If a survey will be conducted today to monitor mommies who consider themselves "a worrywart" then I am probably part of the statistics. I worry about the little things - quite a shift from my otherwise carefree younger years. I have a very long list of things I worry about eversince I joined the circle of motherhood. My list of worries range from the complex down to the mundane - welcome to the world of maternal anxiety! I worry day-in and day-out, high-level to low-level, basically all the things that affect our daily lives makes me worry to say the least. I guess you could say by now that I am indeed a worrywart. I guess moms are hardwired to worry.
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I might consider myself a worrywart but in a short span of almost two years since I became a mother, I learned how to choose my "mom battles" and thus I have learned where to focus my precious energy more. There are some things that we need not worry about because worrying just sucks up our energy and so we won't be able to provide the attention, care and love that our family, especially the little ones, needs the most. In the job description of a parent, worrying is in the same list as cooking the next meal that the kids will love to choosing the most practical air filter in the market to the prettiest pink dress and to the safest hygiene and protective products to the say the least.
When my daughter, Summer, fell off our couch at barely a month old, I found myself bawling my eyes out - I think I even cried buckets of tears. And there I entered the big leagues of worrying! I felt like a total failure for turning my back for a split second, I could have lost my baby right there and then. I remember talking to my baby while profusely apologizing to her for my negligence. There's just no excuses! I clutched my baby and hugged her so tight. I was so worried I stayed up all night observing her every move, feeling her chest just to make sure she's still breathing and it still normal. I observed her as she slept so peacefully. I was on the look-out for possible unexpected jerks, for signs of seizures, for anything uncharacteristic. I patiently watched with an eagle-eye for any symptoms of adverse side effects of falling. Up until now, I still wake up in the night and I reach our for my daughter and feel her chest to see if she's breathing. You just can't shake off that paranoia!
As Jennie Ralston succintly puts it: "Worry is part of the dark underbelly of parenthood - the flip side of joy, pride and fulfillment."
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS...
Worrying more does not make you or me the best mother there is in the world. Constructive worrying acts like an alarm system, helping you identify dangers before they arise so you can lessen risks, says Edward Hallowell, M.D., author of Worry: Hope and Help For A Common Condition.
Do you see where I am going at this point? Excessively worrying is counter-productive and also may do more harm than good to you. Like in my example above, I lost sleep worrying. I could have stopped worrying when I did not see immediate adverse effects of falling but I chose to stay up all night. Looking back, I still stand by believing that I did what a noble mother would do but then again the situation was not that worse that required me to sulk and bawl over it.
I am twice as lucky being a mother because I am raising a rather low-maintence daughter. I love how she is growing up to be a very sweet little girl. I treasure her surprise hugs and kisses. I bask at how giddy she make me feel each morning as she greets me "Good morning Mama". I feel happy inside knowing that I will have a bestfriend in her for as long as I live. As a mother to my growing daughter, I work hard every day to make her feel my love. I prepare her food, accompany her to her weekly sing and play classes, shop with her, bring her to the supermarket and I take advantage of every teachable moment to connect with her. Of course, I join my daughter's playtime. I treat playtime with my daughter as my break from my daily chores and I enjoy it! I love it even.
No one has succumbed to dengue in my family but we have experienced countless dengue scares in the past so my mom always makes sure that she has a stash of Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion in her medicine kit. She has all the variants believe it or not (in bottles and sachets to boot). I say it is a pretty good idea and I highly suggest that moms keep a bottle always within arms reach because our environment is a healthy breeding ground for mosquitoes.
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The kids, my daughter and niece, definitely had so much fun playing and myself and my sister did not worry about our little girls acquiring any mosquito-borne disease while playing in the unfinished playhouse because we used Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion to ward of the pesky mosquitoes. Believe me when I say mosquitoes in the province are super hungry for blood. I applied Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion to myself as well while watching the kids play (and sometimes playing with them too) because I get unsightly dark mosquito bite marks on my skin. It was a little bit hot in the province when we were there so I dressed the kids in the most comfortable clothes they have available. I wanted them to fully enjoy their playtime and not worry about sweating and smelling bad at the end of the day.
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Playtime was twice the fun because apart from being far from each other for almost a year, the kids were protected by Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion. They wore their favorite comfortable clothes while playing. I am amazed at how independent my little one has become - she sometimes chooses what clothes to wear! I just let her be. So even if she chose to wear her favorite pink onesie, I did not worry about her having mosquito bites on any exposed body parts. All is well that ends well any day! The enjoyment that the kids experienced were undoubtedly priceless. We sure enjoyed our bonding time together.
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Why would you arm yourself with Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion? It's because according to the World Health Organization, mosquito bites result in the deaths of more than 1 million people every year. That only means that the most deadly animal in the world in the mosquito! Scary isn't it! That is perfectly the reason why we should arm ourselves with prevention and never underestimate the power of this small insect.
