I'm nervous about the damage to be done in the next few months (and years for that matter). Not only to possessions, but mostly to him. He gets hurt on a regular basis. Toppling off of chairs on to the hard floor, bumping his head on sharp edges, rolling off the bed on to a semi-cushioned rug. I hope the damage will not be permanent. I see no way in curbing the injuries, unless I stand next to him with one hand on him for the rest of his life. And sometimes, you just gotta pee! And eat!! And blog!!!!
How does a mother do it? I'm totally exasperated. Just let him get hurt a few times. Submit to the crazy kid and bring a book while I'm monitoring his actions? I feel like my whole day is spent wrestling and chasing and putting things out of reach and kissing owies. Can I trust it will get better when I have my own apartment and can baby-proof? Please tell me this is not my fate for more than the next few months here in Egypt in a very un-baby-proofed apartment. I will go absolutely crazy.
Also on the table: keeping him content for three weeks of bus rides and one LOOOOONG trip back around the world. I am so dreading August...
yes its much better when you can baby prof :)....its nice not to worry as much but still baby will get hurt and ruin many a things all part of the fun right?
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain, Caitlin. I feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteWhen you have your own place, you can try and babyproof like crazy, but if your child is of above-average intelligence, which I suspect he is, your situation will not improve until he learns how to talk and reason.
For now, try and restrain him (stroller, playpen, something?) while you pee/shower. Make him watch 20 minutes of Baby Einstein on your laptop. Ben does not sit still for 12 waking hours a day. I am exhausted and will be for at least another year, I suspect.
ps You might want to think about having your kids close together (2 years?) I wish I had. Because if there's a gap, it just prolongs the pain you are feeling now.
ReplyDeleteI remember feeling that way about Eliza when she was this age-- like the time she was holding on to my lap, then decided to cruise by holding onto the desk and fell into the corner of the computer. Ouch.
ReplyDeleteHOWEVER, it got better! Seriously, this age is like that. But he will quickly develop more gross motor skills and become a skilled walker and have a (little bit) longer attention span, which will free you up some!
Good luck, though! My pediatrician stated that baby boys like to be "dispersers." I thought that was a nice way of saying it...
Heber was the exact same way when he was near that same age... actually I don't remeber what age but at a time when he was younger he was always getting hurt and falling and such. Then he learned to walk and got better at it and learned to climb and got better at it. He still does lots of crazing climbing (like on the garage roof most recently, insert rolling eyes) but doesn't get hurt very often. so.... it gets better, just in time to worry about little Eeva soon to enter that same stage. I don't know if having kids close together makes it any better.
ReplyDeleteThis is the hardest part. You can see why mothers feel they cannot mother and do anything else, like work with their child present. This is the real obstacle to women having full voice in humanity--for a couple of years out of your child's life you almost literally have to be standing right there. Have more than one child during your childbearing years? Then multiply that time. (But if anyone can show us the way out of this Catch-22, it'll be you, Caitlin, so please find a path . . . )
ReplyDeleteAnd it is also the reason our house has always looked so cluttered--can't put anything on the floor, it all has to go out of reach. I wish mothers designed houses . . .
Welcome to motherhood:)
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