Gift Ideas for Kids

For the first time in my life, I have gotten all of my Christmas shopping done before December 1st. I'm not really sure how I managed this, but I think part of it has to do with the fact that I had a limit on the number of items each of my children (and husband) would get. I also keep a running list of gift ideas for Christmas and birthdays on WishPot that I add to throughout the year. It's important to me to be deliberate and thoughtful about what I surround my children with and what I bring into my home. I want my children to have toys that are timeless and that cultivate their creativity, imagination and ability to play with other kids.  If you are still needing some gift ideas for your own children, check out what I got for my kids, as well as some other gifts that any kid would love.

Gifts for my 3.5-year-old

Dr. Drill and Fill

Okay, this was definitely not my first choice, but my daughter has talked about "dentist pwaydough stuff" for weeks. I think it will be a huge mess and she'll probably fight over it with her sister, but... I am a big proponent of encouraging kids to do arts and crafts. Using her hands to draw, paint and sculpt is not only great for the development of her motor skills, but it's a great way for her to be creative and use her imagination.

Art supplies make great gifts. If you have an older child, consider making an art caddy that is loaded and ready for them to grab whenever the creative urge strikes. Include things like classic crayons (or beeswax crayons if you're looking for a more natural alternative), blank paper, colored pencils, finger=paints, stamps, stencils, etc.

Just Like Home Coffee Maker

Some of the best toys to promote imaginative play are play kitchens, play food and accessories. Both boys and girls like to imitate real-life and these types of toys offer hours of play. My girls already have a play kitchen that their grandparents got them a couple of years ago and there are always things to add to it. Thing 1 found a coffee maker at Toys R Us that she would really like to have so that she can "make toffee like Dad!"  I will probably always prefer wooden toys over plastic, but wooden coffee makers just don't quite look like the real thing. This one sounds like it's brewing coffee and has a red light come on in the bottom that makes it look hot. I'm sure my husband and I will be served a lot of coffee in the next few months.

Imaginarium Wooden Block Set

Our girls already have a small set of Plan Toys wooden blocks, but when both of them are playing with blocks, there just don't seem to be enough. So, we got Thing 1 another larger set to add to the existing small one. Wooden blocks have been around for YEARS and are a classic toy because they are open-ended. Blocks don't have to be played with one way. They can be buildings, houses, towers, castles, instruments, people, buses, food... you get the idea. Kids of all ages like to play with them and if you get a good set, you can probably keep it for your grandchildren. 

Gifts for my 2-year old



Going with the kitchen theme, we got our 2-year old some more play food that I'm sure both of the girls will love. All of these were purchased at Michael's at 80% off on Thanksgiving Day (woo!) and though we already own some plastic play food, I thought it would be nice to upgrade to some wooden and felt food. This food is more life-like and larger than the small plastic pieces. Plus, the cookie and fruit sets allow the girls to actually slice and cut pieces, just like they see Mom and Dad doing in the kitchen.


Other Great Gifts

  

Figurines. My youngest got the Rapunzel set for her 2nd birthday and there has not been a day go by that both of the kids don't play with them. One of their grandparents is getting them a couple more sets for Christmas and I'm sure they're going to be a hit. They role play with these and spend a lot of time creating their own stories.

 

"Quiet Time" Toys. My oldest stopped taking naps shortly after she turned two, so we began having "quiet time" during the day. Sometimes she plays computer games, but we also have several Melissa and Doug toys that are great quiet activities. Both of the girls play with them every other day or so. My youngest may not be able to do everything correctly, but she still likes them.

Dress-Up Clothes. The jolly ol' elf is bringing our girls a TON of new dress-up clothes this year as their big gift. I helped Santa hit up a lot of Halloween clearance racks and came out with some good stuff (including that dinosaur, above). My husband wasn't thrilled with this gift idea at first because he thought I wanted to fill their room with dresses, high heels and jewelry. However, most of the costumes I got were career costumes or animals (horse, dinosaur, bumblebee). Costumes thrill kids of all ages and there are an endless amount of hours to be spent imagining and pretending.

Of course, there are thousands of other toys out there that kids will love. It's hard to narrow it down to a few presents at Christmas! Just pay attention to what toys seem to keep your kids' interest day after day.

