Newcomer mom with 14 month old from Canada

[Momma Michael]

A nice women told me about this site, thank goodness. I am looking for info and to share with other parents. We co-sleep, are still breastfeeding but don't follow any specific guidelines. Wish there was a guideline for all my activities of daily living with my toddler as I am not always sure we are doing the right thing.
Hope the forums will be interesting and maybe helpful.

[Twana]

I also have a 14month old, we co-sleep, and still breastfeed. I'm a stay at home mom, first child at 41, and hoping to find suggestions and ideas on how we should be spending our day. I'd love to hear what you're doing.

[Momma Michael]

Hi Twana, and can I say welcome even if I am new too? Congrats on your first little one.
Glad to meet you. I am 33 with my first so grateful and tuckered out most days and wonder how people do it. I am so very grateful for when nap time comes that I almost feel guilty about it. I have been reading the posts and reading as many books as I can on things people do in situations like this (when and if I have time). I've got to be honest, I have joined this forum especially since I feel overextended a lot and out of ideas. I don't want to change co-sleeping and sole breastfeeding but I get tired at times. Have not done much for myself in terms of exercise and health so I need to change this as a priority. My son is wonderfully curious, very active and persistently feisty so I need to be imaginative and on the ground a lot with him. He walks now and is fast. I saw posts of how people break down their day... helpful so if you want I can do that too next time I log on. His concentration time is improving so we can colour for about five minutes at a time. He puts everything in his mouth so that gets hard sometimes. We go for a walk everyday with a carrier but he is getting heavy now. We push those plastic carts around the living room making car sounds, stack blocks, fill a suitcase and lock and unlock it a million times. We try to read and get through one book before starting another but he always starts a new one before the end. He likes to put things on his shelves in the kitchen. He loves playing with the radio and dancing so that is a good activity. I watch Caillou on youtube with him while he tandemly plays on the ground. I avoid internet but you got to do what you got to do! I love being an at home momma but it is challenging some days. I try to remind myself to laugh and be fun. He loves to say no and has a strong character so I have to remain patient. I force myself to go to drop-in free local community play areas for him to play by other children and I will try to take him swimming soon. We move a lot for my husband's work so I don't have a social group around me which means I need to create my own often. This forum and skyping my family and friends are helpful to make sure I am doing the right thing.
Edited by Momma Michael - 2/7/13 at 2:12pm

[MamaArmadillo]

Nice to meet you, and welcome to MDC! I often feel the same way with my almost two year old - am I doing the right things? Should I be doing different activities? We live in a pretty rural area, so there isn't much in the way of play groups (that aren't solely religiously focused). Hope you meet some people to connect with!

[Momma Michael]

Hi Mama Armadillo.
Just checking the forums again as we had our first tantrum last night totally random as well. He woke up after 10 minutes of being asleep and cried for 30 minutes pointing for us to take him downstairs???
Anyway, wanted to tell you that I read this beautiful blog: Sew Liberated. Although she somehow makes things look effortless, she remains quite candid. Her activities (outdoor and indoor) are really nice with recommendations for books and other blogs as well. Gave me a few ideas. Now I need to read about and know what to do as he doesn't listen in the day and keeps going for non-negociable "no no's" items that I can't child proof. Redirection is my entire day!