{"id":1978,"date":"2016-07-26T19:59:30","date_gmt":"2016-07-26T19:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pinkimono.com\/?p=1978"},"modified":"2017-07-21T01:48:25","modified_gmt":"2017-07-21T01:48:25","slug":"family-lifesaver-the-powerful-lil-earplug","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.pinkimono.com\/2016\/07\/26\/family-lifesaver-the-powerful-lil-earplug\/","title":{"rendered":"Family Lifesaver: The Powerful Lil’ Earplug"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So I think I accidentally married the Verizon guy who used to say,\u00a0“Can you hear me now?” I say that because my husband constantly has to repeat himself. “Why?” you ask. \u00a0Because of…SCARLETT! My lovely, sweet baby girl screams like a feral cat at a dental cleaning without anesthesia and now my hearing is on the fritz. For some reason, her intense\u00a0high-pitched screams can only be calmed by me, especially at night.\u00a0A typical night in my house goes like this: My husband comes home, starts dinner and takes over watching the kids so I can do some work. After 5 minutes of being with Daddy, Scarlett turns into a human fire alarm.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

After another 5 minutes of torture, I shut my computer down, cringe, grudgingly climb the stairs and with tears in my eyes tell my\u00a0husband that I’ll\u00a0take over. Sound familiar? According to our pediatrician, Scarlett’s cries stem from her sense of object permanence<\/a>. Pretty much\u00a0she’s unsure about why\u00a0mommy “disappears” and when she’s coming back. Unfortunately, there’s no overnight solution. It’s just going to take time and work for Scarlett to get better with Mommy being away.\u00a0I know that’s\u00a0not very comforting if you’re in the same boat, but have no fear. I have a life-saving tip to help parents like us\u00a0survive a high-pitched screaming\u00a0baby. Thanks to Karen Kripke, a fellow fabulous mom, I’ve got a great tip to share with you for combatting this issue – earplugs!<\/p>\n

I Can’t Hear You<\/h1>\n

While rummaging around in the Dollar Spot at Target for something I could use for my next htgawCrafting<\/a> project, a woman I never met before stopped me to\u00a0compliment\u00a0my kids. I smiled feebly as I was beyond tired and in desperate need of a highly caffeinated drink.\u00a0While we made small talk she asked how I was holding up with two little ones.<\/p>\n

\"Two<\/a> I won’t\u00a0lie. I totally dumped my purse and confessed that I was beginning to lose it. I told her about how Scarlett’s\u00a0screams were maddening. I opened up that the constant screaming and neediness was taking its toll on me and my ability to parent with kindness. I admitted that I was starting to get short with my oldest, was less than friendly with my husband and just frustrated that I\u00a0couldn’t get anything done. After roping Karen\u00a0into an impromptu therapy session, she smiled and said she had a bit of valuable advice for me. She said she could relate and wished she knew about this little tip when she first became a mom. She looked at me and simply said, “Earplugs.”<\/p>\n

Being A Better Mom<\/h1>\n

It took me a minute to process what she had said. I was expecting something more than telling me to use bits of foam to drown out the cries of my child. But when she explained why these tiny little gems were so powerful, I couldn’t get to the healthcare aisle fast enough.<\/p>\n

\"Earplugs\"<\/a>Karen explained that earplugs would\u00a0dull the intensity of the screams and allow me\u00a0to\u00a0better tolerate the noise. I wouldn’t feel as exasperated or frustrated.\u00a0This in turn could\u00a0help me\u00a0maintain my\u00a0ability to be a kind\u00a0mom, versus a testy one.<\/p>\n

Not So Proud Mama<\/h1>\n

It took everything for me not to break down and have a good cry on Karen’s\u00a0shoulder. The reality was, I was feeling like a bad mom. I felt guilty that I was easily frustrated with my son. I felt horrible that I was snapping at my husband. I was ashamed that I was incorrectly assigning blame to Scarlett for the newfound tension in our home.\u00a0Chatting with Karen helped me realize, that instead of living with the noise and stress, I could reduce it all, and in turn, lessen the frustration with two little pieces of foam.\u00a0I could go back to being more like the\u00a0mom I enjoyed being.<\/p>\n

\"Mommy<\/a><\/p>\n

Now I See The Difference<\/h1>\n

That night I left Target with a pack of pink\u00a0Mack’s Dreamgirl Soft Foam <\/a>Earplugs. (Cause you know they had to be pink, right?)<\/p>\n

\"Mack's\"<\/a>Later that evening, like\u00a0clockwork,\u00a0Scarlett screamed her head off, but I didn’t climb up the stairs and tell my husband, “Just give her to me.” No, I shoved the earplugs in and breathed a sigh of relief. I stayed downstairs and did some work at my desk. When I thought my husband couldn’t take anymore, I went upstairs, smiled at him and happily asked for my daughter. And he smiled back at me, not because I was taking our little screamer off his hands, but because I wasn’t moody or mean when I asked for her. And Scarlett looked happy too. She also seemed really interested in the hot pink buds sticking out of mommy’s head.<\/p>\n

\"Mommy<\/a><\/p>\n

A Few More Tips For Earplugs<\/h1>\n

I am so glad I met\u00a0Karen that night. Her advice has truly changed my mood and actions around our house. Between her advice and what I’ve done, here’s how you can bring serenity\u00a0to your ears:<\/p>\n