Hi ladies, starting the week right by appreciating one of my children.

I have been chronicling some stories about my middle child here in the blog. If you are new here, well, Siobs is my cheerful, rambunctious, yet super-duper kind daughter.

The other day, she walked up to me while I was meal planning and drawing up my grocery orders. And she told me this out of the blue:

Oh dear siobs, my tender-hearted daughter, you never fail to amaze me

In reality, children are sensitive enough to understand that times are tough these days. The lockdowns have affected the finances of many families. Even families whose businesses or work have not been affected by this ongoing pandemic, are choosing to save up and tighten their grip on their savings.

Such financial situation and the upcoming Christmas season might be putting a pressure on most parents. This is especially true if the kids are used to receiving gifts and trips and a lavish spread during the holidays.

But based from what my daughter told me, I figured that maybe we should not feel pressured. I think those of certain age can already understand that they will not receive an extravagant Christmas present this year. Explain it through a heart to heart talk. In reality, since kids are observant, they will get the gist if they see or hear you habitually trying to save up. Children four years old and below, on the other hand, hardly know what to expect yet during the holidays so they do not get disappointed too easily.

Present VS Presence

Kids are smart and sensitive creatures, and most of them would choose to spend time and play with us over those expensive gizmos we can buy them. So choose lambing time, game time, family movie time, baking day, and going under their forts with them.

Your presence is much more appreciated than presents so do not be a tad guilty! These activities tend to be remembered fondly throughout their grown up years, and even when they become parents too!

Take heart, Ladies. You are raising them well! Till next post!

A Happy Homemaker is a Happy Pinay Mommy!

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How to do household chores when everyone is sick. Photo Credits

Musings on how to do house chores while battling the colds, cough, and flu season

You see, as I have mentioned in my two previous posts, our little family is still saddled in a month-long bout with allergies-turned-viral infection that left everyone sniffling and coughing real bad.

And in the past weeks I was wondering how to do house chores as i was not able to get to my normal routine due to pedia visits here and there, pharmacy errands, extra grocery trips (get more fruits for juicing, and fresh teas for healing), a sick, crabby, and teething infant who I swear would not let me out of her sight for one minute, and a preschooler begging to play, shoot videos, and to do activities.

I was just so glad I had a week’s worth of freezer meals (thanks to weekly meal plans, and meal planning) before the whole allergy fiasco happened, if not, our food budget will be just so dented because of delivery meals!

Anyway, going back to the topic, now that we are slowly getting better, I am trying now to get my groove back – schedule wise.

My mountain-load of laundry – clean that is for folding and sorting; and those that are dirty, is just so hard to tackle. The only thing I could keep up with is the cloth diaper laundry, otherwise, older shirts and PJs come out from the hiding (haha!). Was just happy to have devised a way of catching up with the folding by allowing little shobe to play on her wonderful playgym, while I fold away. I tackle the sorting later on.

For the loading of dirty laundry, I rely on my five year old ring sling to get me through the loading and unloading in the washer. I am loving baby wearing since S showed signs of teething and did not want to be separated from me.

As for my preschooler, I try to find pockets of time to read stories to her, or just try to involve her on my catching up of housework as if it were a special activity or game. Like “delivering” folded socks and undies to the cabinet drawers, as well as sorting out the groceries and stocking the pantry and refrigerator with it. (i earlier wrote about chores a preschooler can do, and i definitely try to ask for her help on those stuff). I did not mind the slow pace, nor some of the misplaced items. I needed any help I could get, and I needed to keep her busy.

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You may also want to read:

• Truths about giving medicines to a baby
• A Busy Mom’s Guide in Preparing Meals for the Family
• Five Yummy Soups for the Rainy Season
• How to Save on Grocery Shopping
• Drying Cloth Diapers During the Rainy Season

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Giving meds was a pain, because some required a full stomach, there were times it should be round-the clock, there was a lot of throwing up, and Achi was sighing and kept on complaining about the “disgusting” meds she had to take. I wrote some of the truths on giving medicines to a baby in this post – it is a good read especially is you are in a season of sickness like us, and have very young kids in the family.

