Parents are a funny bunch!
I’ve come to the conclusion, that this integrated classification of humans called “parents” are a funny bunch indeed. The reasons for my observation are so forth. Firstly being a baby is tough business. So you’re born, crazy journey there, then you’ve got to deal with these two people who NEVER and I mean never leave your side. Sheesh, I wake up and they’re there all bright, shiny and happy, I am NOT a morning person and have they not heard of privacy and invasion of personal space. There they go again, sniffing my diaper, I mean c’mon if I’ve pooped I’ll just ‘tweet” you Mother dearest. So then, once I try to accept the fact that those two, Mum and Dad are ALWAYS going to be around and there’s no escaping that one till I’m twenty one or maybe thirty five, I feel like I’ll be a slow starter. I mean where else, can I get my meals and laundry done for free, though you won’t have to put me over your shoulder and burp me when I’m twenty Mother darling!. So after the first month and once the parents are comfortable with my presence, then they just pile on the pressure. Yeah other baby peeps, you thought it was all snoozing and cruising, oh no no no, you’ve now entered the baby version of The Hunger Games. Let me break it to you gently, they are constantly questioning each other about my progress, everyday it’s like ‘Can he lift his head, can he crawl, can he solve algorhythmic NASA type math equations..okay maybe the last one is stretching it a bit. But sheesh talk about cranking up that “high expectations” nob, I’m only six months, I’ll walk and talk when I feel like it, dear parents!!!!!
So got a lot of the extreme parental pushing for the next six months, every day it was like “Has he got a tooth, can he stand, does he sleep through the night, big boy now right?”. I tell anyone would break under the pressure of the daily scrutinizing schedule and then how at every Mummy coffee morning they compare notes and integrally break down and compare our sleeping types to the colour of our poops. Mother’s galore, you think we’re just lying there playing with the labels on our toys, BUT oh no, I can hear you speaking and Little Susie didn’t really want everyone to know her poop was yellow since she’s been drowning the milk a little too much, that kid’s going to have issues, we were all pretending that we weren’t listening, but we heard alright! So after months and months of pressure I finally got control of my legs and started the walking business, it was tough all that falling around, but the pressure from the parents was killing. But once I got the hang of it and could toddle over and push down vases and empty drawers, what do they do?..they cage me and thus here I sit in my play pen for one, caught and caged for life. Parents I tell you, they’re such a funny bunch!!!
Expert Advice – Newborn characteristics
During the first weeks of life your newborn may seem to do little more than eat, sleep, cry, and generate dirty diapers. But in reality, all senses are functioning as your infant takes in the sights, sounds, and smells of this new world. Your newborn can see best at a distance of only 8 to 12 inches, and focus when gazing up from the arms of mom or dad. Your newborn has been hearing sounds since way back in the womb. Mother's heartbeat, the gurgles of her digestive system, and even the external sounds of her voice and the voices of other family members were part of a baby's world before birth. As it is to most humans, touch is extremely important to a newborn. Through touch, babies learn a lot about surroundings. At first, your baby is looking only for comfort.
How is the proper way to burp a baby?
If your baby seems uncomfortable while feeding, is squirmy, or pulls away and starts crying, give burping a try. Some parents take a burping break halfway through a bottle or – for nursing moms – when they switch breasts. Hold your baby against your chest so her chin is resting on your shoulder. Support her with one hand and gently pat or rub her back with the other. Another method is to hold your baby farther up on your shoulder – high enough that your shoulder presses lightly on her belly, creating a gentle pressure that will coax the burp out. Support her with one hand and gently pat or rub her back with the other. Sit your baby on your lap facing away from you. Use one hand to support his body, the palm of your hand supporting his chest while your fingers gently support his chin and jaw. Lean your baby slightly forward and gently pat or rub his back with your other hand.
(Let’s face it kids are full of honesty, they say it as they see it. This is a column written from the ‘HONEST’ observations from our children. It touches on all aspects of the process of growing up and how we as parents can improve ourselves from a child’s point of view).
Text by Mayuri Jayasinghe
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