Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Teething Tuesday...

Miles is rolling over more and more now, which is alot of fun to watch. We are working on him sitting up, though he has a ways to go. If I let go, he folds forward in no time flat. He loves to stand though while I hold him by his arms and I need to get pics of that. He's just a joy and giggles and smiles so much.


This weekend John and I purchased a love seat for our front porch and little side table. (We were able to get upholstered stuff since it's under our porch. Anybody know where I can get some outdoor pillows?) We currently have no back patio to speak of and are looking into installing something, so for now, our front porch is where we chill. On Father's day I attempted to snap some pics of daddy with his kids, but ended up getting these quirky shots.

The pugs are thrilled to have a cushy seat to watch the world go by.

So Miles has been drooling a bit more and just can't get enough of his fingers or gumming on toys. So we have been wondering if he's getting close to teething. Well today he was just beside himself. He was crabby and soooo tired, but couldn't' sleep. Finally, John fished around on his gums and lo and behold, we think we found a little hard spot. So I think he's teething. We aren't always quick to jump on medicine, but we gave him a bit of Tylenol and the rest of the evening was great. So I think that was the problem. It's hilarious though how John and I are such neurotic rookies. Even over something simple like teething we jump on the internet, searching for answers and micromanaging every little thing it could be. We sure love this little guy and always want to do what's best for him.

Here's our little guy munching away.


I read something interesting today and wanted to share:

A while back I read about an interesting phenomenon called helicopter parenting. (Google Helicopter Parenting and you'll find a mecca of articles on the subject.) It's where parents hover over their children, communicating with them non-stop, fixing their life's problems and not really allowing them to experience failures on their own. This really shows up when they go to college because the parents are calling them numerous times a day (texting too) and are so involved that they contact their student's professors and RA's to solve issues with grades and social problems in the dorm.

I just read an article today in the paper where these helicopter parents are now actually getting involved in (and messing up) the job negotiation process as these kids grow to search for jobs. One company said they actually had a parent show up to a training session FOR their child. They have had parents call regarding jobs for them and actually calling to negotiate salaries. Then, a bit separate from the parenting issue, but an issue for the next generation of these kids, I guess there are college graduates that don't' understand you have to show up for work during spring break. This article spoke with one company that had kids fresh out of college that took the week of spring break off (without permission) thinking it was a national holiday.

So here I show my age as I exclaim, "Kids these days!!" ;>) But I guess it's also, "Parents these days" as well too. Hmmmm, I wonder how I'll balance micro-managing little things like teething worries with someday allowing Miles to handle his own bad grade on a test or paper. Thankfully I have 18 years and an awesome hubby with a good head on his shoulders to help me balance it all out.

Thankfully, right now I can hover all I want. But I'm asking you now to smack me if I end up texting Miles 15 times a day when he's away at college! Or worse yet, fixing a problem for him by calling a professor. Sheesh.... I once heard a great quote, "The best gift you can give your children are roots and wings." Lord, please give me the strength to remember that someday. Thank goodness my job right now is to give roots. Soon enough I'll be dealing with the wings part, I'm sure.

3 comments:

Jen said...

OK, Miles & Evan are two peas in a pod. I can't wait to get them together soon. Love the pictures...he's adorable! Miss ya bunches!

Anonymous said...

The 'roots and wings' thing is ironic because for Father's Day this year I put a plaque on Dad's burial site that said the same thing. Coincidence.

Anyways, as far as teething goes, I know you probably get a lot of advice, but I always used all natural teething tablets. I got them at Walmart.

Anonymous said...

Helicopter parenting is another term for 'over-indulging' your children. Often these children don't even make it through college because they've never had to work hard enough on their own. As adults, they end up borrowing money from mom and dad and, like you said, don't have any coping skills for life's valleys. My oldest is 6, and I remember reading about over-indulged children growing up to be over-indulged adults. Love the blog, btw. Miles has some amazing blue eyes. ;))