Alex's Flour Baby Blog

Before becoming a parent, I knew of how hard it would be to take care of a baby, especially as a single mom. However, what I failed to take into account, was the obscene amount of money it takes to raise a child for eighteen years. It is incredibly important to be financially stable, and have a steady source of income when trying to create the best life for your child. If I ever decide to have children in the far future, I will definitely make sure that I am fully prepared, and financially ready to take on this huge challenge. I now see why many parents, including my own, use hand me down clothes, and use the same strollers and cribs for multiple children. 

During the past two weeks, I have learnt that it is extremely important for one year olds to be constantly monitored, as they are just beginning to explore, and often get into things they are not supposed to be around. A second of unfocused attention could result in very serious consequences. I also learnt that whilst breast milk may have some nutritionally and developmental benefits, formula is also just as good of an option, as some mothers have health issues, are forced to work, or have other underlying issues that prevent them from breast feeding. In no way does this make them bad mothers. Both of these facts are important to know if I ever have children, or if any of my friends or family decide to have a baby. 

Another year has passed! Riley now has playdates twice a week, once with his friends, Caden, Lennon, and Jade, and then once more with Gus. He gets excited about seeing his friends, and they all now are starting to play with one another, as opposed to just next to each other. 

Also, before bed Riley has moved on to more advanced books, with more words and less pictures. We are now able to talk about what is going on in the book after we read it, as he loves talking, and encouraging discussion will only improve his cognitive development. However, he is now afraid of the dark, and will not fall asleep unless he has his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle night light on at all times. 

I recently bought Riley a 64 set of crayons, as he has shown great interest in drawing and writing. He is even able to draw pictures of our family. However, he sometimes takes his crayons, and draws on surfaces he is not supposed to, such as the walls. When he does this, I simply tell him not to do that, explain to him why this is a bad behavior, and take his crayons for ten minutes as punishment. I do not, in any way, believe in physical punishment, such as spanking or hitting. I have done research on this as well, and psychologists also agree with my decision, as hey have found that spanking and hitting only harms child development, as it introduces violence as an appropriate mechanism for punishment. I do not want my child involved in any type of violence. 

Also, it had come to my attention that at the age of three and a half, that Riley is still not potty trained. I was at first concerned, but after talking to Riley’s doctor, and reading some articles, I now know that I have nothing to worry about. Every child is different when it comes to potty training, and boys are usually older when they learn to use the toilet. There is no sense in getting frustrated or mad when Riley does not use the potty. I simply encourage him to use it, establishing positive reinforcement, and even setting in place an award system for him. Every time he uses the bathroom, he will recieve a sticker, and when he gets five stickers, we take a trip to the toy store, where he has five dollars to buy anything he likes. I am optimistic that Riley will be potty trained soon. 

 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201309/research-spanking-it-s-bad-all-kids

http://www.parenting.com/article/14-secrets-to-potty-success

I would not consider Riley a stereotypical “terrible two” child. He does sometimes test my parenting by biting, but most children at this age often do so in frustration of their inability to communicate fully what they want. I simply give him a small time out, and then continue to explain why biting is not an acceptable response for his frustration. He is beginning to show a little progress in this area, and I am hoping that he will soon be rid of this habit.

Although conversation is limited, Riley’s vocabulary and conversation skills are stellar. I believe this to be the effect of my mandatory 45 minutes of book time every night before bed. We have a constant routine, where we first read Where the Wild Things Are, then The Very Hungry Caterpillar, then I often try to introduce new books after those two in order to improve his cognitive development. Some nights he puts up with a change, whilst on other nights he simply wants his two book, then to go to bed. 

I recently bought Riley a toy cooking set, as he is always asking to “cook?” with mommy when I am making dinner. He uses his toy set whilst I am making him chicken and green beans, mimicking my behavior. 