For the chores that I needed to do, and the showers (yes showers – I take at least three because I believe it energizes me) I had to take, I thank God for Disney Junior, Kris TV, and the cooking shows we love to watch. I put little shobe either in the stroller or her pack and play, and then she and achi will be perfectly happy for the next 10-15 minutes.

God gives us a way to survive sick seasons like this. It is rough, and I at times would like to blame my genes for the allergic rhinitis/asthmatic tendencies I have passed on to the kids. But things could be worse, so we should just do the next best thing which is to keep on trucking and embrace the challenge.

God bless fellow mommies!

You may want to check out this youtube video on suggested cures for a coughing baby:

https://happypinaymommy.com/2015/06/26/fb-and-online-cloth-diaper-sellers-in-manila-part-3/

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The 70,000 Pediatric Dental Job

Epic Teeth: The Set of Teeth That Launched P70,000.00

I confess that I am a mother of a monster-teeth pre-schooler. If you would see my daughter’s teeth, you would know where my guilt is actually coming from. And I know it is my fault. Although I religiously brush her teeth before going to bed, I introduced her to the love of nursing to sleep and chocolates J

So when I saw the first cavity, I rushed her to the pedia dentist who just gave me a tooth mousse to slather on my kid’s mouth. She said, chocolates can never be avoided, and that I should just follow up with brushing.

My daughter’s teeth, after months became yuckier all the more. Enter Pedia Dent #2, who was really nice. She however said that my daughter’s teeth can no longer be repaired through filling or what we call “pasta” and she has to undergo root canal. And being three years old at that time, she recommended that she be sedated during the whole process.

And although this is supposed to be routine according to her, we got scared about the thought of “putting her to sleep” just so her teeth could be nice again. I figured kids will be kids, and we do not want her having to endure that.

What got me all the more scared was the quotation that amounted to almost 12,000 Pesos if I remembered right. My goodness, it almost amounted to my Wisdom Tooth Extraction, am I that bad a mother? Am I that neglectful?

Anyway, our favorite dentist Dr. T, assured me it had nothing to do with my parenting, and Little’s nursing to sleep was to be blamed. In fact she even said, even her kid has cavities.

And there I was thinking breastmilk won’t cause cavities.

I just can’t fathom the thought of not letting a baby or a toddler for that matter nurse to sleep. And am I that nuts to wake a sleeping ball of kakulitan just to gargle or brush? I felt so guilty.

So the long and short of it was, I just vowed to be ultra vigilant about brushing. As recommended by Dr. T, she now uses Floucaril, and an anti-cavity mouthwash, and I have Dolan in the fridge just in case one of her teeth will ache.

But after a year, like a nightmare back with vengeance, one of Little’s molars was aching. Had to give her Dolan, and too bad for us, Dr. T is no longer practicing in that wonderful clinic nearest our house. Her clinic in her residence is a good two hour drive from our place so had to say goobye to her.

Anyway, we had to consult another pedia dentist. This time though, the figures were staggering. She, like our favorite pedia dent, Dr. T, also recommended the sedation, root canal, extraction, and all. The huge difference though was the price quote for the treatment. A WHOPPING P70,000.00. Goodness gracious! So does this mean that in one year’s time the damage in Little’s teeth worsened seven times further? That amount of money was like giving birth to her all over again!

I tried to compose myself and asked the pedia dent how come it came around that figure. She mentioned the anesthesiologist etc plus other fees, and the many procedures that have to be done to salvage my daughter’s pearly whites (or pearly browns for that matter). She and her assistant also assured to me that Little’s case was not even the worst that they saw, and was not definitely the worst that they are treating. Oh well.

So by now, you might have guessed what we did. I added another tooth-brushing session to our day, and fingers crossed no major toothache till all the milk teeth fall off. J We are keeping our P70k. I’m not a good mom when it comes to this, and it is OK.

The post Why My Daughter’s Dentist is Asking for P70,000.00 appeared first on Happy Pinay Mommy.