I'm daily reminded what a terrible mother I am. Here are ten reasons this is so.
I never dress my baby warmly enough. This freezing Mexican climate calls for hats and coats at all times.
I sometimes bathe him even when he's sick.
He's already six months old and not yet eating tortillas.
I nurse him, which is unhealthy for him and also very tacky of me.
I don't dress him in shoes.
I haven't bought him a walker thingy to play in.
I carry him too much and now he's used to it.
Sometimes I dress him in too many stripes, or, worse, in pink!
I let him suck on his fingers.
I haven't baptized him.
Oh, and here's number eleven - I take him to places where the goblins are without proper protection! For example, I took him up to the mountains yesterday, and that's prime goblin habitat.
I'm basically Mexico's worst mother.
Sorry to chuckle, but I can relate to this w/my suegra, but I won't elaborate further. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI remember when my sister-in-law piled on the winter coat, fleece, ski cap and 2 pairs of socks over her 1 year old...it was 65 outside and slightly breezy. The poor kid was sweating buckets & kept taking off the excess layers. Of course she would vigilantly redress him.
I am surprised about nursing & carrying, as Lesley said those are expected, if you don't, then you don't love your baby very much. I don't want to imagine the reaction if I ever have children and announce there will be no church baptism.
What is the overdressing thing all about? It's outta control. My aunt in law has one year old twins and she refuses to take them out in the winter unless there's some kind of emergency, and then only if they're bundled in layer upon layer and wrapped in huge king sized blankets. Literally. And the shoe thing is SO funny to me-- i got the WORST looks when I'd take efrain out without shoes and socks. It was apparently some huge act of neglect. What does a 3 month old baby need with shoes anyway? It's better to leave them barefoot so their feet can develop properly. I get looks too for nursing. Everybody uses formula. But i'm not sure why this is. I think it's partly miseducation and they do think its better than breastmilk.
ReplyDeleteLOL! You are not the worst mother in the world! You are doing what feels right to you, and that is ALL that matters. Most of the things on that list are old wive's tales. Pay no attention to them!
ReplyDeleteI'm not kidding about the LOL. After reading about the nursing, I laughed so hard, I cried. (I guess this list really hit home!) I don't understand the reasoning behind people (doctors included) advising to nurse for only 6 months. In the States, I was told that a woman should nurse for atleast a year. I nursed my eldest for 15 months, my second for 23 months and the youngest two for 10 months! When I gave birth to Ashley (my 3rd child) the nurses NOB asked if I wanted assistance in breastfeeding. I said no, because I had about 3 years experience. The nurse then asked if I wanted to be a La Leche League Consultant. :D But when I delivered Jack here in Mexico, the doctor asked how long I planned on nursing. I answered "as long as he wants!" To which the doctor looked at me horrified and said "No, no, no, Señora". It was then that he said that women should only nurse for 6 months. I swear, most of the doctors down here infuriate me!
Just keep doing what you are and you and the little guy will be much better for it! :D
you crack me up. Give him a tortilla already and have a glass of wine. You deserve it.
ReplyDeleteLOl, i remember going to the beach in California and my husband insisted our son where a coat and his ear flap ski hat. We got alot of stares. The pictures crack me up...me and my husband in shorts and tank tops on the beach with our baby bundled up like it is snowing.
ReplyDeleteSo I see I'm not the only bad mother in Mexico! ^^ I think the only thing that saves me is that Hanix is huge and fat and really strong, and everyone LOVES that (because who doesn't love a big, fat baby?). So when they give me a hard time and tell me that probably my breast milk is bad for him (and suggest formula, tea, soda, or cow's milk instead!), I just hand him over and say "Yeah, he clearly isn't getting enough to eat. Here, you carry him awhile." Thanks for all the great anecdotes! Now, where's that glass of wine?
ReplyDeleteI hope that they do not insist on these things when I go to Mexico. If I have another baby there then they sure will not be giving it tea.
ReplyDeleteI know and I have her only son's baby! Her oldest daughter can not have kids. I guess that when we go to Mexico I will probably not have to do anything for him I can already imagine that she will want to do everything. That is going to be weird to me because I am so used to taking care of him and I like doing it. He and my daughter are my job- I love doing it. I guess they will think I am weird. I mean the way I do things.
ReplyDeleteOk so I am way behind on reading but Im actually glad. This has totally hit home for me. I recently spent a lot of time with my in laws and am ready to scream. My gosh the shoe thing at Christmas Eve I didn't bring shoes and I thought they were all going to eat me alive. And the whole time I was with Issacs sister she was trying to convince me to give my 9month old juice and that she should have had it since she was 4 months old. Also I make all of her food from fresh fruits and veggies. Its so easy and if you freeze it in ice trays and put in freezer bags its good for up to 3 months. Anyway for some reason in Mexico babies are the only ones who are not suppose to eat fresh. I always get stares when its not a Gerber bottle of food that Im feeding her. And oh yes the seat belts. My sister in law in amazed that my 3 yr old will sit in a car seat for an entire 3 hour drive and to go to the grocery store. Thank you so much for this post. I actually just read it out loud to my husband and we both laughed the whole time because everything except the goblins I have been complaining about. Thank God his family is not superstitious because Im afraid I would have to tell them just how silly it was. :) Thanks again I seriously needed it.
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