As mentioned before, when I was pregnant there were things I swore I would never submit to as a parent. As I watch what used to be my life fading in the distance like a pair of tiny red taillights, (that's a little dramatic, it wasn't that exciting, just different), I think its taken me awhile to really GET that this a whole new life, not a temporary situation. So, lets review.
The baby will sleep in his own crib.
I lost big time on this one for the first 2 years. We had a human starfish wedged between us, and to be honest, most of the time we didn't mind. In fact, we grew to like it, our little family all bundled together like a bunch of meerkats or kittens. But then he got bigger and started hogging more and more bed and his elbows got bony. So when we moved into the new house we set up the new big boy bunk beds and we're happy to report that aside from the occasional toddler nightmare (My no WANT da muffin. No. NO muffin) we are 'alone' in our bed again.
We will not succumb to Treehouse as our babysitter.
We held out on this one for a LONG time. Our kid barely watched any TV that was not just one of our shows on in the background. And he didn't pay attention. Then he was sick. Alot. And there is nothing that makes a sick whiney kid calm and relaxed like a Disney video. Which led to aquiring some videos. Then clicking on a show now and then when we wanted to get something done. Now he watches about an hour of TV a day, usually in the mornings while I get ready and while I get supper ready in the evening. He loves the worst shows. He dances to the theme songs. He talks back to them. He's hooked.
We will not rearrange our whole house to be a playground.
We're mostly sticking to this. We've modified a little so that we can all enjoy a space. We have not submitted to heaps of toys and full on trampolines and playhouses in our living room. Our house is smallish and you walk right into the living room. Its like how short people gain 5 lbs and it looks like 20. Our house is like that. One too many stuffed animals in our house and it looks like a McDonalds Playland.
We finally did lose the coffee table like everyone said we would. We swapped it for a leather storage ottoman. But mostly everything else is intact. The toys are contained to one big rubbermaid bin in the corner. The bath toys are contained to his Boon Frog. I know one thing, if we didn't have a leather sofa we would have had to burn our couch by now. I wipe that thing off twice a day, every day. I will never again sit on the couch of people with toddlers without a waterproof pad soaked in Purell. Note to expectant parents. Put your nice fabric things in storage or decide that you're ok with replacing them. Buy inexpensive leather, wood, vinyl and washable things.
We will not play crappy kid music for our kid, he will listen to regular music.
With the adoption of the kid shows, came kid music. He dances to it. But he's also equally happy to dance to other things. So we are sticking this one out. We almost caved and attempted to listen to some kids music in the car on the weekend and just couldn't do it. He sings along with CISS FM and Hot 89.9 with me every morning. And at daycare they listen to all kinds of crap so he gets his fill.
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