Parenting style

As parents, we all do things differently. There is no right or wrong way to put a child to sleep. There is no perfect day or age to start to potty train, no easy way to transition from crib to bed, no way to stop breastfeeding without shedding a tear, and it's impossible to return to work without feeling guilty.

The challenges, milestones, and achievements we experience as parents are more or less the same in every household, even if we don't do things the same way.

There are certain things I do that others may not do. Like:

1. I have never put mis-matched pj's on my children. No matter what. I can't stand the thought of my children in pj's that don't match. If I have do an emergency change at 3 a.m. because of a diaper leak, I'll change the entire set of pj's, not just the bottom. I know, I'm insane, right?

2. If my child gets his pj top wet (because he loves to play in the sink after his pj's are on, of course!) I will not change his pj's, but I will blow-dry the wet spots away. I learnred this trick in a Baby-Sitters Club book. And it's so much fun to watch the wet spots disappear!

3. Every time I go grocery shopping with my children, I will disinfect the shopping cart. Every single time. I have a serious case of OCD!

4. My boys will open and eat whatever they want while we're shopping. This includes cupcakes, bread, grated cheese (very messy!) and even yogurt - yes, yogurt. I've had to use my finger to feed my baby yogurt in the grocery store before! Many people stare at me like I'm crazy, but? I manage to kill a good 30 minutes in the store, get everything I need, and leave with two kids who, for the most part, behaved.

5. I sometimes scare my children into eathing their food. "Dimitry, you have to eat all your meat, or else the mamouta will come!" (Mamouta = monster, in Greek.)

6. I tell my children I love them all day long. I praise them for the small things they do. I tell them how proud of them I am all the time. I am an overly enthusiastic mom!

7. I always arrive at the park prepared - toys, water, snacks, wipes. I wish everyone remembered to come to the park with their own toys and snacks!

8. I'm not a fan of 'CIO". I understand the lack of sleep - I haven't slept more than 5 hours straight in over 4 and a half years. I'm tired, too. But if my baby is crying, he needs something. Sometimes, it's just a hug. Other times, a diaper needs to be changed, or a tummy needs to be fed. If my child is crying, I will make sure he is comforted right away.

9. I don't have patience for people who have no patience for children on planes. I hate receiving dirty looks from other passengers when my child cries on the plane! And I will always win the evil eye stare down, I promise you! And yes, I do let my child walk up and down the aisle in only a onesie and socks, thank you very much!

10. I hate receiving parenting advice from non-parents. Hearing things like: "You're on mat leave? Lucky you, you get to do nothing all day long!" makes me want to scream! Until you have a child, you will understand just how much you can do in a 24 hour period - on such little sleep!

What about you? What's your parenting style - what are things that might be unique to your style?