Beyond outer simplicity, there is an inner simplicity to strive for. So I take my baby to the Japanese Garden, rather than bombarding him with overstimulating toys.
I take my baby with me, in the first place, as we have the adventures that make up daily life.
The things we choose to do with our time are similar to the items we choose to have in our living space. In both cases, we aim to expend our energies wisely, acknowledging that everything has a cost.
We cannot live this day again. Nor can two objects occupy the same space.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Frugality vs Simplicity
Today's article on frugal living in the Oregonian got me thinking about what this blog is NOT.
Frugality is about saving money. Scrimping, even. Being cheap.
I am not interested in being cheap. I am not particularly interested in blogging about the joys of saving a few cents, or even a few dollars, here and there.
I say this, but last week you might have seen me and the baby going through our building's recycling looking for redeemable cans and bottles. The baby would be riding on my back to avoid the ickiness of the recycling bins. And then we take our sticky and slightly smelly loot to our local Fred Meyer. Where we generally gross under a dollar.
Last time we took recyclables in, we made 90 cents, which we gave, to a woman begging outside the store. She had a sign that said she was pregnant. I am given to skepticism--a sign of a closed heart, perhaps. But I chatted with her, and eventually gave her the 90 cents. She was embroidering Disney characters onto little scraps of cloth. She said she was worried about the epidural, but determined to give her baby a home and a good life. As we talked, I saw that all her front teeth were rotten. Twenty-seven years old, three and half months pregnant, embroidering Ariel and Sleeping Beauty, but clear-eyed, well-guarded and somehow sure of herself. I showed her my baby, what she had to look forward to.
The point to this adventure was never the money from my neighbors' discarded beer bottles. It had to do with not wasting what was right there, out of principle rather than need. The recyclables spawned an adventure. You could say that we gave money to someone in need. Or that I was forced to confront my ideas about homelessness; perhaps I was made to notice the vulnerability of mothers and babies. Perhaps I imparted some sort of values to my infant son. Perhaps it was all nothing but a diverting way to spend an hour.
I'm not sure what taking the cans and bottles to recycle was all about, but it is relevant to this blog because the story of our trip to Fred Meyer is a story about having more of a Life. And less Stuff.
Frugality is about saving money. Scrimping, even. Being cheap.
I am not interested in being cheap. I am not particularly interested in blogging about the joys of saving a few cents, or even a few dollars, here and there.
I say this, but last week you might have seen me and the baby going through our building's recycling looking for redeemable cans and bottles. The baby would be riding on my back to avoid the ickiness of the recycling bins. And then we take our sticky and slightly smelly loot to our local Fred Meyer. Where we generally gross under a dollar.
Last time we took recyclables in, we made 90 cents, which we gave, to a woman begging outside the store. She had a sign that said she was pregnant. I am given to skepticism--a sign of a closed heart, perhaps. But I chatted with her, and eventually gave her the 90 cents. She was embroidering Disney characters onto little scraps of cloth. She said she was worried about the epidural, but determined to give her baby a home and a good life. As we talked, I saw that all her front teeth were rotten. Twenty-seven years old, three and half months pregnant, embroidering Ariel and Sleeping Beauty, but clear-eyed, well-guarded and somehow sure of herself. I showed her my baby, what she had to look forward to.
The point to this adventure was never the money from my neighbors' discarded beer bottles. It had to do with not wasting what was right there, out of principle rather than need. The recyclables spawned an adventure. You could say that we gave money to someone in need. Or that I was forced to confront my ideas about homelessness; perhaps I was made to notice the vulnerability of mothers and babies. Perhaps I imparted some sort of values to my infant son. Perhaps it was all nothing but a diverting way to spend an hour.
I'm not sure what taking the cans and bottles to recycle was all about, but it is relevant to this blog because the story of our trip to Fred Meyer is a story about having more of a Life. And less Stuff.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
How to Stop My Baby Chewing Power Cords?
My baby loves power cords. It doesn't matter if they connect the computer to the charger, or a floor lamp to the wall. They are fascinating. And dangerous.
