Oh dear… I have become one of those mums. You know the type: they just don’t stop boasting about their children, pictures in hand, until their interlocutor’s eyes glaze over and you know they are thinking ‘I don’t ever want to become this boring, I am NEVER having kids!’
The thing is, I thought I had avoided this particular trapping until now. I have been blessed with a typical child who is meeting her milestones pretty much as expected so although I do pay some attention to other babies in that way I am not concerned for my own. Of course I like talking about her, but I think (I hope!) I have engaged with people about other subjects as well. Little Girl is 6 months old and hasn’t got any teeth, whereas most of the other babies in my antenatal group have got at least two, so what? She could still not have teeth in three months time and I think I would still not be bothered. She’s not quite rolling yet? Yep, not bothered. She is not remotely sleeping through the night, darn it, I have a BABY not a toy so again not bothered. Actually with this last one, maybe ‘a little’ bothered but I am still coping much better than I could have hoped for in the days when 8 hours’ sleep were a right, not an item on my prayer list. I am reminded of a sketch from Michael McIntyre about the difference between couples who don’t have children and those who do when it comes to sleep. Those who don’t, go to bed and tell each other: ‘Have a good night, dear’ and fully expect it to be the case. Those who do turn to each other and say curtly: ‘Good luck’. But I digress.
When people ask me how Little Girl is doing, I’ll say that she’s happy, not sleeping well at all and she has started doing this or that. All in all, a three-minute conversation. Until last week.
Last week, we started weaning and oh my goodness have I been talking about it ever since. You would think that keeping a blog and writing two posts about it in the same week we started would be enough, especially considering my slow rate of post production. But of course not! I swear, I am a woman possessed. I have pictures AND videos. I show them to every person that walks to the door. My friend who I see at least twice a week, who on Facebook has access to the full uncensored pictures of Little Girl’s prowess, was shown the same picture twice because I couldn’t remember I’d already seen her.
At the same time, how could I fail to be impressed? My little girl is eating (well, licking) melon! Avocado! Chicken! LAMB! She paints mash all over herself and still goes for more!
That’s it, I have truly lost it.
Have you found yourself doing and saying something you’d sworn never to do before you had a child?
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I apparently don’t show enough interest in my own child, even though I do adore her, but it is precisely because I don’t want to bore other people.
I am also impressed with food though – I love watching her try new things and, to date, the only thing she has refused was shop bought purée buoght iin an emergency.
We have done a mix of baby led weaning and purée – and it has gone very well.
PS – she is 10 months old now, and still has only two teeth. My paediatrician says she has never seen a five year old child whose teeth haven’t come through. Which I believe to mean that they’ll come through in the end, and there is, as you say, no need to worry about it. Like you I am very relaxed about milestones – to the point where I have been told again that I don’t show enough interest… Can’t win can you..
Have I found myself saying or doing something I swore I would never do? Yes. Tickling my child. I hate being tickled and always swore I would never tickle my baby. But I can’t resist it as she giggles so much…
Good about the teeth! I’ve heard of a year-old baby who didn’t have any. As long as it doesn’t stop them eating! Have you actually been told you don’t show enough interest in your child? That would be terrible.
Yes purely because I don’t talk about her enough or fuss over her. She fits in with what we are doing, and is perfectly happy. I just don’t like to talk about her all the time as I have other things to say as well. Apparently this is not normal for some people 😀
of course your allowed to brag, we all! were mammies, glad she’s doing well with weaning it’s a tough time when they dont take to it
Maybe I should practice an internal bragging clock that stops me from talking after three minutes so as not to bore people!
Yes! I swore I’d never parent like my parents. Haha! Ya right.
Bummer! What a scary thought…
Well, my daughter did not have one tooth before she was 13 months old! I breastfed her till then for an extra little cuddle every day and never worried she would bite me… and eventually all teeth cut through. She is now 8 and has all the adult teeth she should at her age… As a baby she always managed to eat properly and actually always refused any pureed stuff. She ate bits from the beginning, with no teeth, and was a very happy girl. She now eats better, more healthily than most other kids her age I see around. She’s also open to trying new things and not fussy at all. I also wanted to say that it is actually medically recognised that the later teeth come through the better as they stay protected in the gums for longer. Also, a baby with no teeth is sooo cute! It’ll only happen again when they’re very old so just enjoy 🙂
I always swore I would never sniff a child’s bottom in public to see if they have a dirty nappy. that and about 100 other things! well done your wee one on the weaning!