Stroller Etiquette

I don't know why it's taken me this long to write a post about being a mother with a stroller, but something that occurred during this past Monday's trip to the outlets with Samantha really got under my skin, so please pardon my forthcoming rant.

Now, we own a couple of strollers, each with a different purpose.

We have our Graco stroller from the travel system we received when Sam was born. It's somewhat bulkier, sturdier, and larger than the others, but it's comfortable for her, has storage room for me, and pretty easy to maneuver. This is my usual go-to stroller for errands, and always lives in my car.

Then we have a Babies R Us umbrella stroller - this is much lighter and smaller than the Graco stroller, but at the same time has not storage and it's not the easiest thing to control. Retailing at $20.00, we actually got this one free from friends who received it as a promo for buying something else, and they had no use for it at the time. It's not my ideal mode of transportation for Sam, but it does come in handy when we're going on trips and want to save packing room. This one lives in Chris' car.

And there's this Baby Trend Expedition jogging stroller I REALLY wanted when we were registering because I had this crazy idea that I was going to take up running once I had Sam to get back into shape, and the best way to do that was to get me a stroller to run with. Clearly. Go ahead - ask me how many times I've used this stroller, let alone run with it. I don't think it would go beyond one hand. If anything, it's been used more as an emergency backup whenever the Graco was left in Chris' car when I needed it while he was at work. Sidenote: If anyone is looking for a jogging stroller, we may be looking to sell this in the near future. Let me know if you're interested!

Anyway, since my Mondays with Samma are soon coming to an end (we'll get to that later) I decided it was time to take a trip down to the Wrentham Outlets while we still had the time to do it. Packing Sam up wasn't a problem, especially as she slept most of the way down and back, and traffic wasn't even an issue at 10am in the morning, and I was able to grab my usual parking spot, so I was in pretty good spirits when we started.

Three hours later, however, it was a totally different story, and I was pretty much ready to punch anyone who got in the way of me, Sam, her stroller, or my car.

For one, you would think a store that caters to children and newborns would have accessible aisles large enough for strollers within their store, but you would be amazed. Stores such as Carter's, Gymboree, and StrideRite were so cramped and crowded and awkward with product overflowing from their shelves and endcaps that I was lucky to even get the chance to look at anything while I was there. Not going to lie, it was a serious turn off, and yet a blessing in disguise, because it definitely was a factor in the amount I didn't spend while we were there.

Second, and this may be more for me than anyone else, but I know for a fact that I will never purchase a double-wide stroller for whenever BabyBaby² comes along. Those things are massive and you thought I was having a hard time walking through those stores with my single Graco... there was this woman in front of me at StrideRite who was not having an easy time, and she was getting pissed off at everyone else around her because THEY were in HER way while she was trying to get her massive stroller around a corner. There was even one instance where she was so aggravated she more or less plowed her stroller on through, creating a pile of shoeboxes in her wake, leaving me behind her to clean them up without even looking pack.

Finally, and this is the one that made me the most angry, was the lack of courtesy from those around me. I couldn't tell you how many times someone in front of me didn't bother to look behind them as they walked into a store, or how often someone came up behind me, saw I was struggling to get the door open with one hand, and just stood there, waiting for me to get the door for them. This infuriated me to no extent.

Now, I'm not saying that because I have the stroller, there's a sense of entitlement for the world to hold the door for me, but at the same time there's also a level of expected common courtesy. Or maybe it's a Mom thing... a couple of times there were individuals who not only helped me out, but made off-handed comments about those who didn't, so you could tell there was almost a camaraderie there amongst the moms that knew what you were going through.

So there's my little rant. Not much, just some food for thought.

So to all of you out there who don't think we notice when you let a door slam behind you... oh yes, we do.

And to all of those who go that extra step to help a mom out, that, too, is noticed. And appreciated. So thank you.

Another post about feeding...

I meant to post this a while ago, but as always, life gets in the way. And as Sam's 2nd birthday looms closer, I figure now is as good a time as any to make note of those vehicles and accessories that made our feeding transitions easier over the years.

As I'm sure it's well known at this point, I breastfed Samma for the first 6-7 months of her life. It went well, until I had to go back to work and begin pumping. Thankfully, my office was very flexible, and I was able to utilize the Medela Pump-In-Style I borrowed from my friend for as long as my body would let me. And don't worry, nay-sayers... with replacement tubing and parts there's truly no reason to have to go out and purchase your own $300.00 pumping system.

