A little post of Joy

I can't help it but melt when I see my baby sleeping. All of the mess, screaming, and crying, oh and of course pickiness, of the day seem to fade away when she falls asleep. It usually starts with a bottle of warm milk and we lay on the couch. I caress her hair or give her a little foot massage and she's off to dreamland (if she's not fussy). I can't help but let her sleep there next to me. I don't want to go put her in her bed. It just feels like, I don't know how to explain it. Is it a feeling of pure love, pure happiness, safety, or just a great feeling of overall accomplishment? Accomplishment in the sense that the day was conquered, and in the end everything's good, or "Great success! I'm a good mom." Maybe it's all of those feelings put together, that's why it's hard to explain. But all I know is that I'm so full of joy when my princess diva is sleeping in my arms. :) Just wanted to end the night with this post. Thanks for listening :)

Discipline

Ok about discipline.. This is a difficult subject because different things work for different kids. You definitely have to be consistent though. For example, cleaning up baby's toys. My little girl was used to me picking up her toys. I would tell her to help me, but she would just stare or run off and do something else. Then I decided that I have to enforce this rule, because we're civilized people and we need to organize our things. So I would constantly ask her to clean up and bring her arm down to pick up a toy and bring her to the toy basket to drop it off. It worked! Patience is a big part of being a mom and that's what toddlerism requires. Now when its time to clean up she'll do it, especially in the bathtub. She won't leave the tub without pointing at the toy mesh bag and placing her bath toys in there. I know that sometimes it's easier to give up on your rules, but just think of the importance of it in the long run.
Next, if your child made a mess in the kitchen, instead of putting him/her in time-out have him/her help you clean it up. At least that way they're learning that you have to clean up after yourself. Tell him/her what you guys are doing and why. Because if you answer the why's now, you won' have to deal with "But why? But why?" later on. No I'm just kidding. That will still happen. lol
One thing I find important is praising your pumpkin when they do something good. Think about it. If chubby cheeks is always getting your attention when he/she is doing something wrong, they'll probably continue. Now, if you say great job when you catch them cleaning up (without you asking) they'll find a great accomplishment. This helps a lot when you're trying to be consistent. It goes hand in hand with the first thing I was talking about.
Also try to keep your explosiveness to a minimum. It's hard, I know. But think, the way you react when you're stressed is what you're teaching your kid. They learn everything from you. Pressure! So if you have to relax for a minute, just do it. Sometimes I'm cleaning and my daughter is crying and wants to be picked up and I'm trying to go as fast as I can; it'll just stress me out. So at that moment I just stop. I take off my gloves, pick up my pumpkin and go play a little bit. Sometimes she just wants a little attention, just to make sure mommy didn't forget about her. About 2 minutes later she's fine and I just go back to continue my work and let her play alone. Maybe if you make a schedule for yourself, in the morning, it'll help your day run smoother. Make sure you plan a moment to relax. Like, at nap time you can sit and read and drink some coffee, check your email, call a friend, do your hair or your nails, or even try to finish up your chores so that you'll have more time to be with baby when he/she wakes up.
These are just some ideas I've tried that worked for me.

Mad at Dad - Parenting.com

Hey all! I just really needed to come and tell you (yes, you) that I have found this article that just totally changed my morning. Thank you @Martha Brockenbrough! Mad at Dad - Parenting.com gave me the strength and helped me feel better to tackle on the day. Its amazing how you are not alone, even though it feels like it most of the time.