Its easier now that the kids are 4 & 6

My kids are 4 and 6 and its so much easier now. I remember when they were newborns, babies then toddlers. Life was much harder then! Especially life with a newborn AND a toddler without any help. I had to prioritise. My priorities back then were.....

1. Babies
2. Housework
3. Cooking (accept for my babies)

I gave priority to my babies first. Looking after my babies always came first. They were what mattered the most. I had a very hard time breastfeeding my babies. So that took up a lot of my time. Life seemed to go by in a frenzy of feeding after feeding after feeding. Everytime I finished pumping, storing, trying to breastfeed unsuccessfully, cup feeding, sterilizing, then it was time for another feed! It was crazy but we did it in the end. We managed to breastfeed successfully after the first 2 months of frenzied feeding and went on to breastfeed for 1 1/2 years for the first and 3 years for the second baby.

Housework came second and cooking third accept cooking for my babies because I wanted them to eat fresh nutritious foods cooked by me not foods that came out of a jar. Afterall, we try to avoid canned food for its less than nutritious value. So why should our babies eat jar food? So I made them myself and that was very time consumming.

However, I had no time to cook for the adults ie my husband and myself. Each evening after work, my husband would drive to the economy rice shop near my house and tapau or pack home 3 packets of rice with dishes. 2 packets were for our dinner. I kept 1 packet in the fridge to be reheated in the microwave the next day for my lunch.

It was a pretty unhealthy way to eat, especially at a time when I was recovering from birth and was supposed to be looking after myself better but I had no choice. I couldn't cope with everything so I had to cut corners and that was one of the ways.

As for housework, I always felt that it was not very important. As long as we did a quick wipe and don't let it get too dirty for hygiene purposes, I didn't have to have a house with shiny floors and shelves. I had a motto. "A place for everything and everything in its place." I kept to that and at least we didn't have the clutter that would drive one mad.

I'm writing this because I feel overwhelmed again with so much things to be done. But before I go and rant and complain, I should look back to how much harder it was back then. Now, the kids are older and eat the same foods as we do so I don't have to cook special foods for them anymore. I even have a live in house helper now so I don't have to do much housework accept supervise and help out a bit here and there and whenever I cook, I have someone to prepare before and clean up afterwards for me. Yes, I should be thankful instead of complain about how overwhelmed I am with my todo list. :)

Now, I even have time to read a book or a magazine in between rushing. And sometimes I have time to dress up when we go out. I can even wear heels again. Haha. It was impossible to wear heels when you are carrying a baby and chasing a toddler at the same time. It was foolhardy. But now I can wear heels again, frivolous though this may sound, its just another thing or part of me that I have managed to reclaim after the babies came along and I became lost in babyworld.

And for all new moms who happen to be passing by and reading this. Remember to treasure the early days even though it may be hard. They grow up so fast and soon you will have more time to yourself again. :)

Related posts:

Life with a newborn and a toddler
Life with a 3 year old and a 5 year old

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Her first Scaling Experience at the Dentist

We took the kids to see the dentist on the first day of the school holidays. What a way to start the holidays. Anyway, so far, the kids are ok with the dentist. They like to collect the stickers she gives! *Rolls eyes*

The girl was not afraid. She sat down on the chair. Then the dentist took a picture of her teeth to show her and us that she had quite a lot of calculus. "Its very young to have calculus", said the dentist.

"See this special thing?" said the dentist to my girl. "It can suck water". "I'm going to give your teeth a nice shower now." she continued after the scaling with a soft brush. I like it that the dentist is very good with kids. I think its because she has a daughter too, just one year older than my girl.

She says that my girl has very crooked teeth and she's worried about the placing of some of them as it can distort the jaw if left unchecked but she said we'll monitor it for now.

She told us to bring the girl every 6 months to get her used to going to a dentist. "Its very important" she says. "This way, they will grow up unafraid and treat a visit to the dentist just like a visit to the hairdressers for a haircut."

She just had a peer into my boy's mouth. The boy was allowed to watch the scaling too to get him used to being in a dentist room.

Then it was my turn. And after we were all done, the kids requested for stickers and she gave them two each. And that was how her first scaling experience went.

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Head Lice

About 6 or 7 girls in my daughter's class in kindy are having head lice. Head lice spreads easily and is difficult to get rid of. Fortunately my daughter does not have it and I am trying to prevent it. Everyday when she gets home, I check her hair and I try to wash it daily. Combing out the hair with a fine tooth comb when it is wet helps too. The teachers also regularly check the kids' hair to make sure that it does not continue spreading.

Here are some good links on head lice and how to manage it.

Headlice.org

Kidshealth.org

And here's a video on how to remove head lice.

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