ok mommies,
chillax.
first of all,
when i told you to shower every day, i did not intend to start world war III.
truly, i thought that was basic.
and as many teenage girls (who are learning to care for themselves) read my blog, i thought it a good way to talk about it.
obviously, if you have a skin "condition" bathe when your dr dictates...
as i said in the beginning of my post, this is how I do things. little did i know, those of you who DON'T bathe regularly would be coming at me guns-a-blazin'.... not quite sure i'd willlingly admit to that..... lets leave mary-kate and ashley to be dirty girls.
i hear your argument, but it definitely didn't change my opinion that bathing should be a daily routine. i'm not talking about taking a luxurious bubble bath with opera music & lighted candles. we're talking a rinsie-rinse. 30 seconds.
i'm going to get 2 comments out of the way that REALLY bother me.
1. i do not have authority to discuss hygiene/children/marriage/brain squeezers (remember that heated debate?!) because i'm not a MOTHER.
guess what, folks. i was raised by a mother of 5 young girls who showered DAILY (and that 5 min of neglect never made me question that she still loved me). i have close girlfriends with babies (some of them multiple births) who shower DAILY. and when i was a full-time nanny (in between hairspray and grease) i showered DAILY.
no, i have not personally birthed any offspring, but i can assure you that i would take GREAT care to make sure my home and body (specially when it's seeping post-pregnancy) were clean so that tiny baby would not be susceptible to germs (or staph!) transferred from me.
2. it is evident that i'm "still single" because i bathe or brush my teeth.
yeah, cause SOOO many men are totally turned on by morning breath and b.o.
listen, i've been married. i know what it is like to be married and i know what it is like to be in a long-term very close relationship. perhaps you can recall your dating days.... did you bathe? i'll bet you did. why should it be any different when you're married?
i am "still single" -ish (seriously? i'm young and TOTALLY ok with being single... in fact, i really love it. why shouldn't i? when else am i going to experience nyc this way?!) by choice. not because i'm a "neurotic clean freak" (which, i am not-i just have a normal standard of personal hygiene). one great gift i can surely give my future husband is the promise not to "let it go." i expect that he will continue to bathe and brush his teeth once the ring is on. i also expect that he will continue to take care of his body as i will take care of mine. i will continue to exercise (because it makes me happy) and eat well (because my body digs that) and smell good. i will not change once i've acquired a man. you're wlcome, future husband. you're welcome.
since some mommies clearly think i'm speaking heresy about the shower issue, i've enlisted my mot (who bathed, bathes, and wil continue to bathe) to give you helpful showering hints.
kathy:
we all need to find ways to be efficient mothers. have you ever listened to the emergency airplane instructions? put the oxygen mask on YOURSELF first then on the mouth of the child. i used to think that was selfish, but then i finally understood why that was important. what help would i be to my child if i died first?
same principle with caring for yourself.
if you don't feel good about yourself, you are not going to be an effective mother or wife.
bathing and being a good parent are not mutually exclusive. on the contrary, feeling clean and kept will change your attitude about being home with your children. we CAN do it all.
we're mothers.
there are many people who don't have the opportunity to be mothers. savor this opportunity to shape young minds and teach them about cleanliness.
useful ways to take a shower (which should only take 5 min max) and still be a loving and wonderful mother:
1. nap time!
when your babies are young enough, nap time is a great way to sneak in your shower. some children even take 2 naps- that's twice the opportunites to bathe!
2. bouncer.
put the baby in the bouncer in the bathroom. that way, baby is away from harm and still close to you.
3. put the child's toys in a special bathroom drawer.
babies love tearing into things, let them have that satisfaction with their own toys while you're on the other side of a curtain monitering their safety.
4. singing time.
if your child is a little older but still too young to be unattended for 5 min, have your child sing songs with you about raindrops while the shower rain hits the curtain. use that opportunity as a teaching time.
