Update: My Child is an Embarrassment
After a few days' vacation in Santa Cruz, I am back to the grind and am actively trying to find ways to cope with E, otherwise known as The Beast.
Steps toward sanity:
1) Spend much time in Target, pushing E around and buying tons of junk.
2.) Join 24 hour fitness so that I can take advantage of their $1.50/hour babysitting rate.
3.) Never stay home for more than an hour at a time.
4.) find an outdoorsy place for E - tricky since The Beast eats grass, dirt, and sand.
5.) Push myself onto other young moms so that The Beast might get distracted by other kids and leave me alone.
I've already accomplished steps 1 and 2, but there has been a hiccup. E is totally embarrassing at 24 hour fitness! He spent the whole hour crying and needing to be carried around by the poor child care ladies. He was the only one out of the 10 or so kids having a sustained emotional breakdown. What did I do wrong? Why on earth did he turn out so needy?
Steps toward sanity:
1) Spend much time in Target, pushing E around and buying tons of junk.
2.) Join 24 hour fitness so that I can take advantage of their $1.50/hour babysitting rate.
3.) Never stay home for more than an hour at a time.
4.) find an outdoorsy place for E - tricky since The Beast eats grass, dirt, and sand.
5.) Push myself onto other young moms so that The Beast might get distracted by other kids and leave me alone.
I've already accomplished steps 1 and 2, but there has been a hiccup. E is totally embarrassing at 24 hour fitness! He spent the whole hour crying and needing to be carried around by the poor child care ladies. He was the only one out of the 10 or so kids having a sustained emotional breakdown. What did I do wrong? Why on earth did he turn out so needy?
posted by Caroline | 6:50 PM
6 Comments:
Connor used to do the same thing at LA Fitness (cry the entire time!) After a few months, he was able to let me work out for an hour. BTW LA Fitness allows up to 2hrs for childcare and it's only $10 for the entire month (it may have gone up by now). If you get tired of 24 hour, I would love to have a workout buddy at LA Fitness! :)
Caroline, How often does he stay with other babysitters? Both of my kids would have done the same thing. It's probably a sign that he's smart, and bonded to you. And for the other behavior you mentioned in the post before this, I wondered if he could not be feeling totally well? Could he have an ear infection? My oldest kid had tons of them, and he would just get cranky and act tired, none of the other symptoms. Just about the time that I thought he had huge personality defects, I'd realize that he was actually sick.
Alise,
10$ an hour? wow. That's way better than 24 hour fitness. I'll have to think more about LA fitness...
Paula,
He does stay with sitters occassionally, but they are usually people that he knows really well. As for sickness... I've wondered that, but the doctor has never found any ear infections. So I'm afraid it really is a personality defect :( Though he just started walking yesterday, so we're hoping that will make him happier.
Caroline, he probably will be happier now that he can walk-- my oldest was really crabby until he could sit up and use his hands, and then he got somewhat easier. Then walking helped a lot. Of course there are new problems that come along with that. Basically it seems like every stage brings some good, and some bad. (Right now, with my youngest, we're dealing with learning to drive.)
That anonymous just now was me. I botched up the name thing.
Paula,
I think you're right about the different stages. As hard as it is right now, I have a feeling that when my kid is 16, I'll be looking back a bit nostalgically at his babyhood.
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