October 20, 2011 ~ We All Make Mistakes

I was reading an article on CNN about the biggest mistakes parents make with infants. This got me thinking about the mistakes I think I've already made, and what their mistakes I made that maybe weren't mistakes at all.

I'm going to skip a few, since I really think those are no brainers- keep your infant in the appropraitely sized car seat, don't give an infant tv time (cuz they don't care) and don't heat bottles in the microwave. Ok, moving on.

Let's talk about their big No No of placing an infant chair on top of a table. Allow me to illustrate:

In this photo Daddy is giving Billy peas for the first time (Febraury 2011). At this point in Billy's young life he was unable to sit up on his own, so he had to be in a reclining seat. Our highchair has a reclinging feature, but he was still too small for it. So, we improvised. Here he is in his bouncy on top of the kitchen table. Apparently this is very dangerous since the child could rock and cause the whole chair to fall off of the table. I'm not sure how the experts intend for parents to get around this... feed on the floor? Buddy would have loved that. This falls into the category of common sense- don't leave your baby unattended while on top of a table.

Next up is to never allow your child to nap in a swing or seated position because of SIDS.

Here's Billy asleep in his swing at about a month old. As you can see he's very comfortable- and proof that some things don't change- he still prefers to have more than one binky. I used to let him nap in his swing (not swinging) and his bouncy. And a few times he spent the night strapped into his swing when he had a cold. Of course, the swing and bouncy were in the den where I could monitor him at all times- again with the common sense.

Next they recommend lots of tummy time but never to sleep, again because of SIDS. When I would put Billy on his tummy for tummy time, he would go to sleep. He LOVES to sleep on his tummy. Now, I never LET him sleep on his tummy and always put him down on his back. But as soon as he could roll over he started sleeping on his tummy. Back is still best, but Billy sleeps on the belly whether Mommy likes it or not.

So this article was prompted by the recent recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics to never use crib bumpers because they are a suffocation hazard. I had already heard this and we removed the bumper when Billy moved from the bassinet to the crib. What they don't mention is how dangerous bumpers are when a Billy is around. He took a nap in a crib with a bumper once and I found him using it as leverage to climb out of the crib. He was halfway out when I walked in to check on him. Leave it to Billy to find new dangers!

I personally think parents need to make their own decisions based on common sense and their specific child. I borrowed a sling from a friend- and she loved using it, but the fit was too big and I felt unfortable putting Billy in it. So, I never used it. I also borrowed a sleep positioner. Billy is so squirmy that he would manage to get his head off of it. After a few tries Daddy and I decided it was too dangerous for Billy to use. Of course, a few months later they were all recalled. I think the trick is to just pay attention. If it seems dangerous, don't use it.

Now for real mistakes. I think possibly one of the big mistakes I've made so far is not establishing a set bedtime routine. He goes to sleep easily at home. The only constant is the bedtime bottle with the lights out. Sometimes a story, sometimes more play after pjs are on- it's different every night. It's going to be very hard to wean that bottle since there are no other activities to the evening routine. Our friends do storytime every night and weaning for them was easy. Their boy also loves to read. I wonder how Billy will be in the next few years.

I'll leave you tonight with a major mistake that I made that I will continue to repeat. One day when Billy was extra fussy I put him in the computer chair and swung it side to side (it's the spinny kind on wheels and has arms too). Well, Billy fell in love with desk chair rides. So, this evening I was pushing and pulling and spinning my little man in the computer chair. His favorite is when I become the pivot point and swing the chair in a wide arc around me. He just LOVES it. Giggles, squeals, hand clapping. If I put him down he asks to get back up. Dangerous? Probably. Tons of fun? Absolutely. Do I keep a tight grip on him? You better believe it. Will I let him ride it again? Of course!