Yes folks, as dramatic as that sounds - it is what is happening RIGHT NOW!
(no, not me - I stand by my 2 is enough stance right now - particularly as sleeping is NOT getting any better!!!)
ANYWAY - the point of this posting is to send a HUGE congratulations to all of the people in my life either directly or indirectly, who have either JUST had babies or are about to embark on this journey through pregnancy.
We literally are creating the next generation - and I think it will be a multi-tasking, technologically superior and HOPEFULLY HEALTHIER AND NICER breed:)
I do however, beg and plead that you take this seriously. We are creating the next generation, which means how they turn out, mostly depends on us. So, put your baggage in the closet, and treat your children with respect and love and understand that you can never give too many hugs or kisses but that it is possible not to hug or kiss enough - and that sticks with your children.
Be prepared to support them, encourage them, ground them, teach them manners.
Please do NOT let them get fake nails ANY EARLIER than 16 or 17 OR let them get fake tans, or let them wear words like Juicy on their asses until they are out of your house, living on their own. It's disgusting and highly inappropriate - yes they will hate you - but they are supposed to hate you - you are their parent, NOT their friend.
Please teach your sons how to respect women and others and to be open hearted of others, regardless of sexual orientation, coolness factor or other totally non important factors.
NIP BULLYING IN THE BUD! It's a horrific, horrible thing and parents should take it seriously. I'll never forget once I posted something publicly on AOL (back when AOL was dial up and super cool) about a fellow classmate in highschool and it was mean and despicable and my parents found out and took away my AOL for good. Cancelled the account completely right then and there. I hated them for it, but they were right - what I did was the lowest of the low and I thank them for teaching me right from wrong.
Being a parent is more than dressing your kid up in cute clothes and showing them off to anyone who will look. (Although enjoy that while it lasts - because toddlers are harder to coax into crazy outfits!!)
Understand that life no longer revolves around you. Although I preach autonomy in a serious way - please know that I seek balance in allowing myself to have a SELF outside the kids - but that ultimately my kids come first. It's part of parenting - if you are doing it the right way.
If you don't stay home with your kids and pay someone to take care of them - please make sure you treat their caregivers with respect and appreciation - they are doing an amazing thing for you and although it's their "job" the good ones do a better job than some of us could do on our own and we need to respect that.
I watched the movie the Back Up Plan and Anthony Edwards has a scene in a playground where he is talking about parenthood and he hits it right on the nail... I can't remember it exactly, but the message is something like this...
Parenting is a whole lot of terrible, awful, disgusting, horrible things - followed by something unbelievably amazing and heartwarming, which is followed by something else terrible, awful and disgusting, then horrible, then something amazing happens again - and that cycle is what parenting is about - particularly in the infant/toddler years - and it's QUITE a ride!
Happy Parenting - Congratulations and welcome to the club!
(no, not me - I stand by my 2 is enough stance right now - particularly as sleeping is NOT getting any better!!!)
ANYWAY - the point of this posting is to send a HUGE congratulations to all of the people in my life either directly or indirectly, who have either JUST had babies or are about to embark on this journey through pregnancy.
We literally are creating the next generation - and I think it will be a multi-tasking, technologically superior and HOPEFULLY HEALTHIER AND NICER breed:)
I do however, beg and plead that you take this seriously. We are creating the next generation, which means how they turn out, mostly depends on us. So, put your baggage in the closet, and treat your children with respect and love and understand that you can never give too many hugs or kisses but that it is possible not to hug or kiss enough - and that sticks with your children.
Be prepared to support them, encourage them, ground them, teach them manners.
Please do NOT let them get fake nails ANY EARLIER than 16 or 17 OR let them get fake tans, or let them wear words like Juicy on their asses until they are out of your house, living on their own. It's disgusting and highly inappropriate - yes they will hate you - but they are supposed to hate you - you are their parent, NOT their friend.
Please teach your sons how to respect women and others and to be open hearted of others, regardless of sexual orientation, coolness factor or other totally non important factors.
NIP BULLYING IN THE BUD! It's a horrific, horrible thing and parents should take it seriously. I'll never forget once I posted something publicly on AOL (back when AOL was dial up and super cool) about a fellow classmate in highschool and it was mean and despicable and my parents found out and took away my AOL for good. Cancelled the account completely right then and there. I hated them for it, but they were right - what I did was the lowest of the low and I thank them for teaching me right from wrong.
Being a parent is more than dressing your kid up in cute clothes and showing them off to anyone who will look. (Although enjoy that while it lasts - because toddlers are harder to coax into crazy outfits!!)
Understand that life no longer revolves around you. Although I preach autonomy in a serious way - please know that I seek balance in allowing myself to have a SELF outside the kids - but that ultimately my kids come first. It's part of parenting - if you are doing it the right way.
If you don't stay home with your kids and pay someone to take care of them - please make sure you treat their caregivers with respect and appreciation - they are doing an amazing thing for you and although it's their "job" the good ones do a better job than some of us could do on our own and we need to respect that.
I watched the movie the Back Up Plan and Anthony Edwards has a scene in a playground where he is talking about parenthood and he hits it right on the nail... I can't remember it exactly, but the message is something like this...
Parenting is a whole lot of terrible, awful, disgusting, horrible things - followed by something unbelievably amazing and heartwarming, which is followed by something else terrible, awful and disgusting, then horrible, then something amazing happens again - and that cycle is what parenting is about - particularly in the infant/toddler years - and it's QUITE a ride!
Happy Parenting - Congratulations and welcome to the club!
OK this brought me to tears. Made me want to wake JC from his nap jsut to hug him one more time but then I thought about how that might now be good parenting. Seriously you hit this on the nail. Made me proud to be a mom and proud to be your friend. Thanks for always blogging what is on your mind.
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