Why Are You Paying For Advice That Should Be Common Sense?
Apr 03 '02
The Bottom Line Depend on your own instincts, not somebody else's.
Being the mom of 5 kids I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I'm as close to an expert as I'll ever be. I'm speaking from years of experience. Am I a professional? No, not by anyone's standards. But I do know kids and what kids like.
I grew up in a small town. As a teenager I did tons of babysitting, kids of all ages. It brought in some good money and I learned a lot.
When I had my first child back in 1995 I was more relaxed and comfortable than what most first time parents are. Did I buy every book? No. Did I do everything the doctor said? Absolutely not. Personal experience as well as personal preferences mean more to me than what any doctor can tell me. I fed cereal to all my kids when they were 7 weeks old, we ate fruits and veggies well before the doctor ever said it was ok. My mom had done the same thing with me, as well your parents probably did too, and we all turned out pretty ok. :)
When it came to choosing toys for my daughter we bought a multitude of different kinds. Some were black and white, some jewel-toned, some primary colored and lots of pastels. She didn't seem to gravitate to any toy particularly because of it's color, but more so due to it's texture. When chewing on things she went for the hard rubbery type things, or plastic. When tired or not feeling well she went for the very soft things. None of this had to do with color.
Her bedroom was decorated in clowns for the most part and primary tones. Her sheets were Baby Disney which were white with different colored Disney characters on them. As she got older she did try to pick or scratch the colors from the sheet. I didn't see this as any different then what adults would do...try to pick up something that's different colored. Another supposed myth that I'd heard while pregnant was that a baby's room shouldn't be painted in yellow. Yellow makes babies cry. BAH! Other than the fact it's a very boring color I don't think it would upset a baby enough to cry simply for that reason.
My personal opinion is that people today don't have a clue what it takes to raise children. Flame me if you must but please hear me out. It's a fact that most folks are waiting to have children later in life. Yes, I agree they probably have more patience, however I also think they have higher expectations regarding career, house cleanliness and social status. People in their 30s and 40s having kids generally have older parents. Who do they ask for advice? Co-workers? Doctors? Friends? Family?
I'm getting off topic here a bit so let me circle the wagons and continue. There's no magical color scheme that's going to make your child brighter, smarter or cuter. Children gain awareness from their parents and loved ones. Parents today are getting way too wrapped up in information from books and doctors (all of which exist to make money). If you want real advice, ask someone that has kids. Ask 3 or 4 or 10 different people. Hang out with them for a while. See for yourself what the kids gravitate towards...color or love and warmth?
Thanks for reading this far if you have. I know my views tend to sway differently than most people here, but reality has got to enter into the picture at some point. Most moms of more than 1 child will probably agree.
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Epinions.com ID:
hlbirk
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Member: Heather Smith
Location: Olathe, Kansas
Reviews written: 126
Trusted by: 55 members
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