnant princess of the forest, 10. Prayer, 11. breathless, 12. Baby Jacket for Inigo
While attempting to get “the” calendar shot, I’ve taken a few pics that crack me up.
Is this my best side?
Like a tiger…
In a pensive mood
Of course, I didn’t get the perfect calendar shot. I got some very good shots, and am still learning more about photographing kids, and lighting, and my awesome camera. So I’m glad I persisted, and I am very happy with a couple. I’m collecting so many great pics of the kid, I’m going to have to dedicate a wall of the house to hang Inigo pictures on.
You smile, you giggle like I’m the funniest thing on the planet, you eat like a body builder, and you can shout the house down. The levitation is a new thing. I’m hoping we can patent that and pay all your medical bills.
You’ve got a bigger head than is properly decent for a kid your age, and eyes to match. And the eyes still don’t match.
You can say mama and dada, but either will do. You can crawl, or rather slide, quite effectively, but you only go backwards. Reverse motion is only arrested by furniture, often a chair between your legs.
You love toys, noisy, garish, mirrored, furry, smooth, plastic and wood. Usually the tag is the first thing you will go for, but anything will do, and it is always given a taste test before any play will commence.
Bathtime brings lots of joy for all of us.
We have little conversations, you make an exclamation (or a pronouncement), and I try to repeat what you say. Often I fail to reproduce (you have an extraordinary range), but you have the good manners to continue talking to me even though I don’t make sense.
You are always watching, always paying attention to what is going on around you. Although you love to sleep, you don’t like going to sleep because you know you’ll be missing out on something while you’re out.
You love people, you love hearing stories, and you love being on stage. I think your favourite thing (after food) is playing peek-a-boo with an audience of adoring fans. The more the merrier.
You adore your dad, and your grandparents. There’s nothing better than hanging out with people who don’t believe in over stimulation!
And I think we’re starting to get an insight into your personality. You adore Cocky, Daisy fascinates you, and you can’t wait to make friends with Custard. You stop and look when you hear a bird, and I believe you are becoming quite the animal lover.
You are gentle with other kids, never snatch or poke, and when others do it to you, you bear it stoically.
For weeks, you’ve been putting your hands in my hands so that I can pull you up to sit, then to stand, then I usually throw you up in the air. You love it, and it’s great exercise for the triceps. Yesterday, you grabbed my hands, but didn’t wait to be pulled up – you used my hands to pull yourself up.
And today, while visiting Fiona, you saw a picture on her wall of our wedding. Your face lit up, and the word “Dada” came out of your mouth.
I love hanging out with you Inigo, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.
We visited Richard and Miriam on the weekend, and Min gave the boys some wooden spoons to chew on. Oscar kept taking Inigo’s, and Inigo didn’t resist.
I don’t think Inigo is going to be the boss of this relationship.
Disco Knitter 