Does your kid have a favourite phrase he’d say to you regardless of time and place? My two older kids’ fave is “Mama, carry me”.
Of course, depending on the time and place, my replies are usually as follows:
“How am I supposed to? I’m carrying your baby brother.”
“Why don’t you walk, my dear?”
“Shall we hold hands instead?”
“You’re getting quite heavy, my love!”
“I’m really tired today and would like to rest my arms / back / legs.”
“Darling, let’s hug first. And then you can sit next to me.”
Of course, fatherkao often reminds me that we won’t be getting these requests soon enough and that we should savour every moment. I totally agree. In fact, I’d always say to myself ‘to heck with the backache and fatigue’ and try as much as I can to smother these babies, all three of them, with loads of hugs and kisses, and indulge them in a great deal of carrying. In fact, I baby the baby so much I now have a problem: he wants to be carried all the time.
At nine months, he is unable to travel in the car on the car seat. For nine months, I can never drive without witnessing moments like these:
Pardon the picture quality – snapped this shot at a dark basement carpark yesterday
At nine months, just like his older siblings, he’s learned to say their favourite phrase his way, “Mama, carry me”!
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I had the same problem with Aly who is almost a year old! Things are slightly better now that she has all the passing trees/cars/motorcycles to distract her (in the day) but she just wouldn’t tolerate being put in the car seat once the skies turn dark and asks to be carried all the time! I keep trying to tell myself that it’s for her own safety that I put her in the car seat but I always give in when she has a meltdown. Sigh.
Agree! Evening and night time is particularly bad! I’ve tried lots of dangling toys and music but nothing is working for now. Sigh!
my #1 was like that. i had to pull over and carry him for a bit in between long drives because he could cry forever. drove me mad in traffic jams! he was much better after we changed him to the front facing car seat tho. we also found a CD that he liked (finally) and played it ad naseum. i hope you find something that works!
We’re planning a road trip up north and I’m dreading the drive and the traffic jams (*gasp*). Oh gosh, don’t know how crazy I’ll be; but I hope to survive the ordeal!
I don’t drive, but when we first put C in the car seat after finally getting a car when he was 12 months old, he was extremely ok with it, because he associates it with ‘going out’. There is a catch, though – Mummy has to be next to him, for him to hold on to my elbow (he has this thing about elbows – I wrote about it here: http://www.mummymoo.com/2012/03/sacred-elbow-and-other-things.html)
If he is alone in the back seat, he can scream and cry from Pt A to Pt B, which can be extremely disconcerting to the driver, of course – not to mention dangerous.
Recently he’s gotten used to it. BUT only when Daddy is driving, and Mummy is nowhere in sight. If I’m in the car, on the front seat – he will start his nonsense again, only this time it’s worse because he’s tall enough to kick Daddy’s chair!
When Daddy is alone with him… he will be so quiet until sometimes the hubs has to sneak glances at him at traffic lights because the silence is scary.
I don’t know how it would be like if I’m driving, though. I have a sneaking suspicion I could be writing a post along the same lines as you did!
C is like Nat, can cry non stop from Pt A to Pt B. I actually had to pull over yesterday because he managed to wriggle out of his seat (don’t ask me how!), and frightened the older two kids who were distraught with his wailing. I think you’ve trained Baby Moo well; at least he doesn’t bully the driver now! 🙂
Haha how smart of him to do that at nine months! It really goes to show he’s deeply bonded to you, in a sense. Agree with your hubby on how we should cherish these moments but can also understand how frustrating it may get. Well, guess you just gotta stand firm on your feet and have on imaginary ear plugs! =) All the best!
Gosh, the art of switching off is hard to master, Summer! But in a way I’m glad all the kids are sticky this way cos I must be their world… 🙂
I’ve been in your situation! I trained myself to switch off the screamings in the car and focused on the driving. They cannot wail forever! It will stop. We have to be extremely patient and it will pay off. 🙂 Hang in there!
They do wail forever- how do I switch off while driving? This stage of zen is indeed hard to master. Master shifu, please impart your zen skills! 🙂