We are having a hard time with toilet time. At daycare DS1 eagerly wears underwear, goes to the potty on his own, and has few accidents. At home he is very resistant to using the potty or wearing underwear. Except for 2 days (3 times total) he has not gone at home. He asks for diapers instead. So we change him into a diaper, believing that it needs to be his decision. He is obviously physically capable, and mentally there when he wants to be. He has been a lot more clingy than usual the past week, his eczema has flared up, even to the point of me suspecting chicken pox last Sunday because of the spots on his face. His daycare teacher disapproves of us letting him go back and forth, but we won't force him onto the potty and don't want to shame or coerce him into wearing underwear either.
The night before last, during his sleep, he yelled "mommy, I don't want to wear underwear!" He has also been crying and throwing "mini tantrums" over little things. He is fairly easily consoled, usually. One website I like, The Natural Child Project, has an article about The Nature of Dependency in which the author states, "I believe it is normal for people of all ages to hold it together while facing a stressful situation and then to let down and fall apart, if necessary, once they are in a safe environment. For a child, this safe environment is home, mother, or father." I think DS1 is doing this to some degree.
This weekend we are going to try a new approach. The rule will be that he has to wear the same at home and at daycare. (He will come home from daycare in underwear.) If he insists on a diaper (after discussion & several attempts to encourage him to stay in his underwear), then he will get to wear a diaper all weekend, but will also wear diapers all day Monday at daycare. I know he won't like that, but we believe he will decide that it's worth wearing underwear at home, to get to wear underwear at "school" too. Reading this plan in print, I think it seems harsh to "make him" wear a diaper Monday if he asks for "big boy pants", but we also think 1-2 days will be all it takes for him to choose underwear all the time.
It's going to be a tough weekend.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Underwear!
DS1 is wearing underwear today! He has been since about 9 this morning. The past 2 weeks he was used the toilet both at daycare (many times) and at home (3 times). His teacher suggested "toilet training" begin Monday (3 days ago), but since he was not interested in the toilet at home all weekend we waited. She doesn't recommend pull-ups in most cases, since they feel like diapers to the kids. Also, since we use cloth most of the time anyway, he knows what dry vs. wet feel like.
It was a conscious decision on his part "to be a big boy". I do want to make sure he doesn't feel pressure, especially if he has accidents. I also want to comfort him and let him know that he can be a "big boy" on the potty and still be a "little boy" in other ways. I think he is processing and working on the "big boy" thing a lot. He has asked to get into his little brother's crib several times in the past couple of weeks. I let him a couple of evenings ago. He played with the piano at the end of the crib, then wanted out after a few minutes.
It was a conscious decision on his part "to be a big boy". I do want to make sure he doesn't feel pressure, especially if he has accidents. I also want to comfort him and let him know that he can be a "big boy" on the potty and still be a "little boy" in other ways. I think he is processing and working on the "big boy" thing a lot. He has asked to get into his little brother's crib several times in the past couple of weeks. I let him a couple of evenings ago. He played with the piano at the end of the crib, then wanted out after a few minutes.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Thursday, January 13, 2005
KittyBook!
KittyBook! The Ultimate WAHM Business Directory. Work At Home Mother-Owned Businesses. -- I found an auction site (other than eBay) that specializes in kid things. That led me to this directory of businesses.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Feingold Program Home Page
Feingold Program Home Page -- We don't have serious problems, but sometimes when DS1 is more hyper than usual I wonder about food additives.
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
Oh Christmas Tree!
Once again, it's been too long between blogs, but I just had to write about how excited DS1 was helping Daddy decorate the Christmas tree that we finally got put up tonight. He hung most of the ornaments himself. We only needed to do a little rearranging because the tree will be inside the playpen again this year. DS2 still puts everything in his mouth and we don't trust him to not try to eat the tree or the ornaments. DS1 tried to climb up on the side of the playpen, though, so this will probably be the last year we use it. If it doesn't seem safe to just put it on the floor next year we'll have to come up with a new plan.
Monday, November 29, 2004
Reading to Baby Brother
It's a good thing that I am keeping this blog for my own enjoyment only and maybe to share with DS in the future. I know I haven't written in a long time. Life with 2 toddlers is quite hectic and it seems that whenever I think of something I want to blog, I'm either nowhere near a computer, or can't take the minute or 2 to login and blog it.
On to the topic of today... last night DS1 read 2 stories to DS2 at bedtime. The last few nights DS1 has been readily climbing up on his bed for bedtime stories. He has been sticking with "Shapes," "Colors," "Words," and "Numbers," which are all lift-the-flap board books with 10 pages each. It was so cute. DS1 was sitting on his bed, with DS2 in Daddy's lap on the floor. DS1 opened the book and read the page, then turned the book around so DS2 could see it, then DS2 lifted the flap. I suspect the way he was holding the book and turning it around is how his daycare teachers read to the kids.
On to the topic of today... last night DS1 read 2 stories to DS2 at bedtime. The last few nights DS1 has been readily climbing up on his bed for bedtime stories. He has been sticking with "Shapes," "Colors," "Words," and "Numbers," which are all lift-the-flap board books with 10 pages each. It was so cute. DS1 was sitting on his bed, with DS2 in Daddy's lap on the floor. DS1 opened the book and read the page, then turned the book around so DS2 could see it, then DS2 lifted the flap. I suspect the way he was holding the book and turning it around is how his daycare teachers read to the kids.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Friday, October 29, 2004
Fall Harvest (Halloween)
At daycare they didn't celebrate Halloween this year, they talked about Fall Harvest. And the kids got to dress up and go to the college campus and "harvest" candy from other people who were dressed up. Hmmmm. It's all symantics.