It's easy to stress out about getting your kids everything they want or getting the "perfect" gift. But kids are kids. They will enjoy Christmas no matter what you get them. As my husband said, let's save the stress for the teenage years when our kids will probably want something worth hundreds of dollars that all their friends are getting too. Yeah... I think I'll enjoy the ease of shopping for my 2- and 3-year-olds.

Want, Need, Wear, Read

Last year, when I was preparing for the Christmas season, I stumbled upon some excellent gift-giving advice on one of my favorite blogs, Simple Mom. (You can read another great post about this same topic, here.) These days, the toy catalogs make up half of the Thanksgiving newspaper and the amount of toy and junk-food commercials that are squeezed in-between children's television shows is just ridiculous. When Thing 1 started asking for every toy she saw on TV, we decided to get rid of cable.

If you want to teach your children to value more than just material objects, Christmas can be a challenging time for parents. That's why I was really happy to come across a gift-giving philosophy that was practical and easy for us to implement in our family. Not only do we use it at Christmas, but we've started using it for birthdays too. 

Each of our girls gets four - that's right, I said FOUR - main gifts for Christmas and birthdays. These are gifts from their father and I and does not include gifts from their grandparents or other family. We give them:

• something they WANT
• something they NEED
• something to WEAR
• something to READ

We don't strictly follow these categories, but we follow along the want/need/wear/read lines. For example, a friend of mine who practices the same thing got her daughter some hair bows as her "wear." It doesn't HAVE to be clothing. At Christmas, we also choose to give both of the girls a large present - sitting unwrapped - from Santa Claus. This is usually something for both of the girls to share. This year, the jolly old elf is bringing them a lot of new dress-up clothes. We also throw a few little goodies in their stockings from the old guy.

And while they still receive presents from their other family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.), we are blessed to have family that appreciate some input from us about what we'd prefer the girls to have. We are a military family and have to move around a lot. The last thing I want is for my house to become filled with lots of plastic toys that my children have grown tired of. I use a great website, Wishpot, to add things to wish-lists throughout the year and I send the list to our family when they ask for Christmas ideas. I also make it a point to go through our toys and books BEFORE Christmas each year (with the girls' help) and donate things that aren't being used anymore. It helps us make room for all the new things that will be coming into the house.

I'm not sure that we'll always be strict about the four-present rule. The other post I suggested you read (at the top of this page) was from a family that did add some other categories to their gift-giving rule and as our kids get older, I imagine this might be the case. Besides getting a handle on how many gifts we dole out each year, we also plan on involving our girls in charitable work throughout the year once they are old enough to help (3- and 2-year-olds don't tend to be the greatest laborers at charity events). Whatever your "reason for the season," I think most parents hope that their children grow up to appreciate the Christmas season for more than just presents under the tree. 

What are some other ways you're teaching simplicity and minimalism to your children?

The Words that Changed My Life.

As you can tell from the title of my blog, I never aspired to be a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM). Growing up, I knew I wanted kids but I also wanted a career. I really never thought I would choose to stay home myself instead of taking advantage of a daycare or preschool. But, here I am. At home. With the kids.

Many of you know that right after having my second child, I graduated from my Master's program and made the transition to being a full-time SAHM. Coincidentally, it was just a few months later that I was diagnosed with Post-Partum Depression. Even though I got treatment and was able to come out of that bad place, I have struggled for the last two years with being happy.

Time and time again, I'd find myself envious of my husband for being able to forward his career, talk to adults all day, have some sense of purpose on a day-to-day basis, and do something personally fulfilling for himself. What was I doing in comparison? Wiping butts, changing diapers, cleaning house, doing laundry, breaking up fights, listening to whining, cooking meals and basically doing everything for everyone. Some lucky parents don't have to try hard to view their lives in a better light. Some women naturally love doing all of those things and do feel a real sense of purpose every day. But for me, it just wasn't happening. I would constantly go back and forth on whether or not I would try to get a job and if I was being a good SAHM (thinking I need to do more crafts, more homeschooling stuff, better cleaning, etc.). All the ups and downs were frustrating and tiring.

Not long ago, I decided to start watching clips and webcasts online from Oprah's Lifeclass that she started in October. Go ahead and laugh. My husband did. One class was about finding your life's purpose and I found myself thinking about what my dream job would be... and what kind of career goals I wanted to try and set for myself once the girls were both in school (even that was a little depressing as I thought about how long it would be before that could happen). Then, a woman Skyped into the class and said that at 40 years old, she felt like she was being held back because she was a mother; that she couldn't drop everything for her own goals because she had a responsibility to take care of her own children. Besides telling this woman that she would be a better mother to her children by following some of her own passions, Oprah made a statement that changed my life.

