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I'd like to be more laid-back. I *pretend* to be laid-back a lot. The truth, which anyone who knows me knows: I'm totally Ferris Bueller's buddy, Cameron, when it comes to most things in life, including parenting.
When my five-year-old daughter was born, I continued to write down when she peed or pooped for a good month. I switched my breastfeeding bracelet from wrist to wrist to ensure she never drank from the same boob twice in a row, and I varied my breastfeeding holds religiously. (Note: I still only made it seven weeks -- perhaps it would've been better if I'd relaxed?)
As she got older, I eased off a wee bit. But just a wee bit. I try extremely hard to remember everything I've ever told her so I can be consistent. I don't read the same book at night twice in one week. I insist she eat her vegetables -- one bite for every year of age. (This is a step down from my grandmother, who had a master's degree in home economics and insisted on two colors of vegetables at each meal.)
I wipe her face with my thumb if she's smeared in chocolate. I try, really try, to keep those growing-out bangs out of her face. I convince her to wear sensible shoes to school so she won't get blisters or fall down the stairs. I have no tolerance for baby voices or whining. She takes a bath every night and washes her hair every other night. She has never in life gone to bed wearing sunscreen, except when we found out she'd woken up in the middle of the night, pulled it out of the bathroom drawer and applied it before returning to bed.
Don't I sound FUN?
My husband is more laid-back than I am about some things and less than I am about others. He believes, for example, in the power of chocolate as a food group. But then again, I would be more likely to let our daughter eat somewhere other than the table or with one butt cheek hanging off the chair, two things that drive him crazy. We're lucky in that one of us will inevitably see the humor in the situation while the other is ready to bash a hole through the wall in frustration during most parenting smackdowns.
I don't know if you've noticed this at all, but it's kind of uncool to be the Type A mom. We get accused of being helicopters, whereas I see it more as establishing high standards so you don't have to watch your kids so closely. I strive to be that mother who can bring unruly children into line with one arch of the eyebrow. (I have so not gotten there yet, but that is AWESOME.) I don't want to always be yelling, so I try to communicate what I want (if maybe down to a ridiculous detail) so I don't have to keep explaining it. I also feel it's easier to behave if you know what the rules are and don't want my girl to feel like she doesn't know the rules until after she's broken them.
* The Frugal Girl makes her kids clean their rooms everyday.
* Lifes a Mom has spelled out the rules.
* The one hour blitz.
If you're in my camp, leave or link your heinous admonitions stories here. If you're laid-back, head on over to Sarah's post and leave your comments and stories there.
