Parenting on the Mooove

When I was in grade school,  I had a vision of the kind of family I want to have when I grow up.  I want to have kids who will grow up as best friends and I want a husband that would be hands-on with them just like me.  I prayed for a career that allowed a flexible schedule so I could prioritize my family.  When I had suitors in HS, it's funny that I screened them based on their ability to handle kids and extreme pressure.  I even checked their grades (:/).  I took my grandmother's advice "improve the race" quite seriously.  I didn't attend the HS prom because I couldn't find a Brad Pitt my age who could get along well with my sister who was at that time 2years old.  My mindset was, if I don't see a future for us never mind.  I thought even friendly dates should be serious ones.

I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) at 17 and Ninang Madgie our OB-Gyne said I should try to conceive at least one child before 30.  I wanted to be time-efficient in looking for a husband.  

Fastforward to 2 decades after prom, I managed to have a family wonderfully inspired by Peppa Pig.  To the extreme delight of my daughter, she has her own "George" who's 2years younger, 2 sets of wonderful grandparents, and a dad who's charmingly hands-on.

But God knows it's hard living up to Mummy Pig's example.

Why:

1. She always manages to put on makeup (even at home).  Humidity doesn't smudge her mascara.

2. She doesn't shout even when she's upset (even when Peppa erases her work files in their computer).

3. She doesn't get stressed even when George cries often or when the kids (including Daddy Pig) play in muddy puddles.

4. She never bothered with changing nappies or taking the kids to potty.

5. She always manages to whip up something tasty in the kitchen and their house is always clean.

6. She's excellent in her career and is friends with everyone in their community.

7. She always manages to come up with exciting activities for the kids when they're together.

That's why I'm grateful when experts gather and come up with suggestions/solutions to make parenting life easier.  We don't have a maid and my kids usually come with me or my hubby when I attend castings/meetings/events.  It feels great when the community supports you in raising your kids.  

As usual, my kids tagged along in Parenting on the Move's recent event with Pigeon & Quinny.  They tested the colorful toys and interacted with the sturdy displays even without me asking. The exhibit made my darling daughter a bit nostalgic. 

My sister-in-law gifted us with Pigeon bottles when I had my first baby. When I was still working fulltime in the news, my mom-in-law preferred using Pigeon over Playtex disposables (I purchased those when I was pregnant because I thought my baby would have colic problems just like me but she never did, thank God. I guess breastmilk lessens the risk of being colic).  My daughter knew how to cup feed as early as 3 months, but cup feeding breastmilk could be quite messy and the bottles were a lot of help for those who cared for her when I was out.  They're easy to clean too with their food-grade dishwashing liquid.  Breastmilk film on the bottles just melts away!

The kids effectively wiped Crayola marks & kinetic sand off their hands & feet with Pigeon wipes

We have UV sterilizers at home but now that my son is 11 months, we seldom get to sterilize.  His toy/utensil hurling tactics are quicker than my sterilization methods. We only get to sterilize his toys once a week so in between, especially when we're out, we just use wipes.  I also use wipes to clean his bum, his play yard, our walls (wipes can erase washable crayola marks), and our faces and hands (yes, I use baby wipes to remove makeup).  It's convenient that Pigeon came up with food-grade cleansing agents for their wipes too so cleaning his utensils and teethers again and again is a breeze.

We have yet to test Quinny and Maxi Cosi though, but it's true that in Europe most parents prefer sturdy large-wheeled buggies usually in sleek black just like their winter outfits.  Tourists trudge a lot on cobblestones and sand in that continent; moody babies enraged by scary bumpy roads could easily ruin family vacations.  Quinny and Maxi Cosi promise greater comfort for babies and less effort for parents in having them buckled up.