Couch potatoes
So much for my New Year’s resolutions. That “TV-will-be-reserved-for-special-occasions” rule for Ladybug was quickly scratched off the list but for good reason: my top ambition for 2008.
You know that 2:47 a.m. bottle habit we’ve been dealing with for the last couple months and that I resolved to break this year? Well, it’s been two nights in a row now that Ladybug has made it through the night without waking up.
OK, technically that’s not the case because we slip her a bottle before we go to bed. But it’s us waking her up, not the other way around. Now before you go beating me up on that one, you have to realize she wouldn’t get a full night of sleep on her own anyway. She’d eventually wake up for a bottle, so we just sped up the process.
At the same time, we made a couple other changes. We added whole milk to Ladybug’s bottle in an attempt to start weaning her from formula. We moved her bedtime up to 6 p.m. And we started letting her watch more TV (toddler-appropriate, of course).
“Why more TV?” you ask.
You know all that research that says people have a tendency to eat more while sitting in front of the television? The same holds true for my Ladybug, the one who would take two bites of her dinner at the table before pushing it away. But plop her in front of her favorite Little Einsteins, Heidi or Disney princess movie, and she’ll clear her plate. And for Ladybug, a full tummy means a better night of sleep –for her and us.
I realize it’s a slippery slope we’re walking with that solution. But it’s a temporary one until Ladybug gets in the habit of eating more solid food. Until then, I’ll try to refrain from cringing each time I ask her if she wants to eat dinner in front of the TV.
You know that 2:47 a.m. bottle habit we’ve been dealing with for the last couple months and that I resolved to break this year? Well, it’s been two nights in a row now that Ladybug has made it through the night without waking up.
OK, technically that’s not the case because we slip her a bottle before we go to bed. But it’s us waking her up, not the other way around. Now before you go beating me up on that one, you have to realize she wouldn’t get a full night of sleep on her own anyway. She’d eventually wake up for a bottle, so we just sped up the process.
At the same time, we made a couple other changes. We added whole milk to Ladybug’s bottle in an attempt to start weaning her from formula. We moved her bedtime up to 6 p.m. And we started letting her watch more TV (toddler-appropriate, of course).
“Why more TV?” you ask.
You know all that research that says people have a tendency to eat more while sitting in front of the television? The same holds true for my Ladybug, the one who would take two bites of her dinner at the table before pushing it away. But plop her in front of her favorite Little Einsteins, Heidi or Disney princess movie, and she’ll clear her plate. And for Ladybug, a full tummy means a better night of sleep –for her and us.
I realize it’s a slippery slope we’re walking with that solution. But it’s a temporary one until Ladybug gets in the habit of eating more solid food. Until then, I’ll try to refrain from cringing each time I ask her if she wants to eat dinner in front of the TV.
posted by Michelle Mahfoufi at 1:39 PM
Michelle recently gave up her career to be a full-time stay-at-home mom to a toddler. At least that's the plan ....
3 Comments:
I have to say that sounds like you are doing what you have to do. I let me my little watch TV while eating because she will eat everything. If I think she is going to be picky for dinner, I will fix strawberrys and cream oatmeal for her, put her in her highchair, put on Elmo and she will EAT the whole bowl. That is adult size oatmeal ( one pack) and she will sleep for hours. Sometimes 10/12 hours.
ya gotta do what ya gotta do!!!
it's okay to give in a little sometimes- its not being a bad mum at all!!!!
she will turn out just fine in the longrun, promise!
Anonymous -- Elmo does have that effect on little ones, doesn't he? Ladybug looooves Cookie Monster. She goes around the house singing the "C is for Cookie" song, although she only gets out "C Cookie." Vulnadia, I agree with you completely!
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