She said, "There is no greater calling on earth than being the life-guide, teacher, nurturer, supporter and honorer of a young life. Everything else in this world - being a doctor, social worker, teacher, etc. - comes under the order of 'mother.'"


When I heard that, something clicked for me. I can't even put into words the feeling of contentment and purpose I felt at that moment. It has become my personal mantra. When the going gets tough, I remind myself of this amazing fact: "I am a lifeguide for my children." It's what I hear when the days are good and it's what I hear when I want to pull my hair out.

I am a life-guide.
We all get one chance to live our best lives and right now, I've been given the major responsibility of giving my girls a good head-start. In every situation, my girls look to me as an example of how to live. It's the ultimate personal wake-up call. Am I living intentionally? Am I living the life I want? I want to be a calm, patient, compassionate mother. But I'm human. I'm going to have times when I lose my cool or act in a way that I wish I hadn't. Remembering that I'm a life-guide reminds me to be my best self. And it has changed the way I parent.

I am a teacher.
No matter what kind of educational path you choose for your children, you will always be another teacher in their lives. I highly value education. Not just a graduate or doctoral degree, but a life-long love of learning and expanding one's awareness of the world around them. Children will get an education in school, and another one - an even more important one - at home. You have a responsibility to choose whether or not to be their teacher.

I am a nurturer.
To nurture is to bring up, help develop, help grow, and provide with nourishment. Providing for your children's physical needs is a given, but we also have to tend to our children's emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs as well. To nurture your children is to gently cultivate their understanding that they are enough, just the way they are. At the moment your child was born, you loved them simply because they were there. You did not ask anything of them and you did not want them to be any different than they were. To nurture your child is to make sure that they always know that they are unconditionally loved.

I am a supporter.
Even when you love your children unconditionally, it can be hard to support them when your idea of how their lives should go doesn't add up with reality. When your children grow older, there will undoubtedly be times when you are asked to be supportive of something that you would not have chosen yourself. But even with young children, be aware of simple moments when you have the opportunity to show that you will always support them. For example, I found some adorable pink house-shoes at the store and wanted Thing 1 to get them. She could have cared less about the pink ones after she saw some red race-car shoes. It's just shoes, right? Right. But letting her get the shoes that she chose - without weighing in with my own opinion of how hideous they were - reinforced to her, in a small way, the fact that she can make her own choices and I will be here to support her. Always.


I am an honorer. 
To honor someone is to value them. I want my kids to know that they are important. They add so much happiness and meaning to my life and to the lives of so many others, simply because they are them. I want them to feel loved, heard and appreciated while they are living under my roof and I try to find small ways to show this to them every day. It's easy to get caught up in "life," - the laundry, dishes, cooking, cleaning - and you'd be surprised at how much time can go by before you're reminded to stop for a moment and say, "Hey, do you know how much I love you?" Most the time, it's my own children that are the reminder. Thing 1 is great at randomly coming up to me and saying, "Mom? Ya know what? I love you." If she can make me feel valued, then I want to make her feel the same way twofold.

I don't claim to know everything and I'm not expert on being a mother. But I know I'm not the only one to have trouble feeling confident and content in the role of "mother." Those words from Oprah (laugh again) just seemed to click for me and if they click for you too, that's fabulous. If not, that's fine too. Eckhart Tolle said, "The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation, but your own thoughts about it." If you are having trouble, find your own mantra that changes your perception of the situation you're in. Nothing about the situation I'm in changed at all. It was simply my awareness and acceptance of it.

I'm not a spanker, but... I've spanked my kid.

"Just try me, Mom."

First off, let me just say that every parent has to decide for themselves what forms of discipline will be used in their home. It's not as easy as just flipping through the parenting guide book and picking whatever looks good. Disciplining involves so much more than just handing down a punishment. Discipline is the route you decide to take in cultivating responsible, ethical, and just downright GOOD adults. It's also one of the greatest opportunities in life for your own self-growth and reflection, so it deserves to be a topic that you have thought about very carefully. Everyone on earth will disagree, at times, about the best way to discipline a child so I don't want anyone to read the following post and think that I'm telling them they are wrong. (It's very easy to become defensive about your parenting, I know.) I just want to throw my $0.02 out there so that you can be prompted to think a little more about why you discipline, how you discipline, and what works best for your family.