Even if a device is unplugged, allowing a baby to play with the cord is dangerous. Allowing her to chew the cord is worse: many appliances act as capacitors, meaning they can store some charge. If the plug goes in your baby's mouth--ZZZIP!--current can pass into her body. At worst, this could cause injury. At best, a nasty surprise. Not something we want to encourage.
Greater danger comes from the other end of the cord, the end with the radio or the lamp or the printer attached. Your baby may pull the appliance down, damaging it—or damaging herself!
So how to distract from those enticing Cords-Of-Desire?
Your first step should be to hide or conceal as many of the cords as possible, before your little one becomes inappropriately familiar with them. Perhaps you can thread the cords differently. Or put a piece of furniture in front of the outlet. Or even tape the cord out of sight, say to the back of a table leg. (Blue masking tape works well for this, since it doesn’t leave a mark.)
Once the baby does find a cord, your only option is to redirect his attention (if you can), and hide the cord (if you can). And then hope that, for your little one, out of sight is still truly out of mind. Before a certain age, babies forget about what they can’t see.
If you can't physically move the cord to tuck it out of sight, you may be able reduce the contrast with its surroundings. A black cord is a beacon against a white wall. Perhaps you can cover it with light-colored tape, or even find a light-colored cord--one that blends in to surroundings and doesn't scream to be chewed. This isn’t the best solution, but if the cord doesn’t stand out against the wall, that increases the chance that something else will catch your baby’s eye first.
Of course, you can’t hide all your electrical cords. And removing all corded appliances from your home is probably not an option. How can you keep your baby safe and happy, while satisifying the cord-chewing urge?
It's important to acknowledge that your baby isn't trying to be naughty. (Really!) Some deep urge is driving her; there is something going on with your little one that makes electrical cords Extremely Interesting. I suspect that mysterious something is teething, but I don’t know. The question for this article is, Can we substitute something that will satiate the baby's desire for cords? And the answer is Yes.
You need a safe cord alternative. Now, you could cut up old power cords, seal the wire ends with electrical tape, and give them to your baby. But the plastic in cords is not meant to be gummed and slimed and sucked on by small humans. Better to find a material that is chewable. A safe cord.
I should stress that a “safe” cord is not Completely Safe. You should never leave your child unattended in the company of anything that resembles a cord! No matter what you substitute, your cord alternative is not a toy. But a “safe” cord may delight your child, and it may make your life as a parent much more pleasant.
The first cord I adapted for baby use was a thick drawstring. I tied it in many delightful knots so that it would be bulky enough to prevent choking. Pediatricians recommend against letting babies play with lengths of loose string; a securely-tangled bunch of string is safer. Of course you don't want loops large enough to pose a strangulation hazard--but then again, you're not going to leave your baby alone with this, remember?
The drawstring has been a big hit for my little teether. I've even hooked it to a pacifier-tether and hung it within reach when we go out-and-about. Hours of fun right there, more than any other single toy, except:
Milk-pump tubing. This is the clear tubing that delivers suction from a breast pump to the suction cups. This tubing (often Medela brand) can be yours for about $10 online, and at any lactation equipment shop. It is made from a safe plastic that is free of PVC, BPA, and the other suspicious toxins du jour--so the material is safe for your baby to chew on. It is also delightfully firm-yet-yielding in tiny mouths.
Unfortunately, plastic tubing is hard to tie into knots, and it has blunt ends that can hurt if shoved in the mouth. Needless to say, you will be supervising your baby. But if you suspect that your child lacks the ability to learn that long skinny things hurt when shoved into the back of the mouth, you may wish to wait on this item. (Eventually, of course, your baby will learn not to jam things into the back of his throat, just as we all learned.)
The breast pump tubing offers everything that makes electrical cords so enticing. It is stringy, and bouncy. It can be flossed between the teeth, presumably soothing sore gums. And yet, with your supervision, it is a much safer alternative.
I have just one more thing to add—the one word of wisdom for every parenting problem—remember that This Too Shall Pass. As adults, you and I no longer feel the need to chew power cords. And one day our little children will have passed through this stage and be on to something else!