In the Philippines, the most common mosquito-borne diseases include dengue, zika, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, malaria and filariasis. Dengue, chikungunya, and Japanese encephalitis are caused by viruses while malaria and filariasis are caused by parasites. Dengue and chikungunya are transmitted by the same mosquitoes - Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Furthermore, the signs and symptoms, which appear three to seven days after a bite from an infected mosquito, are similar - high grade fever, joint pain, joint swelling, rash, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. On the other hand, the Japanese encephalitis (JE) is caused by the JE virus whose most important vectors are the mosquitoes Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex vishnui. - Philippine Council for Health Research and Development
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About OFF!® Insect Repellent Lotion
OFF!® personal insect repellent was developed and launched in the United States in 1957 under the leadership of 4th generation SC Johnson leader Sam Johnson. In 2015, OFF! was named "Most Trusted Bug Repellent" by BrandSpark.
How Do OFF!® Repellents Work?
The active ingredients in OFF!® skin applied personal repellents are DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) or picaridin (hydroxyethyl isobutyl piperidine carboxylate). Both active ingredients are effective in repelling mosquitoes and work by forming a vapor barrier at the skin's surface that affects the scent receptors in these biting insects, which deters them from landing on and biting us.
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Off!® Lotion for Kids is the one repellent that I really trust and use and will continue to use until the last mosquito vanishes off the face of the Earth. Aside from it is dermatologically-tested, Off!® Lotion is also the most trusted brand in the market today. I especially love the longevity of its effect (three hours of sure protection), guaranteed safe for my daughter's skin, product absorbency is impressive and it isn't sticky at all. Of course, we love the light tropical fragrance.
Knowing how dangerous mosquitoes are, I am armed by the assurance that I will always have an ally in a bottle or sachet of Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion. I know I can trust a brand that has stood the test of time. With Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion we can enjoy our playtime indoors, outdoors and even in unfinished playhouses. I would never want my daughter to suffer any mosquito-borne disease especially now at her very tender age.
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What insect repellent lotion do you trust to ward off mosquito-borne diseases in your family? Have you been admitted in a hospital because of a mosquito-borne disease? I would love to know about your experience.
DISCLOSURE: This is my entry to the NuffnangPH and OFF!® Insect Repellent Lotion blog contest. All thoughts, opinions, as well as suggestions mentioned in this post are entirely my own and were not influenced by the brand mentioned. I could win gift certificates and gift packs if I win this contest. If my entry will be picked as top, second or third prize I will be able to give 5 gift packs to 5 of my blog readers. So awesome eh!
I might consider myself a worrywart but in a short span of almost two years since I became a mother, I learned how to choose my "mom battles" and thus I have learned where to focus my precious energy more. There are some things that we need not worry about because worrying just sucks up our energy and so we won't be able to provide the attention, care and love that our family, especially the little ones, needs the most. In the job description of a parent, worrying is in the same list as cooking the next meal that the kids will love to choosing the most practical air filter in the market to the prettiest pink dress and to the safest hygiene and protective products to the say the least.
ON BEING A NEW MOM
You'll never really know what a mother goes through until you become one yourself. I can attest to that! I used to think that motherhood is just a walk in the park. Voila! It isn't! It is not as easy as counting 1-2-3 or cooking a pot of congee. It is as difficult as other professions and the truth of the matter is a stay-at-home mother like myself is indeed working full-time. Yes, 24/7 with no rest days, no sick days.When my daughter, Summer, fell off our couch at barely a month old, I found myself bawling my eyes out - I think I even cried buckets of tears. And there I entered the big leagues of worrying! I felt like a total failure for turning my back for a split second, I could have lost my baby right there and then. I remember talking to my baby while profusely apologizing to her for my negligence. There's just no excuses! I clutched my baby and hugged her so tight. I was so worried I stayed up all night observing her every move, feeling her chest just to make sure she's still breathing and it still normal. I observed her as she slept so peacefully. I was on the look-out for possible unexpected jerks, for signs of seizures, for anything uncharacteristic. I patiently watched with an eagle-eye for any symptoms of adverse side effects of falling. Up until now, I still wake up in the night and I reach our for my daughter and feel her chest to see if she's breathing. You just can't shake off that paranoia!
As Jennie Ralston succintly puts it: "Worry is part of the dark underbelly of parenthood - the flip side of joy, pride and fulfillment."
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS...
Worrying more does not make you or me the best mother there is in the world. Constructive worrying acts like an alarm system, helping you identify dangers before they arise so you can lessen risks, says Edward Hallowell, M.D., author of Worry: Hope and Help For A Common Condition.
Do you see where I am going at this point? Excessively worrying is counter-productive and also may do more harm than good to you. Like in my example above, I lost sleep worrying. I could have stopped worrying when I did not see immediate adverse effects of falling but I chose to stay up all night. Looking back, I still stand by believing that I did what a noble mother would do but then again the situation was not that worse that required me to sulk and bawl over it.
