Parenting style and Angelica

So far we have been very lucky with Angelica when shopping at the supermarket. She seems to understand very well when we tell her that we will not buy everything she wants. For example, the other day, she grabbed a box of Smarties, but quietly put it back on the shelves when we told her that we would not buy it because we already had some at home, and that we would give her some later.

I think our parenting style has a lot to do with her reaction. We don’t  lie to her. When we tell her “one last bite,” we mean one last bite. We will not come back with another “one last bite.” We also try to give her an explanation she can understand whenever we say no. In the case of the Smarties, we did give her some when we got back home as promised. We don’t always say no either.  When we feel that she deserves a treat, we will give her. If not, we will tell her “not this time” or “next time.”  And most importantly, in our opinion, we let her explain why she wants this or that, and not just say “because we said so.”

 

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Halloween 2010

Angelica dressed up as a little bee.

 

My Little Bee

Les enfants grandissent trop vite – Babies grow too fast

Décembre 2008

Août 2010

Birthday

Angelica

My baby girl is one year old today. Time really flies when you have a child. Sometimes I feel that she is growing too fast and want her to slow down so that I can enjoy her baby years. But, growing is a sign of a healthy baby.

Baby Babble

By some standards, Angelica should have started to babble a long time ago. But, I was not worried for she understood very well what we meant when we asked her to clap her hands, to wave good-bye, or even to give her plush dog a pat. Moreover, she regularly made some grunting noise. Today, I got the proof that I was right not to worry. She started babbling non-stop this afternoon. I know I’m biased, but the babbling was more pleasant to my ears than Céline Dion singing 🙂

Overprotective? Me? No way!

If you had told me 10 months ago that I would become an overprotective father, I would have replied that you were out of your mind. I never thought I would become so overprotective, but I have. I guess one doesn’t really know what it is like to be father until one becomes one.  Is it because I have a daughter and not a son? Hard to tell, but what I can say is that Angelica has completely changed my life. Life takes on a whole new meaning after her birth. All of a sudden, it’s not about me anymore, but about her. For example, the night before my last two exams, she woke up and cried twice. The next day, I went to my exams very very tired and had a tough time concentrating, but surprisingly, I was not angry at all. I guess this is what people call father’s love, isn’t it?

Angelica in the Jumperoo

It was Angelica’s first time in a Jumperoo. At first, she did not know what to do. But, once she got the hang of it, nothing could stop her, except when she would activate the sound and light. Her parents were very happy to see her bouncing up and down.

Les soucis d’un père

On dit souvent que sa vie change complèment lorsqu’on devient père ou mère. Je peux vous dire que c’est tout à fait vrai. On se fait du souci facilement. Chaque matin je me réveille vers 04h00 pour étudier avant de me rendre au boulot. Ce matin, j’ai reçu un SMS de mon épouse me mettant au courant des huits cas suspects de fièvre dengue à Maurice.  Par conséquent, je n’ai pas pu étudier du tout. J’ai passé plus de deux heures à me faire du souci pour ma petite princesse. Je sais que la situation ne va pas s’améliorer avant qu’elle soit de retour au Canada le week-end prochain. Que Dieu me vienne en aide!

Angelica and her flower

Angelica

Can you tell how much I miss her? It’s hard to believe that she was born 5 weeks early and weighing only 1.615 kg. A little less than two weeks more to wait before I can hold her in my arms again. 

It’s amazing how much a baby can change one’s life. I used to iron my clothes and even startch them from time to time. Nowadays, I buy wrinkle-resistant trousers and shirts so that I don’t have to iron them. I also used to dream about buying a Ford Mustang GT . I don’t anymore. My next vehicle is probably going to be a minivan. It does not matter though for the joy she brings to me is priceless.

Angelica à 5 mois

Angelica à 5 mois

Je n’arrive pas à croire que ma petite princesse a déjà cinq mois, bientôt six. Je peux vous dire qu’elle fait la joie de ses parents. J’ai bien peur que bientôt elle n’aura plus ses cuisses et ses pieds dodus.