Janine's much hated Cs

Here are 3 Cs that Janine hates...

1. Changing.

Once she learnt how to flip over from back to stomach, she would protest whenever we had to change her. She used to start howling the minute we lay her on our bed to diaper her, and then squirm this way and that to escape from our grip. We use to marvel at how one SMALL baby needed THREE people to diaper - one to hold her, another to entertain her and yet another to slap the diaper on.

Everytime we went out, I would pray very hard that she doesn't decide to let go a big one because that would mean I would end up having to "fight" with her on the changing table in the PUBLIC toilets (if there was one). People must think I pinched her or abused her in some way by the way she would scream and cry @.@

But the changing fiasco has since improved greatly. Maybe because we would dangle toys for her to play or maybe because of all the funny faces we pull at her or maybe because she is more self aware and takes an interest in what we are doing to her, in any case, at least now she doesn't put up a fight (unless she is sleepy or just being plain cheeky).

2. Her high Chair.

Ah...this is the place Janine probably does a lot of acrobatics on. Place her in her chair and she climbs out almost immediately. Fasten the safety belt around her but she STILL manages to wiggle free and stand rather triumphantly on top of her chair. And this is just the appetiser before the main course - feeding her in her high chair.

As if feeding her wasn't a challenge enough, we have to (literally) juggle holding her bowl of porridge, her spoon laden with food, a toy to distract her, a piece of fruit to entice her to open her mouth while at the same time trying to stop her from putting her leg up or standing up in her chair or sliding down to escape her tormentors and having to endure the whimperings, screams, crying or whinings.

But thankfully, there ARE days where we get some respite. Some days she is so cooperative that lunch time is done in half an hour with not much protest from her and pleadings from us. And ever since we discovered the wonders of TV, the mealtime battles are slowly becomeing a thing of the past ;oP Nowadays, I plop her down in front of the TV, turn on her favourite programme (Jay Jay) and feed her. And its a breeze! Much as I would like her to NOT become a TV addict (like me), this is like the one method that hasn't failed me yet. So until we discover another better way, we are sticking to it! ;oP

3. Her Car seat.

She hates it with a passion. And so do we because of the tantrums that almost always ensue. The minute her bum touches the seat, she will arch her back and twist this way and all the while screaming her lungs out. Even after we (with much difficulty) managed to strap her in, she will still struggle, wiggle and scream. Sometimes she can be quite the escape artist too by successfully wiggling out of her straps and then dangling rather precariously at the edge of her seat, threathening to either bumb her head on the dashboard or toppling her car seat on top of her @.@

In any case, it's her incessant howling that drives us batty. At one point of time, KY would whip out ear plugs (present from my cousin Liz) EVERYTIME we went on a car trip with Janine because her whimpering always escalates to shrieking. Then he bought those noise cancellation earphones which help drown out some of the screaming while at the same time delivering SOOTHING music so that he can concentrate while he drives. It works for him. In the meantime, the rest of the passengers (me and/or our helper or anyone else) just endure and count the seconds to the end of the ride. Sometimes I manage to zone out. MOST times , I have to exercise every shred of self control in me to not cave in to the screaming and carry her out of the seat to save my sanity. We always come out of our car rides with Janine a little deafer.

In the recent months, her aversion to her car seat had gotten better. She could actually entertain herself with whatever toys we had on hand in the car and we didn't have to put up too much of a song and dance for her to distract her during the trip. But, like every other thing that involves children, she throws us a curve ball and we are left totally stumped.

Just when we thought we can dump our earphones/ear plugs, her raving ways return with a vengence. NOTHING could distract or keep her quiet. We dangle toys, sing songs, point to "interesting" things outside the car...All to NO avail. Out of desperation, I give her my hand (my WHOLE arm even)for her to squeeze, scratch, , pinch, hug...it leaves me sitting in the most uncomfortable position but as long as it will comfort her and keep her quiet, why not?! But while it may work the first few times, the novelty wears off and we are left (once again) with a baby siren!

Last Sunday was probably the hay that broke the camel's back. She started bawling out of the blue while her Mama (KY's mom) was driving all of us (KY, KY's dad, myself) to T2 for lunch to celebrate Father's Day. Her poor Mama was so concerned that several times during the ride she took her eyes off the road to glance at Janine. Then, in the evening, she was howling and screaming ALL THE WAY HOME IN THE CAR! Enough was enough.

KY and I, while we love Janine to bits, are firm believers that sparing the rod will spoil the child. So when we reached home, her Papa delivered 2 smart whacks on her thigh with his bamboo back scratcher, one stroke for each time she misbehaved. For the first time in 16 months, the girl gets a taste of the rotan . Naturally, she howled. It breaks my heart to hear her cry so pitiously, but the thought of having Janine grow up into a possibly unruly, ill-discipline, rude and demanding little girl pains me even more.

After her brief encounter with the rotan, KY patiently and lovingly explained and reasoned with her why she was being punished and then after getting her to say "sorry" to us, hugged, kissed and reassured her that we love her. So kudos to KY ;o) I think he will do a better job at this disciplining business. I may have just whack and leave her to cry while I stew in my anger at my ill-behaved child.

Sigh...I really don't know how much of this episode she understood, but I hope she learns fast...otherwise she may soon learn to hate another C - the CANE. @.@