Nurture Shock

I'm one and a third chapters into "Nurture Shock" and, if I take all the advice they have offered so far, I will be a parent who praises only Rose's actions and not Rose herself and sets a strict bedtime until she is 21. The book claims in the first chapter that overly praising your child can cause his or her brain to fail to create the connections needed for persistance. A child who is told they are fabulous, amazing, so smart, the best will be reluctant to try new things because failure means they are not living up to the praised perception of themselves. This has stuck quite a cord - I don't think I have the persistence connections. I always err on the side of avoiding new things (sports, languages, etc.) because of the possibility of failing. And if I do fail, I cannot deal with it. I becoming a crying, whining mess, I become a three year old.
The second chapter suggests that obesity, depression and ADHD all stem from children not getting enough sleep. I love that the one thing all kids hate - going to bed - is actually, probably, the most important thing that they could do to lead healthy, happy lives. Ah - life's little ironies.

just tired

I'm tired. It is 5.09pm and I feel bone tired. I'm cranky, hungry and don;t want to bother with Rose, Gus or anything else. I'd happily walk to my bedroom, shut the door and climb into bed. But I can't. Rose is crying, the sink is full of dirty dishes, dinner needs to be made and I have a paper to write. I'm just tired.
I think the problem is having no adult interaction all day. A day at home with a 9 month old has its undeniable pleasures, but it is exhausting - I have to carry her everywhere, she comes to the bathroom with me for f's sake and going anywhere takes warlike planning. I'm just tired and cranky and emotional. She's really crying now. I'm not sure if I can get up.

Cusp of crawling.

Rose is on the cusp of crawling; she will soon discover independence. For the last week she has graduated from reaching forward on her bum, accompanied by very unlady-like grunts, to reaching forward, lifting up her bum and falling onto her tummy. She is, unfortunately, unable to sit herself back up, so ends up in a beached whale pose on her back until someone can sit her back up. It is only a matter of time before she figures out what her legs are for and is away. I'm excited about that moment. Yes, it is going to be more work following a moving baby than sitting with a stationary baby, but I can watch her as she explores the house and goes where her little mind wants her to go. She is becoming her own little person and I love watching it happen in front of me.

Changing direction

I have my graduate class tonight which is not the most stimulating thing in the world. I have 12 credits left before I earn a masters degree in secondary education. Only problem is I'm not entirely convinced that secondary education is what I want to do. Thoughts of elementary ed, montessori or an entirely different career have been filling my head. Am I brave enough to completely change direction? If I do, what would I do?

I'm feeling incredibly confused and would love someone to take over the decision making.