That's Owly, a ridiculously cute gift recently given to us by our good friends in anticipation of our coming little one. I can't believe the outpouring of generosity there's been from people around us. Such symbols are both comforting and important. They suggest both care and support, so thank you to our awesome friends and family!
One other important piece of news before I get into it today. My wife's cousin and her hubby just welcomed little Henry Winston into the world over the weekend. He weighed in at 6lbs 1oz, and arrived about three weeks early. The eager babies seem to be a pattern on my wife's side, so we'll see how it goes when our time comes. We're desperately hoping to get most of January before the delivery (if you'll recall, we're due late January). We'll see.
Okay, so I've been delving further into Bringing up Bebe, which has been both enjoyable and informative. I don't want to say that the French have it all figured out, but the French pretty much have it all figured out. On average, for example, they get their kids "doing their nights" in a couple of months. That means sleeping around eight hours solid with few if any interruptions. If it takes a baby more than four or so months to start doing its nights, it's considered a problem, and they'll often seek out a doctor's advice at that point. All I can say is "Oui, please." Paint me tricolor and call me Pierre.
One of the things that strikes me most about the book's material so far is how the French base their parenting methods so much more on scientific evidence and history than fads and trends. Of course the whole idea of a French Baby book screams North American fad, but nonetheless the information is great. One of the most tried and true methods the French use is the "pause and observe" method, where before responding to your infant's needs, you give them a few moments to try and work it out themselves. This doesn't mean neglect. It just means giving them a chance to teach themselves self-soothing. Often when a baby wakes up in the middle of the night it's part of a natural two-hour sleep cycle, and if you interrupt too quickly, the baby doesn't properly learn how to string sleep cycles together.
One of the things that I appreciate the most is the idea that a small amount of discomfort can be healthy and beneficial. If a kid can get used to the idea of non-gratification of every whim early, then it can prevent all kinds of problems down the road. It might seem a little strict, but it provides a solid framework for their expectations. This seems the polar opposite to the helicopter parenting that I commented on a few weeks ago. I'll keep you posted on the book as I progress with it.
For now, I'll just say à bientôt!
One other important piece of news before I get into it today. My wife's cousin and her hubby just welcomed little Henry Winston into the world over the weekend. He weighed in at 6lbs 1oz, and arrived about three weeks early. The eager babies seem to be a pattern on my wife's side, so we'll see how it goes when our time comes. We're desperately hoping to get most of January before the delivery (if you'll recall, we're due late January). We'll see.
Okay, so I've been delving further into Bringing up Bebe, which has been both enjoyable and informative. I don't want to say that the French have it all figured out, but the French pretty much have it all figured out. On average, for example, they get their kids "doing their nights" in a couple of months. That means sleeping around eight hours solid with few if any interruptions. If it takes a baby more than four or so months to start doing its nights, it's considered a problem, and they'll often seek out a doctor's advice at that point. All I can say is "Oui, please." Paint me tricolor and call me Pierre.
One of the things that strikes me most about the book's material so far is how the French base their parenting methods so much more on scientific evidence and history than fads and trends. Of course the whole idea of a French Baby book screams North American fad, but nonetheless the information is great. One of the most tried and true methods the French use is the "pause and observe" method, where before responding to your infant's needs, you give them a few moments to try and work it out themselves. This doesn't mean neglect. It just means giving them a chance to teach themselves self-soothing. Often when a baby wakes up in the middle of the night it's part of a natural two-hour sleep cycle, and if you interrupt too quickly, the baby doesn't properly learn how to string sleep cycles together.
One of the things that I appreciate the most is the idea that a small amount of discomfort can be healthy and beneficial. If a kid can get used to the idea of non-gratification of every whim early, then it can prevent all kinds of problems down the road. It might seem a little strict, but it provides a solid framework for their expectations. This seems the polar opposite to the helicopter parenting that I commented on a few weeks ago. I'll keep you posted on the book as I progress with it.
For now, I'll just say à bientôt!
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