My Baby Just Loves to Play

My baby daughter loves to play - with her toys, mom’s “kikay” kit, my aging gadgets, plastic wares, doors (my goodness), and all other things that are new to her sight.

But that’s how kids are, right? They care nothing less in the world than having fun ALL the time. If they can’t associate the idea of fun with the things you want them to do, they will most likely do something else.

Dinner Time. My daughter gets bored eating even if the only thing she has to do is to open her mouth and chew. She doesn’t care if you keep on babbling that it’s good for her health. Just what is health to a child’s perspective? Ah... umm... ahh (exactly my point).

It’s a different story though when it comes to the goodies from her lola’s sari-sari store. The taste of lollypops and cookies is a joy for her to nibble.

So to make her eat, we let her finish her food at lola’s store. Her lola would usually promise her a choco bar after she’s finished with dinner. And by the time she's finished, she’s already satiated to eat anything else.

Brushing Time. My daughter would usually run or cover herself with a blanket whenever it’s time to brush her teeth. Even if the only thing she has to do is to alternate smiling and saying “ah” for about a minute while I do the brushing. Nope she still can’t understand with her baby mind that brushing is beneficial for her teeth and gums. Sitting still while holding her mouth open for half a minute is an endurance test for her.

To shorten brushing time, I bought her a motorized kiddie toothbrush - one with a recognizable Buzz Lightyear design. Her “toy” brush raised her excitement the first few days. But later on, I have to couple it with a video of her choice. Now that her attention is focused on the LCD, I can brush her teeth better.

Sleeping Time. Ah… the capital punishment for my baby when either mamsi or dadsi (that’s me) is too tired to play. Sleeping for my daughter is the opposite of her ultimate babyish goal – play, play, play! Forcing her would only end up in mamsi (love you mamsi) yelling and the baby crying. Scaring her that a boogeyman is about to get her is not psychologically good either.

To help (not make) her sleep, we usually “cool” her down. No not with ice on the forehead or setting the air-conditioner at full power, but with bedtime stories, musical videos, or even just plain milk. This way her brain tries to relax, diverting her desire from jumping or playing in bed to just listening and observing. And before we even know it, she’s already asleep.