Practical Parenting

Myrah turns 1

Myrah is one year old. No longer is her age counted in days or weeks or months. She has one whole year to her credit. A big girl, alright!

Last year January she entered our lives and took us on an amazing, lovable adventure. Most of it filled with good memories, for she is generally a happy child. She moved from being constrained to her crib, to crawling, and finally, walking, all in ten months. We looked on with amazement as she changed from a tiny baby to a little girl who even learnt to run away from us playfully, play “peekaboo” to tease us and come waddling into our arms. She went from being breastfed to eating almost everything, and wanting to eat all by herself too. All she knew was how to cry, now she goes on babbling. Oh, was she a meek baby, of whom we were totally in control – now she controls us, insisting on having her ways and pretending to shed tears when she doesn’t get what she wants.

It has been a year of growth for me too. I transformed from being a woman who took her job very seriously and diligently, to a stay-at-home mom with a baby. I was a woman who liked being on the go, involving myself in several activities outside work. I have kept away from all those for one whole year, dedicating all my time to taking care of a growing baby. I used to eat quite healthy (at least attempted to) and worked out regularly, making me feel good about myself. Now I am not so pleased with what I see in the mirror, with bulges and dresses that don’t fit me. I kept a house that was tidy and felt happy to walk into a space that seemed inviting; now I wonder where and how I should begin to clean – and even if I do, what is the point, it will be messy in a few minutes. I pursued hobbies – read books, watched movies; these are rare occurrences now.

As a couple, we were romantic, had a lot of time to be together doing nothing, and do a lot of things together. Now, some days we hardly get to talk and there is no time for sweet nothings. We knew everything about each other’s day, now we draw a blank. We shared responsibilities and kept each other updated. Now we have increased set of tasks and expect the other one to just take care of it. My husband has a new position and several new responsibilities at work, and his teenage daughter started living with us this last year. So imagine how our time and energy are suddenly demanded from different quarters. We had the patience to discuss debate and decide; now we get impatient if things don’t go our way and cross-talk with the stress of tired bodies and minds.

At the end of the one year maternity leave, I said I am ready to go back to work. To get back a slice of life as I knew it. I am ready for a new routine. Myrah is a social kid, she likes being around people and other kids. I felt confident about leaving her in a day care. A couple of days into her daycare life, I am a mess. The first day I was excited about this change, the second day I cried my heart out. I felt the pain of her fear and tears. When I drop her I tell her to be strong, while I come home with tears, wondering if she will eat, drink or sleep.

I am sure she, and I, will get used to it soon and it will become a routine. So I stand at a threshold and look forward to the beginning of another phase – getting back to work, being more involved in some of my passions outside work, watching Myrah grow and take on new wings, trying harder to be more patient and calm and romantic. I am sure the new life will be different and will come with its own new challenges. But I am ready to embrace it as it comes with its ups and downs. Myrah’s charming smile, which captivated us from the very beginning, will see us through!

This Is Silly!

Recently I came across a children’s book titled This Is Silly by Gary Taxali. A well-known illustrator, Gary Taxali is a new entrant in the children’s book industry. He is known to use comic characters to represent popular culture. This is reflected in the book as well and the approach is refreshing.

With lots of pictures easy on those tiny eyes, and lots of colours and very few words, the book is sure to catch the attention of little ones.

This Is Silly is about just that – being silly! It is about silly characters. The main character, Silly Sol, falls into a hole and enters the world of sillies. And gets to do all kinds of silly stuff. The reader goes on a journey with the silly escapades of Silly and his friends.

At the end of the book there is a mirror for the reader to look into his/her own self and commit to being silly. This is a nice touch, because the book has no great story line, so this personal surprise in the end is a quirky way of ending the book.

My one-year old daughter Myrah is most fascinated by this mirror and loves to look into it and laughs at herself. She is too young to understand any of the silly-ness, so the mirror is a great attraction for her.

I am a rather new addition to the world of children’s books and am discovering the fascinating world of children-friendly characters and stories. I go by what seems to interest Myrah and how she responds to a book. At this age, her attention span is very limited, the quicker you turn the page, the more attention she will pay. Colours fascinate her. So do touchy-feely things in a book (which is why the mirror is a success with her).

Given those standards, This Is Silly passes the Myrah-test. Every few days I take it out and it is a regular feature in our story times.

There are some areas for improvements for sure. The author uses some big, complex words which are way too advanced for the age group of children he is writing for. They don’t quite match the simple pictures either. Simple, easy to say vocabulary will make it friendlier to read. The pages of the book are quite flimsy for a young reader. I am discovering that Myrah likes to flip pages and play with the book as much as she likes being read to. So books are also toys for her. Especially for her age, the pages need to be harder and difficult to tear (oh, how she loves to tear page out of a book or magazine!).

Overall, This Is Silly is a good find. There is nothing quite silly about it.

Pregnancy Myths and Facts courtesy of Nestlé Baby

Myth:

Fetal heart rate can indicate your baby's sex.

Fact:

A normal fetal heart rate is between 120 and 160 beats per minute (bpm), although some people think if it's faster it's a girl and if it's slower it's a boy. But there have been no studies that conclusively show that heart rate is a predictor for a baby's gender. Your baby's heart rate will probably differ from prenatal visit to prenatal visit anyway - depending on baby’s age and activity level at the time of the visit. [CMAJ • December 14, 1999; 161 (12)]

Myth:

If you experience heartburn during pregnancy, your baby will be born with lots of hair.

Fact:

Because heartburn is extremely common during pregnancy, it really isn't an accurate predictor of whether your baby will be born with lots of hair. Or is it? To the surprise of researchers at John Hopkins University in 2007, they found some truth to the belief. In a study published in the journal Birth, researchers found 23 of 28 participants who complained of having some heartburn during pregnancy had babies with average or above-average amounts of hair, while 10 of 12 who reported no heartburn had babies with little or no hair. Wow.

Myth:

The shape and fullness of your face during pregnancy can indicate your baby's sex.

Fact:

Every woman gains weight differently during pregnancy and every woman experiences different skin changes. If people tell you that because your face is round and rosy you're having a girl, they might be right - but it's just as likely that they may be wrong.

Myth:

The shape and height of your belly can indicate your baby's sex.

Fact:

Although everyone’s sure you’re going to have a boy because you’re carrying low – and your best friend is certain she’s going to have a girl because she’s carrying high – this popular belief just isn’t true. The facts suggest that the shape and height of your belly is determined by lots of other things including: muscle tone, uterine tone (the strength, flexibility and muscular structure of the uterus), and baby’s position. In fact, carrying low may mean your baby has dropped lower into the pelvis to prepare for delivery. The only way to determine your baby's sex? Talk to your doctor about getting an ultrasound. Or if you prefer being surprised, just wait until he arrives

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