As a mum, some days are amazing. Some days are incredible. Other days are downright crap. Those are the days you ask yourself; Am I a failure? Did I already stuff this kid up? What could I possibly know about being a parent? Should I really have done this.......
I wish I knew everything, but apparently, I don't. I wish I was the one in total and complete control, but apparently, I'M NOT! Eli has turned 7 months, and with that, it seems, has come tantrum chucking, wobbly throwing, ALL OUT WAR! I never expected to have to discipline my baby... but I guess, that was among many things I did not expect.
He's just developing his personality - I get it! But he's occasionally so intolerable I'd be just as happy to leave him in his room all alone to figure it out himself. Mind you, I simply cannot do that.... He's far to adorable and wonderful to torture like that. At bed time, when he's fighting tooth and nail to stay awake, that's different.. but in general terms (excluding previously stated bed time), leaving him to cry is just not acceptable.
So, in light of all this new information, I'm trying to teach him to sign. This way, he doesn't need to talk to tell me what he wants. He can show me! I'll say simple things in natural circumstances, like "Would you like more?" while signing "more"; or "Have something to eat," while signing "eat". I think he's ready for it too. The other day, I was visiting my sister in-law and Eli was playing with a plastic cup. (He sometimes will drink from a cup if I'm holding onto it.) Anyway, he kept bringing the cup to me. I thought about it for a moment, and decided to see if he wanted something to drink. Turns out, he was killer parched, and drank HEAPS of water!! This is how I know that my "baby" knows what he wants, and needs ways to ask for it. If you're keen to check it out, try www.signingstars.com.au or www.australianbabyhands.com. They'll at least get you started with some info.
Good luck to you all!!
A. xo
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I've always wanted to do sign language for Vincent, but instead of baby I wanted to use Auslan, so when he grew up he could talk to deaf children he may have in his class. Kasai learnt a bit of signing in pre-school with her classmates because one of them was deaf. Very wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAlso, Vincent has been throwing tantrums since he was 4 months old :<