We have an established night time routine together.
He’ll drink his milk, I’ll get him to empty his bladder, rinse his mouth and help him change into his diapers. We’ll read a little before settling into the night together, side by side. We’ll exchange good nights in English and Chinese and then continue to sing some songs and subsequently drift off to sleep together.
So far so good. It does sound like I’ve been doing a fairly decent parenting job isn’t it?
But wait. Reverse a little backwards. I omitted the part about my own night-time beauty regime just before we settle into the night. Which is to slather tons of creams and lotions on myself, top-to-toe. And he watches intently, with fascination may I add. I’ve even caught him playing with those bottles and pretending to slop the cream on himself sometimes.
Now that’s VERY VERY disturbing.
I mean he is a boy and body lotions, hand creams and foot balms are masculine NOT for sure. By hynoptising him to my vanity acts every night before he sleeps, I fear that I maybe raising the metrosexual qualities in him. Worst, I could actually be suppressing his masculinity in the long run. This I definitely don’t want to be responsible for.
So whether or not my fear is valid, I think I better take the preemptive approach. Perform my nightly beauty regime in the toilet, away from his prying eyes. I’ll start tonight.
Because of all my traits, I swear vanity is NOT the quality I want my son to take after me.
No! No! No lotion for you boy, not till you’ve establish your masculine, then you want to be vain pot like wtpg’s daddy also ;p
wtpg: Ya lor, vain also must wait till older!
Comment by wtpgrr — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 @ 7:20 pm
Heehee…So cute of Gavin but I can see ur worries.
ashes:
Comment by ashes — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 @ 9:57 pm
But…. Men do that now Sesame! The beauty regime, the whole works. Metrosexuals.. heard of them?
JM: Ya, that’s what I said, that I don’t want to raise that metrosexual quality in him. Not when he’s so young. He can go develop on his own when he’s older and it won’t be my problem.
Comment by JoMel — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 @ 10:31 pm
Think men applying lotion and after-shave are still acceptable by my definition……but hor, certainly not make-up leh !
Hee….but I can see your concern, Sesame
SSF: I think it’s better be safe now than be sorry later lah…
Comment by sunshinensunflower — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 @ 6:35 am
Sesame, i did the same every night too, and Damien would follow suit, i just let him be, in fact i find it rather ‘cute’…BUT after reading your post..hmm..i start to worry liao..esp since my boy is already sooo VAIN…
Eileen: Maybe I’m paronoid, but I just think we’ll never know WHAT they pick up from us as a lifetime trait…you know what I mean?
Comment by Eileen — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 @ 10:17 am
hmmm…some friends do their ‘vanity’ routine in front of the kids. but made sure to say that it’s for girls only or something. they didn’t want to boggle their boys’ minds to think that young boys do that too.
imp: I certainly wouldn’t care if he’s a girl…kid or no kid, it’s too weird to see him showing an interest in these things.
Comment by imp — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 @ 10:23 am
Hohoh… this is funny but I got to admit that kids do pick up really fast. The man’s niece is only 2 but already she knows how to dab and pat her face with moisturiser.
DR: Ah, she’s a girl, no problem lah…in fact good for her to start young. Heehee…
Comment by domestic rat — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 @ 10:36 am
Ah, don’t worry. He’s still too young. But you know what, I don’t think I have applied cream and stuff in front of my kids.
niceheart: That’s the thing I want to avoid…to think that he’s young and he may not pick these things up. Kids these days are lured too easily by impressionistic influences for their own good.
Comment by niceheart — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 @ 1:30 pm
I don’t think vanity has anything to do with your nightly routine done in front of him. But he’s probably just curious with those bottles anyway.
I seldom wear make up, and only occasionally put on the lipstick. Some how, Zara is still facinated with my box of lipsticks, and keeps taking them out one a time and say, “when I’m big girl, I can use this. Then I can go to office or kaikai.” I never taught her that and never made that my routine to wear make up, and yet, she’s intrigued by these.
ZM: Haha…I know he’s curious and not vain. But he may develop that over time, with “appropriate” influence.
Comment by zara's mama — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 @ 9:40 pm
You know, I have this exact same problem with Sara, except it isn’t really a problem because she’s a girl. But it irritates me that she keeps want to slop whatever I’m slopping onto my face. But I figure there’s little harm to it and as you say, it is a good habit, especially for the sunblock. But if this were Nathan, I’d be disturbed, just as you are with Gavin. I’d direct him to look at his dad during his morning routine (which consists of nothing other than a bit of hair gel…).
Hsin: My problem is the boy spends too much time with me, compared with his dad. He also prefers my company most of the time.
Comment by Hsin — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 @ 10:03 pm