He Won't Freeze, Right?

One of the things I've learned in this book is to distinguish between "relevant" and "irrelevant" behaviors. A relevant behavior (that would need to be addressed pronto) would be, say, biting Ian. Not something we should ignore. Or, throwing a bowl of cereal with milk on the floor. Or, running in the parking lot. (These may or may not be real examples.) Irrelevant behaviors are those that may bug the shit out of me, but really don't matter in the big picture. I've determined that the two big issues I have with G are food and clothes. Won't eat much or wear much. But, really, who cares, right? He's growing. His brain seems to work just fine. His motor skills are in tact. So, what difference does it make if he only eats 3 foods. And, as far as clothing goes...who cares if he wears shorts and walks around barefoot....when it's 40 degrees out, right? I've decided to let both of these issues go. It's been a bit liberating, but interestingly I'm finding the clothing one more difficult than the food. First, I have this desire to provide basic food, shelter and clothing for my child. Seeing him in bare feet and shorts on a frigid day makes me feel like I'm not holding up my end of the deal. Second, I love buying cute, adorable, matching outfits for the boys. Yeah, I know, the matching part is dorky, but they are so darn cute when they are dressed alike. G just won't comply. Hates it. Protests loudly. Screams. So, I've decided to just let him pick what he wants to wear, day and night. His default: running shorts and spiderman
t-shirt for day time activities and shorts with a short-sleeve top pj's for nighttime. G, are you cold? No, I'm hot, he says. He will know when to put on more clothes, right? In the meantime Ian is developing one cute wardrobe since I pore all my retail therapy needs into him.