Your cranky fussy snotty baby has stopped screaming momentarily, you estimate you have 30 seconds before she starts again. Quick what do you do with the free time?
Do you dash off to take care of personal needs? Throw a load of laundry in? Cuddle the two year old who is feeling a bit neglected? Cuddle the infant and relish the happy moment? Answer the little blinky IM from your GS leader? (or the one from your husband?) Read the 10 new emails that popped up during the last 'rock-a-by' verse?
Waaaaaah
To late, times up.
As I happen to have one of those fussy snotty babies at the moment, I have had quite a few choices to make. And it occurred to me, parenting is the worlds biggest risk assessment job.
Investment bankers have nothing on the risks of putting a snotty baby down vs risking what the two year old will get into while your hands are full.
In a rare moment of happy baby playing I chose the laundry option, dashed to the dryer, emptied the towels out, tossed the darks in the dryer, dashed to the bathroom to grab a load of lights, tossed them the soap, the dryer balls all in. Then it was back to wash my hands. Still happy! Awesome. Contemplated what else I could get done before Little One snotted fully snotted up her toy and needed rescued.
Then I passed my two year old snuggled on my bed. I left all those chores to cuddle her and talk about the fairies who were 'just dancing' to Fran Liszt. So I risked her never learning a proper work ethic; Not to mention the risk of ants in my unswept kitchen.
Later in the afternoon I had a very sleepy baby who really needed to nap, just as soon as she would get comfy she would do the 'snirk, ack' struggle of too much snot again. A few sngs some rocking,a dn a lot of prayer and she finally seemed to be breathing deeper without a snot attack. I had high hopes of a real nap. And then Baby Girl starts with the 'I'm Hungwe".
Risk assessment time. Should I try to move around holding the almost asleep Little One to get the snack for Baby Girl, or should I try to get Baby Girl to wait quietly (patience is not her natural talent). One false move and I would have two screaming kids on my hands. Baby Girl can't handle the word 'no' or 'wait'. (trust me we are working on it)
I went trying to have Baby Girl find her own snack, because the risk of a two year old loose in the fridge was apparently better odds than the screaming duo. Or maybe the end result was less scary.
Risk assessment is more than just playing the odds, you have to take into account the mood of the player, the danger, the possible lesson to the kid, the time table, and the amount of chocolate available to ease the pain should you choose wrong.
Really is it any wonder parents get high blood pressure from all the stress of just making it through one day?
YOu rock kiddo!!
ReplyDelete