Difference


There are times when my ideas of raising a child is different from the elderly and others. To begin with, my baby is not an easy one. Because we're all different and have contrasting ideas about raising their own children, we should expect contradiction...especially if we have to depend on others to help take care of our children while we're away at work.

Sometimes, others may refer to your child as a BAD BABY just because your child is not as 'well behaved' as others. But through the years of parenting, I have begun to question the following, who's a good baby and who's a bad one ? Is there ever a bad baby? Are babies capable of being bad? What is bad?

Being a work at home mother, I work during the when I have to. Even when I am physically at home, I still HAVE TO work and have self-imposed working hours. So, I still have to depend on inside and outside help to take care of my kids until I can be with them...which is often as soon as I can. But opinions are not necessarily the same when it comes to childcare.

Take it from me, just learn to relax a little bit more. When you're a first time parent, admit it, we're really keen on being a good parent. Anything can send us into unabashed hysteria! I know I was like that when I was first a mother. The second time round, I look back and sometimes laugh at myself.

Relax . Take a deep breath and count to ten. If you're not calm by then, take another deep breath and count to ten again. Still suffering from frayed nerves? Repeat procedure. The point is that, it's not too good to spoil the repoire you have with your baby's daytime caretaker, whether she is your relative, sister, mother, mother-in-law or a hired help. Besides, maybe bending a couple of rules here and there is not going to result in a totally lost and hopeless child.

Find other options . Look, discreetly, for other means of taking care of your son, some of which may be seeking outside help, alternating caretaking with mother and mother-in-law...etc. There are always other ways of finding a reasonably good caretaker for your baby. For me, I have resorted to hiring a live-in babysitter who takes care of my children when I am working.

Talk to other people about your problem . There will be other people who face the same problem you're facing. Sometimes, talking about it to another person will simply make it less significant and put things back into perspective. Especially when the someone is someone you trust completely. Just remember to keep an open mind...

Consult other family members . Other people may have a tip or two up their sleeves on how they survived the ordeal.

Swallow the pill . Take it from me, it is not worth it to argue with your baby's daycaregivers. Ultimately, the welfare of your baby is in their hands. You're on the losing end if you piss them off. It is simply not worth it. Noone and I mean, NOONE will be able to UNDERSTAND or deal with the problems FOR YOU. Pick your battles wisely, smile and bear with it. Sometimes, bearing with it, the other parties (like your day caregivers) may start to see something in you and things will starting becoming better. I mean, who knows?

Marsha Maung is a work at home graphic designer and writer. She lives with her husband, Peter and 2 boys, Joshua and Jared in Selangor, Malaysia. She is the author or "Raising Little Magicians" and more information can be found at http://www.marshamaung.com







Related News




Parenting under the law - Jamaica Gleaner

Parenting under the law
Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica -Oct 12, 2008
Under the law, parents and guardians have particular obligations relating to the safety of children which should not be ignored. ...

MetLife Foundation Begins new Phase of Award-Winning Parenting ... - MarketWatch

MetLife Foundation Begins new Phase of Award-Winning Parenting...
MarketWatch -16 hours ago
NEW YORK, Oct 13, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- MetLife Foundation will begin the next phase of its award-winning parenting skills campaign, ...

Why Some Kids Are Bullied From the Start - U.S. News & World Report

Why Some Kids Are Bullied From the Start
U.S. News & World Report, DC -8 hours ago
The team followed them for more than seven years, receiving information from the children's mothers about victimization, family adversity, parenting styles, ...

'Lemonade' author to speak at Los Gatos High tonight - San Jose Mercury News

'Lemonade' author to speak at Los Gatos High tonight
San Jose Mercury News,  USA -5 hours ago
The community read-in is a free event sponsored by the Parenting Continuum, the Los Gatos Union School District and Project Cornerstone. ...

Obama & Cindy McCain on parenting and Secret Service - Seattle Post Intelligencer

Obama & Cindy McCain on parenting and Secret Service
Seattle Post Intelligencer -8 hours ago
I give Parenting credit for getting a dad in there, and not focusing on Michelle Obama. A last-minute schedule change forced Republican presidential nominee ...

Oldham parenting group to host event about online safety - Louisville Courier-Journal

Oldham parenting group to host event about online safety
Louisville Courier-Journal, KY -10 hours ago
Operation SPIRIT, an Oldham County parenting group, will host a lecture about online safety Thursday night. Doris Settles, a speaker and researcher, ...

Drop-In parenting support at Wormley Community Centre - Broxbourne Borough Council (press release)

Drop-In parenting support at Wormley Community Centre
Broxbourne Borough Council (press release), UK -6 hours ago
Broxbourne Council and Broxbourne Housing Association have funded the Hertfordshire Practical Parenting Programme (HPPP) to run informal drop-in parenting...

Parenting classes offered - Wicked Local Chatham

Parenting classes offered
Wicked Local Chatham, MA -18 hours ago
The six-week parenting series facilitated by Cindy Horgan provides parents skills to help them with some of the challenges that can make parenting difficult ...

Film spotlights alternative parenting - Victor Harbor Times

Film spotlights alternative parenting
Victor Harbor Times, Australia -5 hours ago
BY DREW EVERS REGION - Local writers Shane Farrell and Jennifer Deaves are shedding new light on alternative parenting in a planned documentary. ...

Parenting kids to health and happiness - TheMedGuru

TheMedGuru

Parenting kids to health and happiness
TheMedGuru, India -Oct 12, 2008
According to a recent survey, children’s health is significantly related to household income as well as the parents’ education level. ...