Writing About Children
I have been doing a lot of writing concerning our next generation lately. I hired on at a website that caters exclusively to new moms and new moms-to-be, and I just finished a round of lesson plans for a company specializing in teaching aids.
First of all, apparently you can make quite a pretty penny helping teachers. I enjoyed writing the lesson plans, don't get me wrong, and I understand why a school would want to reach for pre-printed school materials. Hell, that's what I inflict on my girls at home during the summer- I print out math worksheets and make them fill them out. I just note that these companies must be making a considerable amount of change if they can hire a subcontractor for their lesson plans.
Writing about infants and new moms always brings out the advisor in me. I want to reach out and start yelling everything I learned with my girls, but of course my advise will be no good. My daughter is 12-years-old and I got to stay home with her for 2 years. That isn't going to help a lot of new moms. Well, I do think that there are a few bits of advice that I can give these days. I don't think I will be able to fit any of it on BabyGaga- the advice isn't really going to fit their listicle format. But I will give it to you readers free of charge right here:
1. No trick, hack or method works 100% of the time for 100% of children. It has nothing to do with you, it's just that every situation and kid is different, so no child-rearing act is done in reproducible circumstances. Basically, do what you can and feel free to change your methods with the times.
2. Don't make your world revolve around your child. Infants and toddlers are self-centered by their natures, and they will drag your heart over broken glass if you make them your world. To the best of your ability, keep up your friends and hobbies. If this means keeping on the baby pounds and not being velcroed to the child, so be it. The kid actually stops learning and benefiting after a certain amount of bonding with their parents, and a little fat is good for you.
3. You're not going to make your kid 100% safe. It isn't physically possible and you will drive yourself nuts trying. Not that you should give up entirely, but you need to bear in mind that there are risks and benefits to every action, and for some actions, the benefits are so minimal that any inconvenience instantly cancels it out. I'm thinking particularly of those toilet locks that make it so that the toddler can't lift the lid and fall in. The kid is way more likely to be injured by your drapes than your toilet, and the inconvenience to anybody who uses the toilet in the usual way cancels out any protection the kid might get from it.
Anyway, it's good checking in with an adult audience. Hope to hear from you soon.