5. play peek-a-bo
while baby is outside the shower curtain or door, play games.
girls, this is a matter of priority. do it for your husband (he'll thank me), do it for your children (they'll thank me) and do it for yourself (for heavens sakes!).
may you have a staph-free christmas!
chillax.
first of all,
when i told you to shower every day, i did not intend to start world war III.
truly, i thought that was basic.
and as many teenage girls (who are learning to care for themselves) read my blog, i thought it a good way to talk about it.
obviously, if you have a skin "condition" bathe when your dr dictates...
as i said in the beginning of my post, this is how I do things. little did i know, those of you who DON'T bathe regularly would be coming at me guns-a-blazin'.... not quite sure i'd willlingly admit to that..... lets leave mary-kate and ashley to be dirty girls.
i hear your argument, but it definitely didn't change my opinion that bathing should be a daily routine. i'm not talking about taking a luxurious bubble bath with opera music & lighted candles. we're talking a rinsie-rinse. 30 seconds.
i'm going to get 2 comments out of the way that REALLY bother me.
1. i do not have authority to discuss hygiene/children/marriage/brain squeezers (remember that heated debate?!) because i'm not a MOTHER.
guess what, folks. i was raised by a mother of 5 young girls who showered DAILY (and that 5 min of neglect never made me question that she still loved me). i have close girlfriends with babies (some of them multiple births) who shower DAILY. and when i was a full-time nanny (in between hairspray and grease) i showered DAILY.
no, i have not personally birthed any offspring, but i can assure you that i would take GREAT care to make sure my home and body (specially when it's seeping post-pregnancy) were clean so that tiny baby would not be susceptible to germs (or staph!) transferred from me.
2. it is evident that i'm "still single" because i bathe or brush my teeth.
yeah, cause SOOO many men are totally turned on by morning breath and b.o.
listen, i've been married. i know what it is like to be married and i know what it is like to be in a long-term very close relationship. perhaps you can recall your dating days.... did you bathe? i'll bet you did. why should it be any different when you're married?
i am "still single" -ish (seriously? i'm young and TOTALLY ok with being single... in fact, i really love it. why shouldn't i? when else am i going to experience nyc this way?!) by choice. not because i'm a "neurotic clean freak" (which, i am not-i just have a normal standard of personal hygiene). one great gift i can surely give my future husband is the promise not to "let it go." i expect that he will continue to bathe and brush his teeth once the ring is on. i also expect that he will continue to take care of his body as i will take care of mine. i will continue to exercise (because it makes me happy) and eat well (because my body digs that) and smell good. i will not change once i've acquired a man. you're wlcome, future husband. you're welcome.
since some mommies clearly think i'm speaking heresy about the shower issue, i've enlisted my mot (who bathed, bathes, and wil continue to bathe) to give you helpful showering hints.
kathy:
we all need to find ways to be efficient mothers. have you ever listened to the emergency airplane instructions? put the oxygen mask on YOURSELF first then on the mouth of the child. i used to think that was selfish, but then i finally understood why that was important. what help would i be to my child if i died first?
same principle with caring for yourself.
if you don't feel good about yourself, you are not going to be an effective mother or wife.
bathing and being a good parent are not mutually exclusive. on the contrary, feeling clean and kept will change your attitude about being home with your children. we CAN do it all.
we're mothers.
there are many people who don't have the opportunity to be mothers. savor this opportunity to shape young minds and teach them about cleanliness.
useful ways to take a shower (which should only take 5 min max) and still be a loving and wonderful mother:
1. nap time!
when your babies are young enough, nap time is a great way to sneak in your shower. some children even take 2 naps- that's twice the opportunites to bathe!
2. bouncer.
put the baby in the bouncer in the bathroom. that way, baby is away from harm and still close to you.
3. put the child's toys in a special bathroom drawer.
babies love tearing into things, let them have that satisfaction with their own toys while you're on the other side of a curtain monitering their safety.
4. singing time.
if your child is a little older but still too young to be unattended for 5 min, have your child sing songs with you about raindrops while the shower rain hits the curtain. use that opportunity as a teaching time.
5. play peek-a-bo
while baby is outside the shower curtain or door, play games.
girls, this is a matter of priority. do it for your husband (he'll thank me), do it for your children (they'll thank me) and do it for yourself (for heavens sakes!).
may you have a staph-free christmas!
