It is her first baby and she is at her mother's home, finding
out first-hand that caring for a child is wholly encompassing
and time consuming, be it feeding, burping, changing, or even
just holding the baby. And she wonders how she will be able
to fit all the other daily chores of the first-year newlywed,
also time consuming at this stage, into her schedule. Her
mother, like all others, reveals a golden rule: When Baby
sleeps, YOU sleep. But the new mother feels that hers has
forgotten another golden rule, and when she is safely out of
range, New Mother reaches for her siddur and
Tehillim and davens.
Praying is a very important `vitamin' that we must take to
keep us going through our day. Hashem has given us this gift
of communication with Him, and wants to hear us at all times,
especially we women, who are allowed to compensate for less
of the formal praying by these additional, throughout-the-
day, personal prayers.
But comes the tricky part: here YOU are with a houseful of
children. Shall you wake up for the sunrise minyon?
After a sleepless night with Baby and no midday nap to speak
of? Shall you leave the younger ones in the care of the older
ones, perhaps nine-year-olds, and go off to a corner? Do you
find that you can concentrate this way? I know that I can
hardly pick up the phone without my children taking advantage
and running rampant.
We're after Rosh Hashona, now. What fellow mother did not
have the urge to shut everything out and just pray? Even in
her own house. So what happens? After pecklach are
prepared and after the NEW toys and games are provided to
amuse them, Ima retires to the next room and is immersed in
shemone esrai, when along comes Toddler with his
potty. "Ima, I gotta go..."
So what's the solution?
At this precious stage in our lives, as custodians of our
precious children, we must realize that while, YES, Hashem
does want our prayers, our present responsibility is our
children! Want to arrange for an older babysitter so that you
can pray, fine! But if you are thinking of bringing little
ones to shul with you, forget it. It isn't fair to the kids,
the daveners, and to you, who don't gain anything, if
you are honest enough to face it.
So, take heed and know that the job Hashem has given you NOW
is to take care of the gift He gave you. Time will come for
you to go back to shul. Priorities first!
Yes, Hashem has given us this gift of communication with Him,
and He wants to hear us at all times. But he has allowed us
women special dispensation, and a way to compensate for less
of the formal praying by additional, throughout-the-day,
personal prayers. "SHIVISI HASHEM..."
And from Australia, which I am printing for the extra
reason that she says "Yated does a gr8 job every week."
Thanks.
LOW BACK PROBLEM - FROM THE PATIENT'S VIEW
Dr. Bruner is so correct about being aware of the damage one
can do to one's back by poor posture.
My trouble began just before and after the birth of my first
child. An osteopath found the cause of the problem in one
minute and cured me in 3 sessions. She told me: "STAND
STRAIGHT!" Her treatment was good, but chores like dishes
still trigger the pain.
And so -- a word of caution to mothers: Correct your
daughters' posture while they're young. Exercise classes for
girls go a long way towards awareness of correct positioning
of back and shoulders, aside from the immediate feeling of
wellbeing, and the longterm benefits of good posture in years
to come. And to girls: Listen when they tell you to
straighten up.
And some excellent TIPS from the UIJA, a British olim
organization
HOW TO:
* Avoid smelly hands when peeling garlic or onions by coating
your hands with cooking oil. Rinse them afterwards with
liquid soap. [Oiling your hands is excellent when kneading
dough! For you and the dough.]
* Use baby wipes to shine up tarnished silver cutlery.
Remember to rinse thoroughly.
* Cut off the top of an old plastic bottle to make a handy
pouring funnel. [Or a bath toy, but smooth the edges with
tape.]
* Large Pringles boxes are a great place to store knitting
needles. [Who can afford Pringles? Who knits anymore?]
* Sprinkle flour over roasting potatoes and they'll brown
more quickly. [Add some water in the beginning, and they'll
cook quicker.]
* Don't shave a door that's sticking in damp weather -- try
rubbing furniture polish into the door jamb instead.
* Tap a small nail safely into the wall by placing it between
the teeth of a comb and then holding the end of the comb as
you hammer it in. [Read this one out loud to your husband. He
might remember it by the time Succos rolls around again.]
* Separate cups or glasses that become stuck together by
pouring cold water into the top one while soaking the lower
glass in hot water.
* Stop franks from rolling off the grill by pushing
toothpicks through them.
* Use a bent paper clip to remove hair from plug holes, but
tie it first to a string so that you don't have to fish it
out as well.
