Judging parents…

It seems that once you become a parent (even before the baby is born) you open yourself up to advice, from strangers and loved ones, wanted and unwanted, criticism and judgement.

We’re all guilty of judging other parents, and offering advice, but what happens when judgement is misplaced and unneccesary.

Recently someone commented that they can’t wait for John and I to have a second child, implying that we’d then appreciate how hard parenthood really is. Because apparently John shot their child ‘a look’ when their child was misbehaving and the parents were doing nothing about it. Did the comment piss me off much? Um, yes just a tad. To fully appreciate this comment, let me start at the beginning.

When I was pregnant there were many, many people rubbing their hands together smiling like a stupid cheshire cat waiting to see how my darling ex-bachelor husband would handle fatherhood. I even had the suggestion made to me that if we sold tickets there’d be a line around the corner wanting to catch a glimpse of John in the early days of fatherhood.

I could have easily jumped up and down telling everyone to stick there comments where the sun don’t shine, instead I smiled sweetly and rubbed my own hands together knowing full well they’d all be shot down when John turned out to be a wonderful Dad. I wouldn’t have married him if I didn’t think he’d make a wonderful father. And of course his little girl came into the world, melted his heart and had him changing nappies before he could ask, what’s that smell?!

John’s own father even commented he was pleasently surprised at what a hands on Dad his son was. No pleasent surprise for me, I always knew he would be.

So our gorgeous daughter has been and is a wonderful baby, full of personality and cheekiness, a good sleeper and a good little eater. That’s not to say we don’t have shitty days or shitty nights, but over all we’d like to think we’re doing a pretty darn good job. So why not compliment this instead of being negative and making comments like the one that started this whole rant.

I don’t doubt that 2 kids is much harder than 1, but it doesn’t necassrily mean that you know more or are better parents then someone else because you have more children.

The most amazing pieces of advice usually come from those who don’t actually have children of their own. I was recently told that I needed to put more effort into my blog. I needed to get myself and Sophie into a routine and set aside blogging time for myself to improve my blog.

How nice would that be, regular time set aside for myself to blog. That would be great. In a perfect world. And we all know that said perfect world, unfortunatelty does not exist. While Sophie is in a great routine (thank you ‘Save our Sleep’) not everything is the same everyday. I’d love to say, right I’m going to blog every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But what happens when Tuesday night Sophie screams for an hour at 11pm because her mouth is hurting from teething. Or we sit up at the hospital for 3hours from 1am because her temperature sky rockets to nearly 40 degrees. Or when I put her down for afternoon nap and sit down for my scheduled blogging time and she throws up all over her cot.

Unfortunately as I’ve mentioned before this blog has taken a back seat to motherhood, and rightly so. Posts are few and far between but blogging doesn’t always have to be everyday, or always 3 times a week. Most bloggers aren’t paid for their writing (happy for that to change if anyone wants to pay me!), it’s all for the love, and in my case, it’s cheaper than therapy.

So back to my original rant about judgement. At the end of the day, those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. And before you judge another parent, just remember, we’re all doing the hardest job in the world, all with different children, all with different beliefs. And don’t forget to look in your own backyard before criticising others.

Rant over.

Disney Live Show!

On Tuesday we ventured out to the Disney Live! show at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre. And it wasn’t just the little kids that were excited!

Ready for the show!

The Entertainment Centre was buzzing with excitement and full of kids dressed up as their favourite Disney character all ready to watch the show.

When the music started, Sophie was into it! Dancing and wiggling her little bum. Unfortunately when the music stopped at the talking started she wasn’t as keen, but she is only 15 months old. As soon as the music started again she was dancing and clapping!

Checking out the seats.

Dancing with Minnie!

The Grandma a couple of rows in front us was also having a ball. Clapping and singing along to all the words!

The show really was great. Very colourful and exciting. I have to say, I think the highlight for me was Sebastian the crab from The Little Mermaid doing Beyonce’s Single Ladies!

Sebastian does Single Ladies!

Sophie's 1st Icy pole!

Clearly Mickey and Minnie Mouse were Sophie’s favourites. As soon as they were on stage she was mesmerised!

Hopefully they will be back again when Sophie is a bit older, so I can take her again!

Nailing the challenge…

Sophie sit still for this? I don't think so!

Motherhood is challenging. Some challenges are easy to overcome and some reduce you to tears. But this latest challenge with Miss Sophie rivals climbing Mount Everest. As in climbing Mount Everest would be easier. Easier than what? Well I’m glad you asked. If you asked Sophie, and if she could talk she would tell you that her father and I were trying to amputate her little chubby fingers and pull her little toes out one by one from her little chubby feet.

But no my dear friends, this isn’t what we are trying to do at all. We are simply trying to cut her fingernails and toenails. It’s such an ordeal that we have given up many a time. But it’s now getting to the point where we could enter Soph into the Guinness Book of records and give that fingernail lady a run for her money.

We’ve tried while she’s having her bottle, while she’s munching on food, while she’s chilling out playing with toys. But no luck. I think at this rate if we get one a week cut we’re doing well.

I’ve contemplated cutting them in her sleep but once she’s asleep I daren’t wake her up so I chicken out!

My next brainwave is to cut them while she’s asleep in the car. So all we need to do is plan a big drive where she’ll fall asleep, I’ll sit in the back and chop away and problem solved. Now we just need to find the time!

I’m hoping as she gets older she’ll understand what we are doing!

How do you get your little one to stay still while trying to cut their fingernails and toenails?

Don’t forget to enter the Disney Live ticket giveaway!