The reason I "discpline."

I correct and discipline my children because I want them to learn respect, compassion, and empathy and to understand that their actions affect others. I do not want my children to fear me. I do not want my children to think that adults are more important than them. And I do not want my children to be afraid of telling me things or admitting mistakes because they are afraid of what Mom or Dad will do. I don't want my children to grow up basing their behavior on fears of what will happen if they don't act a certain way. I want them to grow up basing their behavior on what feels RIGHT to them, using their own moral compass. Sure, I want them to respect me, my husband and other adults and I'd love it if they never talked back or politely followed directions every single time. But that's how children learn. I discipline because I'm trying to guide them towards the right behavior in situations where it's hard to have self-control.

I admit it. I've spanked.
I knew that I didn't want to spank my kids years before I ever had them. I know many parents disagree, and maybe I'm a softy, but the thought of hitting my child - even on the diaper - makes me a bit sick. I'm not going to give you a bunch of research about spanking vs. not spanking because that would appear as though I'm trying to prove a point. I just think it's entirely possible to be an effective disciplinarian without ever physically punishing a child. With my first child, I remember one time that I "spanked" her - a pop on the leg during a diaper change (she was about a year old) - because she wouldn't stop kicking me. I will never forget the look on her face. It was complete shock that I had just hit her, and then confusion. She just looked at me like, "Why did my mother just hurt me?" and I vowed never to do it again. We honestly never spanked Thing 1 and I assumed that it would be just as easy the second time around. Then, I had Thing 2. She was SO different from Thing 1. Thing2 is a screamer and has always had a predisposition to hitting, kicking, and biting when she gets mad. As she got older and the terrible twos started early, I...  well, found myself spanking.

Every single time it happened (and that's probably been less than a dozen times), I wish I hadn't done it. Each time I whacked her diaper, it was because I was frustrated, out of ideas, or fed up. All of which are reasons that - for me - spanking wasn't the best choice. How am I supposed to teach my child that hitting is bad, when her mom hits her? Whacking her diaper doesn't teach her self-control. It doesn't show her how to better handle the same situation in the future. True, it may immediately stop whatever "bad" behavior she is having at that moment, but only because she doesn't want to be hit again. Every time I've ever spanked her, I've felt like a huge hypocrite in front of my kids. I'm trying to teach them to control themselves and have empathy with others when I can't even do it myself. I'm telling you, kids provide the best opportunities to work on your short-comings. 

How I prefer to teach my kids.
I try to avoid spanking 100%. Like I said, it's not that I've ever felt like it was the best way to discipline, I've just been a breaking point when I've done it. Trust me, moms-to-be, you'll have moments where you understand the urge. Anyway... these are our preferred methods of discipline and maybe we've just lucked out with good kids, but spankless-methods seem to be working just fine.

Time-outs
The first time you put your child in time-out, they might laugh at you (seriously, Thing2 did this). The key here is teaching them that when they are in time-out, they DO NOT MOVE until time is up. The first time Thing2 went in time-out, it took 15 minutes of constantly putting ber back in time-out before she realized she was gonna have to stay there and to this day, she stays put whenever she is sent there. Keep it simple when you explain why they are in time-out, e.g. "You are in time-out because you hit your sister. Hitting hurts and it made your sister sad." Then, we ask our girls to go apologize and give a hug or kiss to whomever they hurt (physically or verbally). Honestly, I try not to use time-outs for a punishment, but rather a "cooling off." Sometimes you just need to remove the kid from the situation.

Natural consequences
This is really the way we "punish" a child in our household. There are natural consequences in life and we're trying to help our kids figure this out early on. If I have asked them to pick up their toys and they refuse, either the toy will be picked up by me and put away, or they won't get to do something else until those toys have been cleaned up. Take this example: Thing2 spread blocks everywhere and when I asked her to clean up, she immediately started throwing a tantrum. She was wanting to watch a tv show with Thing1 and until those blocks were cleaned up, she would not be able to. She protested for half an hour (a loooong time in kid-time) until she finally realized I wasn't going to budge and she picked up every single one of them. I gave her a TON of praise and she's been getting better about cleaning up every time since. Natural consequences are a great way to show children that they have some choice when it comes to good behavior or bad behavior.

