Children's Tylenol & Motrin Doses

As  parent I always wonder just how much medication I'm supposed to give my babies. The dosage that is on the bottles are so vague. My babies are low in weight compared to others their age so their dosage is going to be different then what it says on the bottle.

For my oldest son our pediatrician gave us this form to help us out a little bit and I thought I would share this useful information with everyone else.

As another reminder since each child is unique in their own way, I encourage you to ALWAYS contact your doctors office to double check that these dosages are okay for your child. If you have any questions or concerns I highlighted the 800 number on the bottom right of the page. Please contact the company if you can not reach your pediatrician.

Children's Tylenol

Children's Motrin:

DISCLOSURE: 
I take no responsibility for any misuse of this information and urge you once again to be cautious when giving your child medicine of any kind and to always consult with your child's doctor. Also be sure to read the label for any additional information and warnings. You use this information at your own risk.

Comforting My Child

Do you ever have those days where you sense that your child needs you more than other days? I tend to have those days every so often where I just get this feeling that I need to be extra loving and positive for my oldest child. He is 22 months and when I get that feeling I do my best to try and be a little more patient and to give him a few more hugs.

What do you do as a parent when you notice your child needs a little extra love for the day?  Do you go out of your way to make them feel special or do you find yourself getting frustrated or just ignoring that feeling?

I know it can be frustrating on those days because (at least for me) my child is usually a little more rambunctious and getting into more trouble then normal.  He's also a lot more whiny which can be exhausting after a few hours. But think about it we as adults have our off days where an extra hug from a spouse, parent, a partner, or a friend would make a world of difference in our mood. Or even a simple I love you or I appreciate you would help. Why can't little kids have the same kind of off days. It's our responsibility to be tuned in to our children's emotions and actions to notice this and to really make sure that we go out of our way to let them know that they are appreciated.

I found this awesome quote on pinterest that I now have as my screen saver on my phone. It helps me to appreciate my kids even on their off days because it won't be like this for long.

"You will never have this day with your children again,

 tomorrow, they'll be a little older than they were today.

 This day is a gift. Breath and notice.

 Smell and touch them; study their faces and little feet and pay attention.  

Relish the charms of the present.  

Enjoy today, mama.  It will be over before you know it." 

-Jen Hatmaker

Mommy Guilt

I know that it's been forever since I last posted, I recently just had my second child and life has been even more overwhelming than usual.

The past 8 weeks I have been on a hormonal roller coaster as my body is trying to adjust to not being pregnant and my brain is trying to adjust to dealing with 2 kids. Since my life has basically turned into craziness, I have been having major mommy guilt. I know it's a common thing for mothers, especially right after having a baby.  However, I came to a realization this past week, I feel like my eyes have been opened.

I thought my mommy guilt came all from me and my expectations of how good of a job I feel I'm doing as a mother. Little did I know that there are other culprits that feed my guilt. The major culprit that I find in my life is my husband. Now don't get me wrong he is a wonderful husband and father but when he comes home and mentions the house smells or it's not clean that's when I start second guessing myself. I'm sitting there thinking...well, I just vacuumed, swept the floor, took the trash out, etc. but then both kids decided to have big poops, the dogs came inside, and the cat threw up on the floor. Do I really need to go back and do it all over again...NO WAY! I am going to take the time and spend it with my children. I don't know if men truly understand that we really don't just sit on our asses all day or sleep all day. Once I realized that he was feeding my guilt I chose to change my attitude. It's not me that is doing a bad job, I'm choosing to spend some time cleaning but the rest I am going to spend with my children...isn't that why I'm a stay at home mom anyways?  Not to slave over the house but to be there for my children to make sure that they are well taken care of. Once I realized this I look at my dirty dishes and think, "hm, what have I done today to make sure my children feel special or loved" When I come up with the answer I know the dirty dishes are just fine waiting another hour or so before they get put up.

I found the other culprit was other moms...my goodness am I competitive and I like to compare myself to other women.  I know that's bad for me to do since it usually makes me feel pretty lousy about myself but I can't seem to help it. I'm working right now on not comparing myself to others. It was something I practiced while being pregnant. Since not all pregnant women look the same, I knew I couldn't compare myself to a girl who was a size 0 before because that's just not me. Just like I can't compare myself to a working mom, I'm not a working mom and my responsibilities are different than hers. It's a tough challenge because there are some incredible women out there who seem like they truly can do it all.  I know though that I'm doing my best and that my children really don't care if the dishes are dirty. They would rather me play pee a boo or chase them around the living room than spend my day cleaning. I just wish my husband could appreciate that a little more but I know he's not here most of the time so he doesn't get to see the big picture and for that I can't be too upset over. All I can do is try to help him see that my spending time with the children is going to be more memorable than anything.

So for all you moms out there, start rethinking about your expectations and realize that you're doing an amazing job and no one else should ever tell you other wise..of course there are always exceptions to that but that topic can be saved for another day.  In the mean time go give your babies a big hug and kiss and remember to spend a little extra time with them. They grow up too fast.