The Bipolar Mommy

Question for Parents: What kind of parent are you?

I took an interesting quiz on Shine the other day. I am a quiz junkie; I cannot help myself! Anyway, the quiz assessed what type of parent I would be. It turns out, I am the “Wii Mom.” Basically, it said that I am the kind of mom that encourages independent thinking, and let’s her kids do their own thing; however, my kids will always know that I am in their corner. I must say, I thought that was pretty accurate.

One of the (many) reasons I have held off on having kids myself is that I thought that I was too selfish. Being the baby of the family, I have pretty much gotten my way. I’ve done what I wanted, when I wanted to do it. I relish in my afternoon naps. I love being able to call my own shots. Seeing my sister and my other friends have kids really made me aware of the level of sacrifice being a parent takes. I have always known I wanted a child, but I never truly felt “ready.”

I could tell you that now I feel “ready,” but I would be lying. I think what I feel now is acceptance. I realize that I don’t need to be the perfect cookie baking, Donna Reed type of mom. As long as I love my kid and do what I feel is right, it’s going to be okay.

So, what about you? What kind of parent are you? Are you a “June Cleaver?” Are you “Roseanne?” The world is dying to know.

Questions for Parents: Why do you make your kids separate meals?

I hate to cook. I do it as little as possible. I am sure when I have a child, I will cook because I will not want them to eat frozen dinners every night. That being said, I have one question for parents. Why do you make your kids separate meals at dinner?

I have actually asked parents about this before. The usual answer that I get is that the child simply won’t eat the food the rest of the family is having. My response is usually, “So?” They follow up with “Well, I don’t want my child to starve.”

My position is that the laws of nature will take over. If children are truly hungry, they will eat almost anything you put in front of them, eventually. When I say this, most parents get defensive or just laugh at me. “You just don’t understand,” one friend said. “Kids are the most stubborn creates on the planet. I have tried that strategy, and my kid didn’t eat for two whole days!”

Now I understand if you are serving a dish that truly not “kid friendly.” If you are trying some new recipe that features roast duck, liver, and sauces you can’t pronounce, perhaps that is a good time to make the kid a ham sandwich. However, if the menu is spaghetti and meatballs, the kids should eat spaghetti and meatballs. Just because they are “in the mood” for something else, doesn’t mean the kid should have a special meal prepared for them. Besides, it has been my experience that by the time you fix children what they want, they will change their minds and want something else.

Am I being too judgmental?

Questions for Parents: Why is baby poop so fascinating?

As a part of this blog, I am starting a section where I ask parents questions about their experiences. To me, an obvious question has always been, “Why is baby poop so fascinating?”

It seems that baby poop is the barometer for everything concerning babies. Is the baby eating enough? Check the poop. Is the baby sick? Check the poop. Is the baby developing normally? Check the poop. Is the baby the next Messiah? Check the poop. Okay, that last one I made up. But that would be interesting, wouldn’t it? I guess you would see an image of the Virgin Mary or something, but once again, I digress.

In my experience, whenever a friend or associate of mine has a baby, all of a sudden, poop becomes an acceptable topic for open conversation. You would never go up to say, your colleague at work, and ask them, “You don’t look well. Have you checked your poop?” Perhaps I’m missing something. Parents, please enlighten me with an answer to this question. I’m dying to know.