It is often hard to entertain Riley all day long, as he is always switching between different tasks. My mom wanted to introduce him to an iPad, to watch educational tv shows and play interactive learning games. I was hesitant to allow him to be around a screen all day, so I did some researching. I found in multiple articles that younger children, such as Riley, should not have access to technology, even if the games and shows are educational. The use of this technology greatly decreases the amount of social interaction they are receiving, and at this age, that type of interaction is crucial to cognitive development and learning. I decided to not allow him to use an iPad, but to instead advise my mom to walk him down towards the local park, where they can read and interact in a more stimulating environment for Riley. 

Overall, this year has been the best yet!

Wow! This year has been quite the adventure for little Riley! Now that he is able to walk by himself, he’s discovered many new places in the house that he likes to play in. I even bought him his first pair of real shoes! Of course, we had to baby proof every inch of the house, because there was no stopping him from exploring everywhere. It is more difficult now, as I always have to keep a constant eye on him so he stays out of danger. He even climbed out of his crib!

I also began feeding Riley table food, and feeding him whole milk. Whole milk is better for babies because they need a lot of fat in their diet. I always have to be extremely careful when preparing his food but cutting it up into very small, bite sized pieces. He seemed to really like cut up banana and bread at first, but as his teeth began to come in, he was able to enjoy all sorts of food, like chicken and potatoes. Yum Yum!

Although he sometimes has temper tantrums, Riley is mostly a very loving baby, and is always wanting me by his side. I can tell that he experiences separation anxiety when I leave for work in the morning. He loves his grandma, but he definitely misses me while I’m gone.

Sometimes Riley gets frustrated before taking a nap or going to bed. An article I found says that it is important to know your baby’s temperament and behavior before jumping into hours of nurture or just letting them cry it out. The article said that a combination of both may be effective for your baby, as long as you incorporate a steady plan and are consistent in your approach. I have found that after 15 minutes of trying to get Riley to calm down, he will usually head to sleep. However, if he does not, it is at that time that I leave the room and let him figure it out by himself. This combination works best for him.

I can’t wait to see how Riley continues to grow and thrive!

I am now 28 weeks along in my pregnancy. So far, Riley has gone through the germinal phase, and is now in the embryonic phase. At 28 weeks, his lungs are developed enough to reach viability, so he can now survive on his own. Since 20 weeks, Riley has been abler on hear, so I am always us talking to him and playing different types of music in order to stimulate his brain. I have known that Riley was a boy since he was 18 weeks, and have bought countless amounts of clothes, shoes, a stroller, and other necessities for him. At this point, he is the size of an eggplant. So far there have been no compications surrounding my pregnancy, and hopefully in the following weeks my pregnancy will continue to progress smoothly. In a few weeks, I will be tested for gestational diabetes, so I hope to get positive results from that test as well. 

Hi everyone it’s Alex! I have just received the most exciting news that I will be having a baby boy, Riley! I met my boyfriend during high school, and we ventured to Cal together to continue our education as a couple. We both joined the Peace Corps after graduation, and travelled to Africa together to work. One year later, and 16 weeks ago, I discovered I was pregnant. We both were ecstatic to bring a new life into the world. I soon thereafter travelled back to our home in San Francisco, as my boyfriend finished his work in Africa. However, it was three days before his scheduled flight home when tensions in his village rose as the ever dangerous Somalian civl war impacted the nation. He was killed trying to escort children and mothers out of the village to safety. 

As a single parent, many believe that Riley will receive less comfort and support due to the fact that single parents are often busy working to provide. However, research shows that there is no correlation between the amount of time parents spend with their children and how children turn out. Also, the majority of single parent homes are considered less financially stable due to the fact that single mothers are usually less educated. However, there is no reason why this should impact my child, because I graduated from college and have a steady job with the Peace Corps. 

I am most concerned about spending sufficient time with my baby, as I need to continue a full time job in order to provide for my little boy. However, I have a great network of friends, and my parents, who live nearby, are more than happy to help with the upbringing of my child. I am more than excited to start this new adventure in my life!

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/the-mysterious-and-alarming-rise-of-single-parenthood-in-america/279203/