Having good behavior myself.
Kids soak up EVERYTHING. If you lose your cool, yell, hit, throw things, or talk down to others, your kids will pick up the same behavior. When I feel myself starting to lose control, the most helpful thing I do is to remind myself that I am a life-guide to these kids. I have got to set an example of self-control, mindfulness, compassion and empathy in situations that are difficult. Trust me, you will see this pay off. Just this morning, the girls got into a fight and from around the corner, I heard Thing1 say, "Let's sit down and talk about it." When Thing1 is upset and hard to calm down, I take her into a quiet room and talk with her about how she's feeling and acting. It was absolutely amazing to hear her model that behavior with her sister. THAT is what this mom-gig is all about.

Dude. Parenting is hard. I've made mistakes and it kills me to think of all the mistakes I know I will make in the future. However, I think the most important gift you can give to your children is conscious parenting... being aware of your own feelings, attitudes, and beliefs and how you model those to your children. There is no single way to discipline because there is no single kind of kid. Be confident in your ability to parent and the decisions you've made about how to go about it. And if you stray from "the plan" every now and then, or do something you wish you hadn't, don't fret over it. You are human. Teach your kids that even Mom and Dad can learn from their mistakes.

The New-Mom Advice You Won't Hear

Becoming a new parent inevitably brings with it lots of well-wishes, cute-baby stories, and advice. But for myself and other moms I know, there were a lot of things that I WISH people had told me about. Having a baby was awesome and miraculous and fantastic... and SUPER hard. There were a lot of bad days mixed in with all the good days and no one seemed to mention that aspect of being a mom. So, I asked a lot of moms to share what they wish people had told them about having a baby. Babies are amazing beyond words, but expecting to love every moment with them will make you feel like a horrible person when you are dying for a few moments of solitude. Here are the things other moms struggled with in those first few months. Cut yourself some slack on the not-so-good days and revel in the fantastic days. It's all part of the journey.


It may not be love at first sight.
You have been growing a baby in your womb for the past 9 months. You felt every little movement, every hiccup. You've dreamed about how much you'll cry when you deliver that bundle of joy and how you will melt as soon as that baby is laid on your chest. Then, the baby actually does come out and you don't feel warm and fuzzy at all. In fact, you kinda hate that little thing that just came out of a hole that you KNOW couldn't have gotten big enough to actually birth a baby. Don't worry. It's normal.

Because of an incompetent nurse anesthetist, my epidural wore off right as I started pushing. By the time I delivered my baby almost an hour later, I was in shock (from pain), exhausted, and indifferent about even holding my baby. I remember looking over at her and not wanting to touch her. I didn't care. What I did care about, however, was that I was apparently going to be a horrible mother. What mom doesn't fall in love with her baby right away? It was several hours later before I felt that bond starting to form with my baby, but the guilt lasted for months. No matter what anyone says, it's okay if you don't love your baby as soon as you see him or her. You are not a horrible parent. You just went through labor and it's okay to need a little while to recooperate before you fall in love.


When you do love the kid, you will still have times where you think life is miserable.
When you do fall in love with that baby, you'll fall hard. You will still love your partner, but if you have to choose between the two, you'll probably pick the baby that is so adorable and warm and cuddly that you don't want to be apart ever again. Don't be surprised, however, when you have moments when you are sure that your life is now over, you'll never sleep again, your boobs are definitely not normal, and it's all that darn baby's fault! And while thinking all of that, you'll be showering that baby will kisses at the same time.

Adjusting to parenthood is hard. You can prepare all you want, but the sleepless nights, breastfeeding, crying, changing relationship with your partner, and general feeling of incompetence will be more of an adjustment than you realized. Every mom I talked to expressed this same sentiment: Being a mom is the hardest thing you've ever done, and the most amazing - at the same time. Don't feel guilty about feeling miserable at times. Every mom feels the same way. A lot of moms call it the "baby blues." And even when the baby gets older, you'll still feel the same way at times about your grown kids. They sure can make life difficult, but all the little amazing moments totally make up for it.