Even if a device is unplugged, allowing a baby to play with the cord is dangerous. Allowing her to chew the cord is worse: many appliances act as capacitors, meaning they can store some charge. If the plug goes in your baby's mouth--ZZZIP!--current can pass into her body. At worst, this could cause injury. At best, a nasty surprise. Not something we want to encourage.
Greater danger comes from the other end of the cord, the end with the radio or the lamp or the printer attached. Your baby may pull the appliance down, damaging it—or damaging herself!
So how to distract from those enticing Cords-Of-Desire?
Your first step should be to hide or conceal as many of the cords as possible, before your little one becomes inappropriately familiar with them. Perhaps you can thread the cords differently. Or put a piece of furniture in front of the outlet. Or even tape the cord out of sight, say to the back of a table leg. (Blue masking tape works well for this, since it doesn’t leave a mark.)
Once the baby does find a cord, your only option is to redirect his attention (if you can), and hide the cord (if you can). And then hope that, for your little one, out of sight is still truly out of mind. Before a certain age, babies forget about what they can’t see.
If you can't physically move the cord to tuck it out of sight, you may be able reduce the contrast with its surroundings. A black cord is a beacon against a white wall. Perhaps you can cover it with light-colored tape, or even find a light-colored cord--one that blends in to surroundings and doesn't scream to be chewed. This isn’t the best solution, but if the cord doesn’t stand out against the wall, that increases the chance that something else will catch your baby’s eye first.
Of course, you can’t hide all your electrical cords. And removing all corded appliances from your home is probably not an option. How can you keep your baby safe and happy, while satisifying the cord-chewing urge?
It's important to acknowledge that your baby isn't trying to be naughty. (Really!) Some deep urge is driving her; there is something going on with your little one that makes electrical cords Extremely Interesting. I suspect that mysterious something is teething, but I don’t know. The question for this article is, Can we substitute something that will satiate the baby's desire for cords? And the answer is Yes.
You need a safe cord alternative. Now, you could cut up old power cords, seal the wire ends with electrical tape, and give them to your baby. But the plastic in cords is not meant to be gummed and slimed and sucked on by small humans. Better to find a material that is chewable. A safe cord.
I should stress that a “safe” cord is not Completely Safe. You should never leave your child unattended in the company of anything that resembles a cord! No matter what you substitute, your cord alternative is not a toy. But a “safe” cord may delight your child, and it may make your life as a parent much more pleasant.
The first cord I adapted for baby use was a thick drawstring. I tied it in many delightful knots so that it would be bulky enough to prevent choking. Pediatricians recommend against letting babies play with lengths of loose string; a securely-tangled bunch of string is safer. Of course you don't want loops large enough to pose a strangulation hazard--but then again, you're not going to leave your baby alone with this, remember?
The drawstring has been a big hit for my little teether. I've even hooked it to a pacifier-tether and hung it within reach when we go out-and-about. Hours of fun right there, more than any other single toy, except:
Milk-pump tubing. This is the clear tubing that delivers suction from a breast pump to the suction cups. This tubing (often Medela brand) can be yours for about $10 online, and at any lactation equipment shop. It is made from a safe plastic that is free of PVC, BPA, and the other suspicious toxins du jour--so the material is safe for your baby to chew on. It is also delightfully firm-yet-yielding in tiny mouths.
Unfortunately, plastic tubing is hard to tie into knots, and it has blunt ends that can hurt if shoved in the mouth. Needless to say, you will be supervising your baby. But if you suspect that your child lacks the ability to learn that long skinny things hurt when shoved into the back of the mouth, you may wish to wait on this item. (Eventually, of course, your baby will learn not to jam things into the back of his throat, just as we all learned.)
The breast pump tubing offers everything that makes electrical cords so enticing. It is stringy, and bouncy. It can be flossed between the teeth, presumably soothing sore gums. And yet, with your supervision, it is a much safer alternative.
I have just one more thing to add—the one word of wisdom for every parenting problem—remember that This Too Shall Pass. As adults, you and I no longer feel the need to chew power cords. And one day our little children will have passed through this stage and be on to something else!
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