When we were working on our baby registry, we used the Baby Bargains Handbook like it was our bible, and per their suggestion we chose to use Dr. Brown's bottles for Samma. I know some friends of mine had problems with them leaking, and I can see how that could be possible with the multiple pieces involved for these bottles to work properly. Other than the sterilizing/cleaning of the bottles (we rarely put them in the dishwasher) we had not problems, thankfully.

When we were moving away from breastmilk and onto formula, we needed someway to transport it so as not to have to pack a whole canister whenever Sam went anywhere. With containers like this, we were able to portion out her feeding amounts so that her caretaker, whether it be daycare or my mother, would know exactly how much she needed to eat at a time. The only downside, is sometimes with enough jostling, formula would shift from side to side. This varied by brand of container, but we were generally happy with them overall.

 

As Sam began to eat solids, we wouldn't want to feed her directly out of the baby food jars for fear of cross-contamination, so we purchased simple bowls like these. They were deep enough, and are dishwasher safe, and have lasted us through now where we still use them for snacks and the like.

 

Along the same lines, when Sam started using plates, we didn't want to spend too much money, so we bought these from IKEA for $0.99 and still use them today!

The one feeding item we did put some money into was this dish and silverware set by Gerber, and I'm glad we did. At the time, we wanted something cute for Sam, especially for a first silverware set, but what we learned later on when we really needed it was that the plate has a suction cup, perfect for those plate-flipping meal sessions.

Of course, Sam couldn't eat with only one set of silverware to her name, so we became fond of the Gerber Graduates silverware sets... in fact, we have eat color posted above. The one thing I don't understand is the need for the knife, but I guess if you're going to teach a toddler the proper way to use all their silverware, you need to start with something, right?

Around 1 year, we moved away from formula and started whole milk. One rule we made was that Sam wasn't going to drink milk from a bottle so we transitioned, and easily, to the Munchkin sippy cups. They were ok for a bit, but the more they were used and washed, the more the tops started to shift, separate, and leak, so we were replacing them more than we wanted to.

Inevitably we needed to upgrade the sippy cups, so we are now using Munchkin's Click Lock insulated sippy cups, which are still working very well. I've read complaints about having to clean them, but if you take the stopper out and put it all in the dishwasher separately, they clean up fine as far as I'm concerned.

We've tried various straw cups, but all they do is leak. Sam can use a straw just fine, we know this, so we're really selective when we give these to her. Generally, the straw sippy cups are our last resort when dishes need to be washed. Or if we're going to be right there with her while she's drinking. Giving her the straw cups in the car is a huge no-no because she's just going to play with it and it's going to end up all over her, whatever she's drinking. I'd just rather steer clear of them for the moment, if I can.

I bought Samma this Oxo training cup on a whim because I saw it at BuyBuy Baby and thought it was ingenious. The top is sectioned off to rather than being open, there are little holes around the rim to slow the fluid from coming out, just enough for a toddler to learn when to drink slower. I should probably get this one out of the cabinet, especially as Sam is currently quite p[leased with herself for being able to drink out of a Poland Spring water bottle all by herself.

And we can't forget about snack time. These Snack Traps (or Snack Catchers, if you're Munchkin-brand) have been the best thing ever, especially if we're taking a trip in the car and she needs to munch on something STAT. The only downside is if they get overused, the flaps become less effective, and more Cheerios tend to fall out with each grasp than would be ideal. Overall, though, the perfect snack transportation device!


So that's all I have for now. I'll update with anything new I can think of, and of course, if anyone has any to add, please feel free to do so!

This Bites...

This is really more of a vent meshed with a cry for help, so please bare with me...

I believe I've mentioned it before, but Sam is a biter. And it's killing me inside. I don't know how to stop it, I don't know how to make it better, and I'm feeling miserable for being the mom with "that kid." Every day I pick her up from daycare, my anxiety grows because I have no idea which child she may or may not have gotten to this time.

Things were going so well, but today I came to discover that she bit the 11-month-old baby in the 5 seconds either of them were out of the provider's line of sight. She didn't break the skin, but it was enough to leave a complete mark that was still there when I picked her up today.