Breastfeeding is HARD.
Breastfeeding is the natural way to feed your baby. Babies (before the days of formula) HAD to breastfeed to survive. So, one can only assume that breastfeeding will come naturally to you and your baby... right? Unfortunately, you couldn't be more wrong. Breastfeeding is hard as hell. You will often hear, "Just make it past two weeks and you'll be fine" and this is totally true. I don't know why two weeks is often the magic amount of time, but after two weeks, you've usually gotten the hang of it. During those first two weeks, you'll wake up one morning to find you look like Dolly Parton. You'll feel like a cow as you try to figure out how to use the breastpump. You will apprehensively pull out your boob and wait for your baby to attack it furiously. You will question if your baby is getting enough milk, if you are doing it right, if your baby is doing it right. You might even have those cracked and bleeding nipples that everyone tries to avoid (I know I did!). Sometimes, all the difficulties can be too much and breastfeeding just doesn't work out. Again, don't feel guilty and worry that your child isn't going to turn out as well as the kid that was breastfed. I breastfed my first baby for 8 months and cried the day I gave her formula. I wanted to breastfeed my second baby longer, but only made it 4 weeks. I just knew I was ruining her, but she's turned out as amazingly as her sister did. Breastfeeding is amazing and wonderful and I truly wish everyone could do it. But certainly know that being a good parent involves much more than making milk from your boobs.

It will be hard to keep non-parent friends. 
Some of you will be lucky enough to have a lot of friends with kids before you ever have kids of your own. You'll have other people to talk to who will understand what you're going through and might even be able to offer some parenting advice when you have no idea what you're doing. If you don't have a lot of friends with kids, then it's time to make some. Close friends that I'd had for years are still very much involved in my life, but we found out we were having a baby right after we moved to a new city so that we could start medical school and graduate school. We were young, fresh out of college, and some of the first in our circle to get married. I had NO friends with babies. While I was pregnant, we made other single friends, some married, and they were all excited when our baby was born. While it wasn't glaringly obvious, our lives had changed drastically. Our friends would call to invite us out, but inevitably, only one of us could go because we were exhausted, the baby needed to be fed, the baby needed to go to bed, or we secretly wanted to go to bed too. After you keep politely declining invitations, the invitations eventually stop coming all-together. It's not a good thing or a bad thing. It's just what usually happens. Friends who really matter will stay in touch, but it's also a good idea to make some other friends who have kids of their own. No one will think it's a crappy idea to stay in for dinner instead of going out. No one will gasp when you say you've got to be home at a decent time because the baby wakes up early. And no one will protest when you back out at the last minute because your kid is teething. Other parents will be there alongside you when Friday night becomes just another night to rent a movie, and your non-parents friends will be there to buy you a drink when you can afford a babysitter. 

You may be resentful towards your partner.
Even if you are blessed with a partner that helps out as much as they can, there will probably be times when you resent your partner. Life has changed drastically for you, while your partner has a life that seemingly resembles what it has always been. You are up several times at night, breastfeeding, pumping, and just checking to make sure your baby is still breathing (trust me, you will do this). You will feel as though your life is now ruled by a tiny human being who never leaves your side and just getting a shower is the most productive thing you do all day. Your partner, on the other hand, sleeps peacefully beside you, enjoys an uninterrupted drive to work, and interacts with other adults before coming home and snuggling with the baby before sleeping peacefully again. Just expect to have these feelings. This time will pass. Your partner will NEVER truly understand what it is like to be a new mother in those first few months, but some of them may, at the very least, try to hear where you're coming from. And that's all you'll really want anyway.


You will question everything you do.
Nowadays, there are research articles, books, and magazines to tell you about the best way to raise your baby. Walk into Babies R Us and you'll be overwhelmed by the aisles and aisle of gadgets that will, supposedly, make you a better parent. If you have been lucky enough to have spent a lot of time around babies before having your own, you may have the upper hand when it comes to new-mom apprehension. But for many of us, having a baby was like stepping into another universe. You will probably question most of the things you do, wondering if you're doing it right. There is no singular right way to raise a child. Breastfed or bottlefed, cloth or disposable diapers, homemade baby food or gerber jars, co-sleeping or crib-sleeping, all babies that are loved will turn out just fine. Don't worry about what your mom, your grandmother, the Today show, or any book has told you. If you follow your heart and do what feels right, you will be a fantastic mom. No mom is perfect. You will make mistakes. Heck, your baby will probably even fall off of the couch when you're not looking.But just give that baby lots of love and I promise you will both turn out fine.