Swollen Ear

There is a first time for everything. I woke up this morning to my son greeting me with his huge left ear sticking out. First thing that came to mind was that he looked like a monkey or a mouse. Second thought – good I turned down relief work at school today so I could be home to monitor. My son’s behaviour was very normal, it seemed like his swollen ear bothered me more than him.

I decided to bring him to Dr Ong who has returned to work after her maternity leave. She’s a God-send. Patient and she takes time to explain what might be going on with the swollen ear. Likely an allergic reaction to an insect bite. It is hard to tell if an infection has occurred but we can wait out another day before deciding if oral antibiotics has to be given. So that’s the plan (no antibiotics!). For now, an antibiotic topical cream and antihistamine should help bring the swelling down. That works perfectly fine for me (a mom who is not pro-medicine usually). I have done a first aid course to know that in an allergy reaction, the next course of action is either antihistamine or epi-pen (for more serious cases) to reduce swelling.

Hoping the swelling reduces by tonight after a dose of antihistamine, and we will hear a good review from Dr Ong tomorrow.

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Joy is…

Joy is having my son run up to me when he first sees me each morning.

I know he will be doing this lesser and lesser as he grows older. I am treasuring the time now when he still wants to lie beside me, hug me, kiss me, be carried and hold hands…

Touch is an important sense to young children. It is their way of feeling connected and accepted by us. T-I-M-E is their other love language. Was reading ‘The first 2 years’ which puts it nicely:

If at all possible, then, it is most desirable for children to spend the majority of their waking hours with one of their own parents or with someone else who has an equally intense commitment – especially during the first few years of life when children are dealing with basic issues of security and trust. This will not always be possible for a variety of reasons. As much as possible, continually seek ways to arrange schedules and time commitments that will maximize parental time with each child at home.

Encouragement for Families – Dr James Dobson

I chanced upon Dr James Dobson’s book ‘Encouragement for Families’ and took a longer time to mull over this paragraph.

“There are some skills that can be learned during the early childhood years that become very difficult to teach later on. For example, children can learn languages perfectly without even a trace of an accent. Yet fifteen or twenty years later, most individuals will have a much harder time trying to make those same sounds…A child’s attitude toward parental leadership is also like that. He or she passes through a brief period during toddlerhood and the preschool years when respect for authority and a certain sense of ‘awe’ can be instilled. But that window closes very quickly. That’s why it’s so important to ‘shape the will’ during the early years by balancing unconditional love with consistent firmness at home. If parents miss that opportunity, the adolescent years can be bumpier than they need to be.”

It set me thinking how I can be consistent in my discipline toward my son, and at the same time, showering him with lots of love. These few past weeks were busy for my husband and me and I felt we slackened on spending enough time with him. It was obvious he felt the distance because he was more whiny and throwing more tantrums to catch our attention at home. Our kids definitely need our time. Parents have a huge juggling act to balance in many areas…not easy!