Teething Chronicles - Attention Please!

This post was written when my li'l one was 9 months old and his teething phase was the hot topic of discussion in our house. Teething is one time that really tests your patience, especially if you are a working mom. The fact that I had to leave this post  as a draft midway to attend to my cranky, teething baby is a testimony to the fact that the best way to deal with a teething baby is to drop everything aside and shower him with love and attention. But just before you think this is just a phase, let me tell you from my experience that the demand for attention keeps on growing until you just surrender to his highness Mr. Teething. Even though my son has graduated from being an infant to a toddler with a mind of his own, the demand for mumma's attention sees an exponential increase each day....

Found this post an year later in my drafts. Dedicated to all the moms for whom the  teething chronicles have  just begun!

I am becoming more tech savvy these days, thanks to S's increasing understanding of his surroundings. Parenting makes us do things we never expected to do. I had made an impressive pitch on "blogging on the go" to Mr. Hubby when I wanted to buy a tab, but stuck to my good old laptop for blogging even after the tab arrived to simplify my life. Call it motivation or need of the hour, motherhood has finally got me blogging via the tab, albeit for a different reason altogether!

As most parents would agree, teething is one of the most challenging phases. In fact in the last couple of months, almost every change in S's behaviour and health is being attributed to teething. Makes me often wonder if teething is the micro version of adolescence, for both the stages are an easy way of justifying odd changes in our otherwise angelic children.

Found the comparison weird? Well, yuo see I too am the mother of a hyper cranky teething baby. Like son, like mother!

Of the many changes teething has brought in S, the one that's bugging me big time is his constant desire for attention. Like all moms, I too dreamt of spending quality time with my child. But when the child cries even if you move away to go to the loo, it is time to pull your hair (if any left post delivering a baby!). All he wants is mumma to sit and play with him, take him wherever he wants for as long as he desires, even if it means mumma does nothing of her own or the house the whole day.

Little one has discovered the tool of crying and having his wishes fulfilled. In fact nowadays, he doesn't have to make that much of an effort to have his way. All he has to do is to make a crying face and make some cranky sounds, and within seconds, mumma  n papa are dancing around with objects of his desire, just like the snakes dancing to the tune of snake charmer.

Looking at his cute face, I have no doubt that at all of 9 months, he is nothing short of a charmer. Trying to go out of the house in his notice, or making him sit when he wants to play is as good as trying to explore a snake hole with bare hands.

For all those showering sympathy for little S and judging me as a bad mom, nobody is more pained to see S in trouble than me. I know that in times of discomfort and illness, the ultimate relief a troubled child gets is in his mom's lap. So I tried all possible ways to involve him in my activities. Taking him along in the pram to the kitchen, singing aloud to him from the bathroom to assure him I am around (yes, I do it however weird it sounds!). But a child's greed for attention seems no bound. Epecially when there is a doting dad available at his beck and call, leaving no opportunity to shower advise upon the exhausted mother!

Alas! All that a poor mom can do is to grind her teeth as she waits for the remaining teeth to pop up and give her back the non grumpy smiling baby!