Most people, mothers especially, have a few things that they kind of obsess about, something particular that they are very strange about… I have several things that I am an absolute weirdo about. Just to name a few: my child’s sleep schedule, her exposure to sunlight, and thank you cards.

Sleep. If it is doctor recommended for my daughter to get 24 hours of sleep a day, somehow, I will make it happen. I’m a psycho about the hours of sleep she obtains and keeping her on a routine. Seriously though, if our pediatrician said she needs between 12 and 14 hours of sleep at this age for optimum brain growth and development, by God, I will get her those 14 hours. Also, keeping her on a sleeping and eating schedule is HUGE to me, so you can bet I will be pressuring her caregivers to ensure she gets those hours and stays on my strict schedule. However, no one does it as good as Mama.

Sunlight. During summer, I’m the mother with the spray sunscreen and the lotion sunscreen, lathering my child until she is paler than normal and has a nice pasty white tint. In addition to the sunscreen, I like floppy hats and prefer long sleeve swimwear; although, I’m not sure my daughter will let me get away with that this summer. I’m such a freak about sunlight that if we are driving anywhere longer than 5 minutes away and the sun is blaring through her window, scorching her, I will find a makeshift window shade to hang from her side of the car. (We did have a SafetyFirst shade, twice, but they broke or won’t work.) I may or may not, on occasion, strip off my own shirt to act as her window shade while driving. Seriously, I’m that paranoid and that much of a freak about dangerous, UV rays.

Last but definitely not least, receiving thank you cards really brings out the psycho in me. And it’s not because I feel entitled to have your appreciation. Maybe it’s because my mother has always made me write thank yous for even the smallest things. This is just one small thing that is important to me and makes my day a little brighter to receive. When I send various wedding or baby shower gifts, I am [not so] patiently awaiting the arrival of a sweet thank you card.

My friend, Natalie, is the best at these! She’s so good that I wish I could send her gifts all the time! Sending a text just does not do the same thing for me as good ol’ snail mail. I mean I’ve probably spent quite a bit on your gift, because I like to get gifts that I would want. Not kidding, I like to think giving good gifts is one of my strengths. Therefore, I think you should be able to spend $1.50 on a card and postage and a little bit of time to let me know you appreciated the hours I spent trying to find you the perfect gift. Needless to say, I will be that mother who makes her child write thank you cards when she gets to the age she can write.

Again, these are just a few things I’m really weird particular about. Everyone has their quirks and small things they obsess over. So let’s hear some of yours!