Truly General Chatting

[klondike]

Now I am growing into a curmedgeon. I'm determined not to be the kind of parent who starts sentences with 'You don't know you're born....' or 'We never had this in our day....'

You will someday. And it won't be pleasant when you catch yourself.

1972: Hearing my father muttering in irritation, I turn away from watching an episode of Starlost, to observe him using the eraser-end of a pencil to dial a number on the wall phone in our kitchen (rotary model, push-button had only been around for about 3 years); at 59 years old, his fingers had gotten too blunt to fit into the digit-holes on the rotor. Boy, thinks I in my perfect highschool senior wisdom, I'm never gonna be that old!
2007: Getting paged by a power co. scheduler, and being equidistant between the nearest payphones, I pull-over and borrow my wife's cell phone to answer the page . . . but my fingers are too big for the keypad, so I grab a pencil off my truck dash to punch-in the number . . . whoahhh!
Time fugue!
It's '72 again, but now I'm standing in the kitchen . . . !

[charliechaplinfan]

Seems like were all meant to metamorphisise into our parents

[movieman1957]

In my case I certainly hope so.

[halcarter]

My mother had to endure repeated plays of Buddy Holly. Maybe I should have been more considerate. Talk about payback! As a senior citizen now I have to endure rap music at far greater volume levels. God not only has a sense of humor..he is also patient in passing out these get evens.

hal

[charliechaplinfan]

That's a good one. Was I more normal before I had kids? I don't know.

What I do know is the things that bothered me beforehand didn't seem to matter anymore. Instead you get obsessed with how much sleep you can't get, or how many times you have to get up at night, or when the last time they had a number two was, or how many ounces of milk they've taken.

You forget to feed yourself, if you remember to comb your hair, you've done well. How many different liquids can you get on your clothes in the course of one day? More than you think. How do babies know when you're just about to go out, they chose just that moment to pooh or throw up.

Thank goodness it's only the first few months Thing is you'd never send them back

[mrsl]

I'm sure 90% of us can recall when we misbehaved our Mom or Dad saying, "Just wait, someday you'll have kids . . . . " or "I hope I'm still around when you have teenagers so I can be revenged".


I laid that curse on my kids when they were about one week old - they all had colic for a short time.

Anne

[jdb1]

Hi, Anne. My mother used to say those things to me, but I've been very lucky - I have a terrific daughter who has proven to be a lot less difficult than many others I hear about. The main problem we have had has been her shaky health, rather than any rebellious (or similar) behavior. Yet she is, and always has been, outspoken, independent and stubborn.

I think a lot has to do with how you deal with your children, and I had the excellent, if negative, example set by my mother. I made up my mind long ago that I was not going to treat my children like rivals, or like enemies, and subsequently my daughter and I have had a really wonderful relationship her whole life. I am always proud that she comes to me for advice, and follows it, too, even if she sometimes works it around to make it feel like it was her idea all along. My mother would have been the last person on Earth I would have sought out - she loved to rub your troubles in your face and call you stupid.

Those of you who have young children are in for a treat, watching those cute little blobs turn into creative and thoughtful human beings with ideas all their own. Just keep the parental mantra going: "I will get through this. They will grow out of this." You will, and they do.

[charliechaplinfan]

Next step potty training.........not for me waiting endlessly whilst he sits on the potty. He might not be the first to crack it but he won't go to school in nappies.

I'll will be very glad when that stage is over

[movieman1957]

I'll relate a funny story about my son when we were training him. He was still wearing a kind of diaper at night so I would try and get him to go to the bathroom before he went to bed. This one particular night he didn't want to go to the bathroom. I suggested he give it a try. "Dad, I don't have to go" he said. I told him to give it a try. He argues some more. Finally I told him go stand there for a minute for me. He complainingly disagreed but did as I said.

After about thirty seconds I hear screaming from the bathroom "IT'S WORKING!!"

Mission accomplished. Off to bed he went.

[mrsl]

As much as I love all my kids, I know now I had too many, too close. At one point my oldest was 5 and my youngest was 6 months, so I never had the time to really bond completely with the three oldest, because there was always another baby in diapers around. But I was lucky, each of them tried the bad things like pot, and drinking, but never went very far with either. Both boys are non smokers, and beer drinkers, but only socially, at home they both prefer diet soda while watching TV. Both daughters smoked, the one who died smoked heavier than the one here, but that is their only vice. So all in all I didn't do too badly for a single mom, but I was lucky when my second husband came into the picture, he helped a lot!

But one thing I wanted to call attention to is a show on TLC - the name is Jon and Kate, plus eight. It is a reality show that has a couple who had twin girls then when they were 3, had sixtuplets. The show is on Monday night, often rerun on Tuesday, the kids are adorably scrumptious, and watching them cope with 8 little kids is such fun, I find myself tuning in to one show and watching all night. Check it out sometime.

Anne

[inglis]

As much as I love all my kids, I know now I had too many, too close. At one point my oldest was 5 and my youngest was 6 months, so I never had the time to really bond completely with the three oldest, because there was always another baby in diapers around. But I was lucky, each of them tried the bad things like pot, and drinking, but never went very far with either. Both boys are non smokers, and beer drinkers, but only socially, at home they both prefer diet soda while watching TV. Both daughters smoked, the one who died smoked heavier than the one here, but that is their only vice. So all in all I didn't do too badly for a single mom, but I was lucky when my second husband came into the picture, he helped a lot!

But one thing I wanted to call attention to is a show on TLC - the name is Jon and Kate, plus eight. It is a reality show that has a couple who had twin girls then when they were 3, had sixtuplets. The show is on Monday night, often rerun on Tuesday, the kids are adorably scrumptious, and watching them cope with 8 little kids is such fun, I find myself tuning in to one show and watching all night. Check it out sometime.

Anne

Hi Anne! Its been awhile .I watch Jon and Kate plus eight . Its a good show!