A co-worker told me that the kids would be breaking a pinata at 10 am, so I went to the building and saw DS1. He had not been interested in any costumes when we went shopping, so last night I turned his orange long sleeve shirt inside out and painted a jack-o-lantern face on it. So we was "a pumpkin face" today. He enjoyed it! The kids got lots of candy and DS1 told me "we're trick or treating". The only part that I didn't care for was the pinata. The bigger (4-5 yr olds) had fun taking turns hitting it with a plastic bat, but it took an adult male several whacks to get it to break. Then the mad rush to pick up candy from the floor. DS1 was standing back and seemed a bit overwhelmed. I thought, "Great, teach the kids to be greedy and push their friends." DS1 did pick up a few pieces of candy, and there were adults up above (it was in an atrium area) dropping more candy away from the center so every kid probably did get some candy there. Not that there was any shortage of candy for the kids today, DS1's bag was not quite as big as a grocery shopping bag, and it had a good 2-4" of candy filling it. Quite a haul, actually.
A co-worker told me that the kids would be breaking a pinata at 10 am, so I went to the building and saw DS1. He had not been interested in any costumes when we went shopping, so last night I turned his orange long sleeve shirt inside out and painted a jack-o-lantern face on it. So we was "a pumpkin face" today. He enjoyed it! The kids got lots of candy and DS1 told me "we're trick or treating". The only part that I didn't care for was the pinata. The bigger (4-5 yr olds) had fun taking turns hitting it with a plastic bat, but it took an adult male several whacks to get it to break. Then the mad rush to pick up candy from the floor. DS1 was standing back and seemed a bit overwhelmed. I thought, "Great, teach the kids to be greedy and push their friends." DS1 did pick up a few pieces of candy, and there were adults up above (it was in an atrium area) dropping more candy away from the center so every kid probably did get some candy there. Not that there was any shortage of candy for the kids today, DS1's bag was not quite as big as a grocery shopping bag, and it had a good 2-4" of candy filling it. Quite a haul, actually.
Friday, October 15, 2004
You're Welcome
Yesterday DS1 said "You're Welcome" after I thanked him for something. We have never "taught" him "You're Welcome", just modeled it a lot. We have prompted for "please" and "thank you" on occasion, but don't much anymore. DH says thank you a lot but not please as much. So does DS1... hmmm. :-) DS1 even prompted me for "please" once last week when I asked for something without saying it. It got me thinking a lot about how it feels to be the one being prompted, so I try not to do that anymore.
Yesterday DS1 said "You're Welcome" after I thanked him for something. We have never "taught" him "You're Welcome", just modeled it a lot. We have prompted for "please" and "thank you" on occasion, but don't much anymore. DH says thank you a lot but not please as much. So does DS1... hmmm. :-) DS1 even prompted me for "please" once last week when I asked for something without saying it. It got me thinking a lot about how it feels to be the one being prompted, so I try not to do that anymore.
Monday, October 11, 2004
DiaperFreeBaby -- I'm interested in this because I would like DS1 to start using the toiliet in as natural way as possible.
Alfie Kohn - Parenting - Selected Publications - Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!" -- At first I thought I would not agree with (or like) this article. Even part way through it I was questioning (which is good, actually). But it made me realize that I am pretty good at this. My son says "I did it!" a lot, and he even said "You did it!" to his little brother when he sucessfully put the ball in the laundry basket.
I also noticed that is probably related a couple of days ago when we visited my dad. My sister and her two daughters were there. The older girl (Dear Niece) is almost 4. (DS1 is 2 1/2.) They got out some puzzles to do. DN asked Grandpa to help. Then DS1 asked for help, too. He doesn't usually ask for help with puzzles, and these were ones that he could easily have done without help. It seemed like when he saw DN "needing help" that he then "needed help" too. I don't know if DN really did need help with the puzzles or that she was wanting interaction, but seeing that behavior copied caught my attention.
I also noticed that is probably related a couple of days ago when we visited my dad. My sister and her two daughters were there. The older girl (Dear Niece) is almost 4. (DS1 is 2 1/2.) They got out some puzzles to do. DN asked Grandpa to help. Then DS1 asked for help, too. He doesn't usually ask for help with puzzles, and these were ones that he could easily have done without help. It seemed like when he saw DN "needing help" that he then "needed help" too. I don't know if DN really did need help with the puzzles or that she was wanting interaction, but seeing that behavior copied caught my attention.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Talking well
While doing one of his new jigsaw puzzles this morning, DS1 stuck his tongue out and said, "hair in my mouth". I tried to clear it for him since he didn't seem to be getting it. The great part is that he used to just say, "owie" when he got something like a hair in his mouth.
That incident reminded me that at DS2's birthday party on Sunday, the boys' cousin was surprised at how well DS1 was talking also. He asked me, "How long has he been talking?" I said that it has been quite a long time now. Since I don't have very many other references, I sometimes forget that his development is pretty impressive for a 2 1/2 year old.
While doing one of his new jigsaw puzzles this morning, DS1 stuck his tongue out and said, "hair in my mouth". I tried to clear it for him since he didn't seem to be getting it. The great part is that he used to just say, "owie" when he got something like a hair in his mouth.
That incident reminded me that at DS2's birthday party on Sunday, the boys' cousin was surprised at how well DS1 was talking also. He asked me, "How long has he been talking?" I said that it has been quite a long time now. Since I don't have very many other references, I sometimes forget that his development is pretty impressive for a 2 1/2 year old.
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