TAMING THE ANXIETY
Apart from the varying degrees of worry that every parent has to feel, parents are also supposed to nurture the well-being of his/her offspring. Mothers are often expected to take the lead on nurturing the members of the family. In our family, my husband provides for our financial needs and he strives to provide other needs of the family as well. We are extremely lucky to have a head of the family who is an engaged father near or far.I am twice as lucky being a mother because I am raising a rather low-maintence daughter. I love how she is growing up to be a very sweet little girl. I treasure her surprise hugs and kisses. I bask at how giddy she make me feel each morning as she greets me "Good morning Mama". I feel happy inside knowing that I will have a bestfriend in her for as long as I live. As a mother to my growing daughter, I work hard every day to make her feel my love. I prepare her food, accompany her to her weekly sing and play classes, shop with her, bring her to the supermarket and I take advantage of every teachable moment to connect with her. Of course, I join my daughter's playtime. I treat playtime with my daughter as my break from my daily chores and I enjoy it! I love it even.
WORRY-FREE PLAYTIME WITH OFF! LOTION
Last month, we went to my parent's house in Southern Mindanao and we spent our Christmas and New Year in the house where I grew up. To my surprise, my mom and dad has set-up a playhouse where their two granddaughters can play to their hearts content. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the playhouse has open windows so that means insects, especially mosquitoes, can still freely enter the unfinished playhouse.No one has succumbed to dengue in my family but we have experienced countless dengue scares in the past so my mom always makes sure that she has a stash of Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion in her medicine kit. She has all the variants believe it or not (in bottles and sachets to boot). I say it is a pretty good idea and I highly suggest that moms keep a bottle always within arms reach because our environment is a healthy breeding ground for mosquitoes.
The kids, my daughter and niece, definitely had so much fun playing and myself and my sister did not worry about our little girls acquiring any mosquito-borne disease while playing in the unfinished playhouse because we used Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion to ward of the pesky mosquitoes. Believe me when I say mosquitoes in the province are super hungry for blood. I applied Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion to myself as well while watching the kids play (and sometimes playing with them too) because I get unsightly dark mosquito bite marks on my skin. It was a little bit hot in the province when we were there so I dressed the kids in the most comfortable clothes they have available. I wanted them to fully enjoy their playtime and not worry about sweating and smelling bad at the end of the day.
Playtime was twice the fun because apart from being far from each other for almost a year, the kids were protected by Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion. They wore their favorite comfortable clothes while playing. I am amazed at how independent my little one has become - she sometimes chooses what clothes to wear! I just let her be. So even if she chose to wear her favorite pink onesie, I did not worry about her having mosquito bites on any exposed body parts. All is well that ends well any day! The enjoyment that the kids experienced were undoubtedly priceless. We sure enjoyed our bonding time together.
Why would you arm yourself with Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion? It's because according to the World Health Organization, mosquito bites result in the deaths of more than 1 million people every year. That only means that the most deadly animal in the world in the mosquito! Scary isn't it! That is perfectly the reason why we should arm ourselves with prevention and never underestimate the power of this small insect.
In the Philippines, the most common mosquito-borne diseases include dengue, zika, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, malaria and filariasis. Dengue, chikungunya, and Japanese encephalitis are caused by viruses while malaria and filariasis are caused by parasites. Dengue and chikungunya are transmitted by the same mosquitoes - Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Furthermore, the signs and symptoms, which appear three to seven days after a bite from an infected mosquito, are similar - high grade fever, joint pain, joint swelling, rash, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. On the other hand, the Japanese encephalitis (JE) is caused by the JE virus whose most important vectors are the mosquitoes Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex vishnui. - Philippine Council for Health Research and Development
About OFF!® Insect Repellent Lotion
OFF!® personal insect repellent was developed and launched in the United States in 1957 under the leadership of 4th generation SC Johnson leader Sam Johnson. In 2015, OFF! was named "Most Trusted Bug Repellent" by BrandSpark.
How Do OFF!® Repellents Work?
The active ingredients in OFF!® skin applied personal repellents are DEET (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) or picaridin (hydroxyethyl isobutyl piperidine carboxylate). Both active ingredients are effective in repelling mosquitoes and work by forming a vapor barrier at the skin's surface that affects the scent receptors in these biting insects, which deters them from landing on and biting us.
Off!® Lotion for Kids is the one repellent that I really trust and use and will continue to use until the last mosquito vanishes off the face of the Earth. Aside from it is dermatologically-tested, Off!® Lotion is also the most trusted brand in the market today. I especially love the longevity of its effect (three hours of sure protection), guaranteed safe for my daughter's skin, product absorbency is impressive and it isn't sticky at all. Of course, we love the light tropical fragrance.
Knowing how dangerous mosquitoes are, I am armed by the assurance that I will always have an ally in a bottle or sachet of Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion. I know I can trust a brand that has stood the test of time. With Off!® Insect Repellent Lotion we can enjoy our playtime indoors, outdoors and even in unfinished playhouses. I would never want my daughter to suffer any mosquito-borne disease especially now at her very tender age.
What insect repellent lotion do you trust to ward off mosquito-borne diseases in your family? Have you been admitted in a hospital because of a mosquito-borne disease? I would love to know about your experience.
DISCLOSURE: This is my entry to the NuffnangPH and OFF!® Insect Repellent Lotion blog contest. All thoughts, opinions, as well as suggestions mentioned in this post are entirely my own and were not influenced by the brand mentioned. I could win gift certificates and gift packs if I win this contest. If my entry will be picked as top, second or third prize I will be able to give 5 gift packs to 5 of my blog readers. So awesome eh!
