Naptime Blog

For three years I worked as a dental assistant for a pediatric dentist.  I was in my early twenties at the time and had no children yet.  I remember wondering what type of disciplining some of these parents did (or did not do) with their children.  Often, we would have a child who had a mouthful of decay, specifically in the front surfaces of the front teeth, often termed in the dental world as “baby bottle rot”.  I specifically remember one family who had three children, and each of the children had to be put through the torture of needing Novocain and fillings on numerous teeth from baby bottle rot.  And I would say to myself “Hasn’t this mother learned by the third child not to put the kid to sleep with a bottle of milk or juice, as the sugar lying on the teeth all night rots them out?”  Those same children had to literally be restrained by both the parent and two assistant in order to prevent the child from actually kicking, biting and beating up the dentist and the workers.  I even witnessed one child hit his mother.  And then it hit me:  these children get put in the crib with the bottle because they run the show, not the parents…  And the children are allowed to kick and scream and bite and kick because the parent does not do much disciplining.  So I would often tell the child (as I was getting bitten or kicked) “We don’t kick people”, or “You need to behave, Sweetie”.

I have four children; my oldest is a girl who is almost eight years old…  I must admit she can misbehave and throw tantrums with the best of them, and I am by no means claiming to be Mom of the Year.  I do, however, know that while she may misbehave in our home, I know hat when she is out, she is always on her best behavior, respectful, and I can trust that she is being a good girl.  I try to always teach my children right from wrong.  I stop even my toddlers when they do something wrong and remind them not to kick, not to throw their toys, not to hit their brothers… 

So now that I have kids of my own, I still am amazed when I see other children like the children with baby bottle rot.  It amazes me how parents can allow their children to be rude, nasty, have no manners, and be disrespectful to other children and adults.  It bothers me that my children will grow up with many kids that were never taught much about right from wrong.  I know I make mistakes, but I always try to teach them right from wrong.

I was at a Halloween festival a few weeks ago where the children went trick-or-treating around the park to vendors for candy.  I had a big bowl with a variety of candy and had to be sure I pulled it as close to my side of the table as possible because so many of the children would just stick their fists right into the bowl and grab a bunch of candy.  And when I would look at the child and politely say “Sweetie, I will hand out the candy”, I was hoping the parent would help me out by reminding the child that it is rude to stick their hands into the candy bowl.  I was met with many parents that would, instead, respond with “Oh, she just wants that Tootsie Roll” or something like that. 

Even more of an annoyance to me was that out of the 800 bags of candy I handed out to the children, if I heard maybe 100 “thank-yous”, that was all.  Come on, Moms!  I tell my fifteen month olds to say thank you!  And guess what?  They do! 

Children are our future.  As parents, we have the future in OUR hands.  If we don’t start teaching our children respect and manners, who will?  The dental assistant in the pediatric dental office?  Or the woman in the park handing out candy to trick-or-treaters?  Nope.  I have my own children to teach manners to!

Jennifer
Wife to Paul, Mom to Juliana (7), Anthony and Louis (1) and Joseph (Newborn)
www.nevaland.com

When you have four children everything seems to be gigantic. Halloween goes on for weeks, with parties galore, costume after costume, a bunch of pumpkins and much too much candy. 

Halloween for us began in early October and went straight through the month.  I helped out our local zoo representing MomsLikeMe.com doing crafts with the children visiting the zoo.  I spent Columbus Day weekend helping kids make bat, tiger and elephant masks. My husband brought our three older children to meet me and to see the Halloween special events at the zoo.  Children dressed in animal costumes got in for free, and since the three babies were going to be animals, it was easy to dress the twins in their lion and tiger costumes.  My daughter had a cat costume in the house from something she did earlier in the year  (although for Halloween she was a Gothic Maiden Vamp, whatever that means) so my kids all got into the zoo for free, enjoyed the animals, and my daughter enjoyed the Halloween festivities.  Although I was exhausted after doing crafts with hundreds of children, it did get us into the Halloween spirit.

Later that week we decorated in the house, taking our jack-o-lanterns and witches.  It is always fun watching the twins discover something new as my 15 month olds love to be in the middle of everything!

My daughter’s school has an annual Halloween party, this year held on the 30th.  I helped the parent’s club decorate for the event, even getting them some donated decorations.  The party has been a family favorite even before my daughter started school there, from when my little sister attended the school 15 years ago.

I walked with the kids through the neighborhood on Halloween, pushing the triple stroller as my Gothic Maiden Vamp and her friends rang bells for candy (I still think this is such an odd custom, but it is so much fun, even as a parent!), then on to another party later that evening. 

So Halloween for our family lasted a month.  And now as we are in November, the holidays are among us.  Although I have no idea how the year flew by so quickly, I am a bit concerned with how big Christmas will get with four kids!  Last year with three (and the twins’ first Christmas) it was gigantic, I can only imagine this year with the twins understanding more, Juliana’s Santa believing years now numbered, and Joseph’s first Christmas among us, this holiday season will be astronomical!  I just hope our shopping bills aren’t!  TIS THE SEASON!  ENJOY!

Jennifer
Mom to Juliana (7), Louis (1) and Anthony (1), Joseph (1 month)
www.nevaland.com