Home PS Mommy thread with toddlers 12-36 months

[lili]

TGal--
A will like it.
She may not like it when you drop her off though since I'm still seeing kids crying at drop off.
But you know what? They are always happy as can be when parents come to pick them up, and some don't even want to leave.
J did that before.....she'll cry until we were out of sight.

As for A being exposed to bratty kids, I don't think you have to worry about that either.
A seems to be pretty laid back and generally bratty kids (or sometimes they are just little rascals who loves to play around) likes to do something to other kids to initiate a rise out of them. The teachers told us that the kids leave J alone (ie doesn't grab toys away from her or push her) because generally she won't fuss. She'll just walk away if she's done w/ the item or just hold it tight and gave the kid a blank stare like 'what are you doing?' as they tug on it.

Besides, A is probably going to be so much bigger than the other kids

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/3/2010 4:23:43 PM
Author: lili
TGal--
A will like it.
She may not like it when you drop her off though since I''m still seeing kids crying at drop off.
But you know what? They are always happy as can be when parents come to pick them up, and some don''t even want to leave.
J did that before.....she''ll cry until we were out of sight.

As for A being exposed to bratty kids, I don''t think you have to worry about that either.
A seems to be pretty laid back and generally bratty kids (or sometimes they are just little rascals who loves to play around) likes to do something to other kids to initiate a rise out of them. The teachers told us that the kids leave J alone (ie doesn''t grab toys away from her or push her) because generally she won''t fuss. She''ll just walk away if she''s done w/ the item or just hold it tight and gave the kid a blank stare like ''what are you doing?'' as they tug on it.

Besides, A is probably going to be so much bigger than the other kids

Hahaha...I love J...she is just as cool as a cucumber.

Yeah, I am not too worried about her crying too much. She''s used to being dropped off at church for about 1.5 hours. Last Sunday she didn''t want to leave.

Good point on the bratty kids...here''s hoping.

And it will be interesting to see how big the average 2 year old is!!

 

[qtiekiki]

Tgal
I highly doubt that Amelia will be a bratty kid in preschool. I wanted to start M in preschool at 2 (well daycare, preschool class starts at 2.5 at the place we want), but we are delaying to 2.5 yrs old for a $300 reductions in price. Amelia will do great in preschool.

You kept her rear-facing for so long. I applause you.

Good luck with Amelia PTing in preschool. I am interesting to see how that works out.

They pick up and copy things so fast. M copies everything our nephew does. And you are right about consistency and accountability. M knows she can''t get away with things with us, but is probably doing them with MIL because MIL let her away with it.

lili
Interesting that bratty kids don''t like to mess up with laid back kids. I am worried now since M will likely be the bratty ones grabbing things from other kids. Sometimes she is good with sharing, and other times she will not let anyone touch her toys. So we''ll see when she do go to preschool.

M always says no when we ask her if she is pooping, but it''s so obvious in her face. Only on rare occasions, she''ll tell us to take her to go poo poo.

J hasn''t been as gassy, well at least his tummy doesn''t get all hard from gas. MIL will have a hell of a time when I go back to work in 3 weeks because he doesn''t nap well with noises. So hopefully he''ll get used to the noises that M and our nephews make.

M has been requesting to watch the singing bunny video of J. She points at the laptop and says hop. haha.

snlee
I am with Tgal that maybe he pooped before he passed out. I have no advice. Hopefully figure something out.

I would get the shots if I were you. Just because progesterone had been part of hormone therapy for so long. I know it hasn''t been used for PTL for a long time, but at least it''s not something that is very risky.

You should try the Chinese spoon with D. It works much better for us.

M loves to watch herself too.

Blen
Yay for George taking steps.

Sounds like he is ready to run.

Tacori
Ditto MrsS on waiting to decide after you start summer session if you don''t have to make the decision immediately.
Just a couple more weeks before school starts, right? Very exciting.

T is chewing gum already. hehe. How cute that she asks for them.

Jas12
Wow that''s really hardcore camping with no tents in the rain.

And how sweet of your DH to arrange for a night out for you and your girlfriend.

