TV Time, when is too much?

I know that there have been countless of discussions when it comes to allowing kids to watch television. I myself have been a witness to how my niece behaves now after allowing her to watch the Nickelodeon channel even before she turned two. Whenever she's in front of the TV, it's like she does not hear anything else other than the program that she's watching.

Now that my son turned one, I'm thinking when is TV time too much?

I am guilty of allowing my son to watch educational CDs as early as 6 months. Now, he loves watching the programs on the BabyFirstTV cable channel and I cannot say that I am very strict when it comes to his TV schedule.

I immediately turn the TV on soon as my son points to it. I know I may be regarded as being defensive when I say I only let him watch the Baby First TV programs and little of Pocoyo, Pororo and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney Jr but honestly, those were the only TV programs that I allow him to watch (well, Eat Bulaga, a local noontime show, is his favorite, too).

I am aware of the many advantages of educational programs, videos and music to children. These will help them develop many skills, introduce the kids to English, the basic shapes, colors, the letters of the alphabet. But, I am also aware of the many disadvantages of too much TV time - lack of interest in physical activities, kids who watch too much TV are likely to become overweight, reserved or unsociable.

I'm sure that things in our household will be different once my son start school which will be years from now but slowly I will minimize his TV time and introduce more active games and activities that he will enjoy yet learn a lot from.

How about you? When do you think TV time is too much?

The Hardest of All

I'm sure most moms, if not all, will agree with me when I say that the hardest times of being a mother is when our child is sick.

Johan is better now, he hasn't vomited since Sunday night and his poop is looking a little normal today. He is his normal hungry self munching on apples, taking bites of banana and biscuits. I couldn't be thankful enough that finally we're nearing the end of his "worst" days.

The days when he's at his sickest and vomited more than five times were also my worst of days. It was during this time that I whispered to him, "Give it to Mommy please. Make Mommy sick instead of you". Thinking back, I realized it was probably not the best idea because how can I take care of him when I am sick, right? But, that time, all I cared about was ridding him of the vomiting spells, the endless pooping and the hard time of taking his medicines.

What mom won't take the place of her kid in times of sickness? I was praying really hard for Johan to get well and that it won't reach the point where we need to have him admitted in the hospital. I don't know how I would handle it if an IV drip needs to be placed on him. I might lose all control and shout expletives or physically hurt the nurse should the needle don't get inserted on the first try.

Ah, motherhood. It truly is not the easiest of jobs and I've only been in it for a year. Still got a looong way to go.

Johan, please don't get sick anymore.

Uninspired

I know that I have already been neglecting this blog which I shouldn't given that this is fairly new. But, as I've said in my other blog, Lifetime of Togetherness, my son hasn't been well for the entire week. He's been vomiting and pooping for five days and we've been to his pediatrician twice already.

Good thing is he's doing a little better today and drank apple juice from his sippy cup. Even if it's only a small amount, it's a big accomplishment because during the first days of his being sick he refused to eat solids and drink fluids other than his formula.

I pray that he gets well soon. I've been frustrated the entire time he's sick and I've been grouchy and I'm sure I made life a living hell for hubby this entire week.

Please offer a prayer for my little one.

My Mommy Mission Statement

This is an official entry to Dainty Mom’s “Write your Mommy Mission Statement” contest.


Creating a Mommy Mission Statement is not easy. I had to look deep and question myself what I am really aiming for.  I prayed for this. I spent an entire day thinking about this. I've written a few drafts until I arrived at this one which I think summarizes every single goal I had in mind in just a few words.

Here goes My Mommy Mission Statement:

• To surrender everything to God and to let His will be done at all times.
• To make my husband feel loved, respected, valued and admired every single day of his life.
• To provide a warm, peaceful, happy and loving atmosphere in our home.
• To set a good example for my son on how to become a good, law-abiding and God-fearing citizen.
• To embrace and love my son wholeheartedly and accept his individuality should his interests be different from ours and should he choose a different path in life than what we dreamed for him to have.
• To provide guidance and assistance that would help my son be properly equipped to face life’s battles with strength and determination.
• To have fun with my family at every single moment that I am blessed to be with them.
• Finally -  to live simply, love unconditionally and laugh abundantly.

What's yours?

The Importance of Talk

Communication is one of the top three killers of marriage. - Essortment.com

I'm the type of person who finds it hard to put her thoughts into words, verbally. I suck at communicating what I really feel and ever since me and the hubby got together, this behavior of mine irks him the most. You see, whenever there's something he did that I didn't like, I tend to shut up for a long time. He'll be left clueless because I am not talking to him though he's sure he did something and that makes me angrier because he, of all people, should know what pissed me off.

Slowly, though, I'm trying to change my bad habit. I'm doing my best to keep our communication lines open after last week's episode. 

It is really hard for me to say what I feel especially when I am mad. The reason why I tend to separate myself from the situation is that I don't want to say something that I know I will regret later on, hence, the cold shoulder I give my husband. I know it's frustrating for him but that's my way of dealing with it, letting my anger pass, thinking we'll be able to talk sensibly when I am not seething with anger. Wrong.

Last week, all the past issues came out - issues that we weren't able to settle because I refused to talk to him in the heat of the moment. When I decided to finally talk to him about those things, he became angry thinking that all of those were in the past already and he thought we're done dealing with those. That's the ultimate reason why couples should definitely discuss even the smallest issue - to settle the problem and to prevent it from blowing into a larger one.

Through sweat and tears, I did my best to communicate to the husband what I was feeling. Yes, there were a few times that voices were raised, a few "I always do everything and you never help out", but in the end, the talking paid off. A huge chunk was taken of my shoulders, I can breathe easier and our relationship has never been better. Husband even filed a two-day leave from work so he can spend time with me and our son. It was truly the best long holiday weekend we ever had even if we only stayed home.

Let me share with you something I read that helped me become a better communicator:

Here are Five Communication Strategies to Use with your Spouse from Essortment.com:

1. Be a good listener. Let your spouse talk about the things that are most important. 
2. Keep focused. When it's your turn to share, stay on task with the key point. Don't try to cover too much territory at once or go off on a tangent.
3. Stay calm. While it's fine to share emotion briefly, try not to get overcome by strong feelings of despair or anger unless you are facing a true catastrophe. 
4. Set a goal. Since both spouses tend to often stay busy, you may want to have a goal in mind for your focused discussions. 
5. Use communication as a way to express affection. Praise, encouragement, affirmation, compliments, and gratitude are some of the ways that you can show love to your spouse.

Read more here.

I still got a long way to go before I master the art of communicating with my husband but I promise myself to be a better, calmer, happier, talkative wife to him in the coming years.