Michael and I have established that I like to read books about parenting and babies, and he doesn’t. He feels that–for the most part–everything will just “come to us” with parenting. I, on the other hand, strongly believe in getting as much advice and how-to as I need from friends, books and elsewhere! I learned quickly that of course it doesn’t all come naturally–at least for me!
Well, I’m at my wits’ end with Gabriel on a certain issue: he is in a stage in which he does these piercing screams to get my attention. These are not pain or terror screams: they’re purely angry, irritated, give-me-your-attention-or-something-I-want screams. He screams when he is bored, when he finishes a bottle, every single time we put clothes or a bib on, and (the worst) at every single session of eating baby food in his high chair or in the Bumbo seat.
My strategy has been to completely ignore the screaming and remain perfectly calm and patient, but it’s been weeks and weeks and I think things are actually getting worse. I don’t know what the problem could be, but I think it’s with me, which makes me incredibly frustrated, because I have know idea what to do. It’s not coming naturally how to teach him to have pleasant meal times at home. Gabriel’s teachers at Mother’s Day Out say he eats beautifully and always eats all of his food. I can barely get him to eat anything at home most days! Go figure.
I did ask a good friend for some advice recently. She recommended I just make Gabriel a brother. Well, considering that particular solution would be at the least nine months away, it wasn’t very helpful, but thanks anyway, Lucy :).
I know I have some great baby books and Websites I can consult about this, but I am so busy working, paying bills, cooking, doing housework, taking care of Gabriel, or running errands that I just pretty much work on my to-do list from the time I get up in the morning until when I go to bed. When there’s a poo stain on the carpet to shampoo out and we have absolutely no food for breakfast in the morning, reading up on baby care isn’t the first thing on my list!
This is where a few of you kindly point out that I make time at least to blog every day or so, and you’d be right. 🙂
I suppose it’s time for me to stop whining and wasting time writing this blog post. I have some reading to do. And maybe I will just plan to start work on that little brother idea too.
I seem to recall my nephew and numerous other kids I have taken care of going through the same stage. I would think it's just that – a stage. As long as your behavior let's him know that this is not the proper way to get attention, I'm not sure what else you can do except wait for the stage to be over. Although…have you tried screaming back? 😉 I'm half joking.
Blair is exactly the same way. I did read all the books as well, then promptly threw them out because I only want to 'fight' him so long on these instances. This is only my attitude….and so many people are different, so just take it as my experience. I offer it to him, and if he does not want it, I let it go and I let him go. He is NOT good at sitting with us at the table. However, 5 days a week at Daycare he is the model child they say, and eats everything. Their childhood goes so fast that I just decided to let it go. If he does not want to sit with us at the table, fine, we'll still sit and he can witness mommy and daddy eating nicely :). Hopefully he'll 'get it' sometime soon.