Our daycare provider has been fantastic and understanding and knows that it's just a phase, but I pains me that my daughter has to be the one all the other kids look out for. And what do I do if it gets bad enough where daycare just throws their hands up and says - sorry, there's no hope for your child, you gotta find something else. We'd be fucked.

Sam is not a bad child. In fact, she's a sweetheart, which is why I know it's hard for our provider to tell me these things because she loves her as much as we do... but the biting has to stop, and I just don't know what else to do. I've done some research, and I trust daycare 15 years if experience, but I'm just so worn out....

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Daycare has been awesome -- like I said, she's been doing this for the last 15 years or so, so I'm sure this is not new to her. She has told us she plans to watch Sam like a hawk to see exactly what's going on, but as others have already said, we know it's mostly out of frustration. Usually when someone has a toy she wants and won't give it to her, or when someone wants a toy she's already playing with.

She rarely does it much at home, unless she's overtired, which is a question I also need to ask daycare re: the time of day this all occurs. I know she has tried to bite my mother when she watches her on Tuesdays, and it's my understanding it, too, is when she's overtired and/or frustrated.

I think from this point we need to be more vigilant than we already had been -- we thought we were out of the woods. I really need to touch base with all care providers and make sure we're on the same page so that we can work together and get this to stop. Chris and I have been doing a LOT of research since yesterday went down, and I know I have a lot more to do.

Thanks all for listening to my anxiety-ridden rambling... it does help.

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It's horrible but a part of me wants her to be bitten, just so that she can see what it feels like when someone does it to her.**

Along those same lines, in talking to the daycare provider, I also feel like I want to set her up to fail in this instance.... put her in situations where I know this would be her response, and then be right there to catch her in the act and discipline her appropriately.

** by a peer... not by me. I would never bite my child.

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I actually almost suggested taking a toy away from her to see how she would react to you vs children. To see if she knows the difference. I'm guessing she would try to bite you too.

Actually, she does know the difference. If I take a toy away, she'll crumble to the floor in hysterics... biting would not be her first response because I think she knows we won't tolerate it.

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He threw something at one of his teachers once, and he thought it was funny! I was appalled.

This. Is. Sam.

When she knows she's doing something she shouldn't, and I correct her, she just laughs as if it's all one gigantic game. It's SO frustrating so that's why I really think more uniform, stricter timeouts needs to come into play in light of all this.

Edit 9/18/2012:  This post is being back-dated to recap the torment we went through with Samma regarding her biting phase.  This is taken from a back-and-forth I had with some wonderful ladies on my forums, so I thank them for putting up with my crazy.

21 Months

Time for a State of the Samma post!

Samma is 21 months and crazy. Her vocab expands by the day, and her little personality is so fiery! Her ability to listen, comprehend, process, and respond just amazes me on a daily basis. She can count to 10 on her own without prompting and will echo the ABCs.

Her favorite songs at the moment include Baa Baa Black Sheep, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. She loves to listen to people singing too, and will start cutting a rug anytime she hears a good beat. Her favorite show is still Blues Clues, but she loves Elmo and Caillou as well. Her favorite things to do are coloring and "reading" and she loves blocks. And any time she can go outside for a walk or to play, she is all for it!

She adores milk, cheese, bread, hot dogs, cucumbers, and any fruit you put in front of her. We're starting to get into a picky phase, so her food is really piecemeal at this point. It's frustrating, but I'm just happy when she has something decent in her belly.

Currently, she's wearing 24 month's for clothes, but the clothes that come as 18-24months are too small... yet 2T is a little too big, so we're definitely in the midst of a growth spurt. Her 2nd year molars are already starting to bother her, but nothing's cutting through yet.

Her sleeping schedule is pretty spot-on, and bedtime is no longer a battle. We get ready for bed around 7:30pm - PJs, teeth - and then we'll watch Pajanimals on Sprout. Depending on how she is after its over determines whether it's time to go up to bed or not. Usually she's ready by 8:15pm... sometimes it's not until 8:45pm. We don't let her stay up later than 9pm, though... even if she's not ready for bed, we put her in. Usually she's really good. She will snug with her Moosey and say "night-night mama" and may talk herself to sleep for 5 minutes, but honestly, listening to it on the other side of the monitor is just so adorable.

Yup, I could go on and on...

Happy 4th of July!

Be safe, and enjoy the holiday!