M turned 11 three weeks ago. My baby is a tween na! Well, last year pa naman, when she turned 10, she proclaimed that she's officially a tween na daw. Siyempre, I don't want to face that reality yet. And before her birthday month ends, allow me to share some of my special and challenging moments with her. She is, after all, my spunky little lady.
Raising this tween is not a walk in the park for me. We often clash, and many times the arguments end up with tears - both from me and her! There are days when I feel that I am failing her as a mom, kasi I cannot "control" her when she throws a tantrum, when she's not compliant or when we don't see eye to eye on certain situations.
What am I doing wrong? How can I teach her to be more obedient? Am I making the right choices for her?
Sometimes, I wished she was still this sweet, fuss-free breastfeeding baby that goes with me everywhere, and enjoys her bubble baths and body massages. It was less complicated back then.
This girl is headstrong compared to me and his big brother. Minsan si daddy lang ang nakakapag-discipline sa kanya. Many times, when I feel defeated, I just give up and leave the room. It's the wrong move and I know it. Ang hirap maging magulang! The struggle is real.
On the flip side, M is the type who openly communicates her feelings and tells me exactly why she did what she did, after calming herself down. She will explain what's bothering her and say sorry when she realizes her mistakes. That's one of her best traits. I try to use those teaching moments to explain my side too, and apologize if I did not recognize her needs and feelings.
I realized that my pride often gets the best of me when I try to discipline her. In the end, my struggles with her is teaching me to be a better mother.
This year, I promised her that I will listen more, to be more sensitive to her feelings, to remember my promises (may memory gap na po ako), to respect her choices, and try to see things in her perspective.
She also asked me to play with her more often, kasi she's complaining that I am "not a fun mom"! Haaayyy... ang hirap maging playful at this age, no! Hahahah... but I will try.
Ayan nga o, sinamahan ko siya sa Cat Cafe. I am not fond of cats, to put it lightly. She knows it, kaya she was very thankful that I did this for her and gave in to her birthday wish.
The good thing with M is that she's more willing to explore and try new things with me, unlike her father and brother. So, I told her that when she's older, she will be my travel and adventure buddy. But for now, I said baby ko pa rin siya and I will continue to pamper her as long as she lets me.
There are still some things I do to "baby" her that she really appreciates.
She likes me playing with her and the dog.
She likes having dates with me at her favorite places.
She likes to get horsey-back rides on me.
She likes me to bring her to or fetch her from school.
She likes me to prepare or give her a warm bath.
She likes cuddles and sleeping with me.
Whenever I offer to give her a bath, she's always willing and gets excited. She doesn't follow her bath time schedule kasi "too lazy" daw siya. But when I tell her she can go in the tub, ang bilis pumunta sa banyo! Her brother gets envious at times, coz both of them enjoy bubble baths. But I told him hindi na siya kasya sa tub, hahaha!
Since they were little, my kids have always preferred to use liquid soaps, and one of the very few brands we used when they were babies was Baby Dove, imported from the US. Dove has been one of our family's most trusted brands of personal care products.
I'm thrilled that Baby Dove is now available in the Philippines, so I did not hesitate when they asked me to share this good news with all of you. Kahit wala na akong baby, I actually continue to use gentle and moisturizing baby products for my kids, especially for M, kasi she has more sensitive skin that's prone to eczema.
Baby Dove is a line of premium baby care products that go beyond mildness to moisturize baby’s delicate skin with a light powder-fresh scent. It has 2 variants:
1. Baby Dove Rich Moisture
- Rich Moisture Baby Bar
- Rich Moisture Hair-to-Toe wash (200ml & 400 ml)
- Rich Moisture Baby Lotion
- Rich Moisture Baby Shampoo
- Rich Moisture wipes
2. Baby Dove Sensitive Moisture
- Sensitive Moisture Baby Bar
- Sensitive Moisture Tip-to-toe wash
- Sensitive Moisture Baby Lotion
From baby to tween, Baby Dove has been a part of my children's growing up years -- that's worry-free bathing and caring for their sensitive skin. We love the hair to toe baby wash. We'll try their lotions this time.
Being a parent is tough, especially for new moms and dads. Every day presents a new challenge, from feeding to bathing, schooling to bed time. It can be overwhelming at times and there will be many episodes of self-doubt as we parent our children. I continue to have a lot of those moments and I'm just thankful for family and friends, as well as products like Baby Dove, that support the ups and downs of our parenting journey. Fact is, there are no perfect moms, just real ones. With every situation, we simply have to trust our own instincts and try to be the best we can for our kids.
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