I love the name Mira. I wouldn''t pronounce it My-rah. I don''t know, but when I see Mi, I pronoun Mee.
How funny that your mom is so sure of the baby being a "Max".

Bobo
Have fun on your cruise.

puffy
How sweet that N gives B a big smile, and laughs and talk to B.

Yay for getting your Mother''s Day gift on time.

We did put a rail on the side of the bed. Don''t know if we actually need it because she rotates in circle while sleeping and not move side-to-side. One night when I went in to check on her before going to bed, she was sleeping on the floor at the end of the bed. We didn''t hear a boom over the monitor, so we were surprised to find her there.

Janine
Sounds like C had a great time at the zoo. M always wants to ride the carousel at the mall, so she doesn''t want to stay on the horse.

curly
"I poop, no poop" is hilarious. Your girls are full of personalities.
Can''t believe Lily is 3 soon. Take lots of pics at the celebrations.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I finally asked my friend about my s''ng. She said she stopped using it last month (he turned a year in Feb) and then asked if I was pregnant. Hahaha.

Blen, yay for G walking! I was just watching T''s first halloween video and those shaky steps are freaking adorable!

MrsS, I registered for the classes b/c it is easier to drop them than add them if and when they fill up. I am leaning towards taking them though. Might as well plow through. I have never taken summer classes.

TGal, T has learned some naughty things in preschool. The good still out weighs the bad though. She will blossom in their environment! T has juice at school but not at home. It isn''t too much of a problem seeing how we don''t have juice in the fridge. Haha. MIL is STILL ASKING ME ABOUT THE FREAKIN'' JUICE and has been giving her some on the sly. That and ice cream. T now tells me about it so hopefully she will quit it. Plus the juice she gives isn''t natural OR diluted. Annoying.

Janine, 2 classes is actually considered a full load during the summer. Haha. They won''t let me take more. The zoo sounds like a great place for a b-day party. I wish we had a zoo here. Sucks it was hot though! It has been so hot/humid here. This is going to be a loooong summer.

lili, I know...once you start (gum) you can''t stop. I can''t remember why I gave her the first piece. She probably was bugging me when I was chewing a piece I gave in. I have several friends who were already giving their kids gum so I figured why not. Gets her moving in the morning! They do remember everything. Frightening.

Puffy, I get 11 days off between the second summer session and fall so I think I will go out of town then. Can''t wait to see your mother''s day gift.

QT, she asks for gum all the time. Then she says "chomp chomp" b/c that is what I tell her. I remind her NOT TO SWALLOW it and she is getting much better.

snlee, I have no idea how to get him not to poop at night. Good luck!

 

[Blenheim]

Oh, his first steps weren''t towards me - they were towards the dogs.

But I think that they were accidental (didn''t realize he wasn''t holding onto something or got distracted and forgot that he "needed" to), whereas he deliberately chose to walk towards me. He''s now up to like... 10 steps or so at a time!

We took him back to my college campus this weekend and he was just crazy (in a good way- everybody loved him). At one point he wanted to move and so I just put him on the ground and let him go, and he bear-crawled all the way up a hill, up some stairs, into an academic building that had the door propped open, down the hall, and then up two flights of stairs. He would have kept going but noticed an area of the banister that would certainly not meet current code (old historic building) and that he could fall through, and I put an end to it at that point. Earlier he crawled up another hill in pursuit of a random dog he spotted, letting out a grunt/yell with every step.

TGal - preschool is exciting! My little cousin (Tessa''s age) loves going to "school". I hope she has fun there!

 

[TravelingGal]

Blen, Amelia''s first steps were with the nanny and toward her toys, so at least your is going toward a loving mammal!

Tacori, your MIL is really gung ho on that juice! The director and the preschool and I were talking today and we just realized that my mother''s generation equated juice with a serving of fruit. What''s not to love?

QT, yeah, I gotta figure since the way they learn IS to copy, I''m not going to be the only one she copies. Part of life! How''s life with two kids? Sounds like you have it well under control.

Went to the preschool to get the paperwork. So far I am impressed....very organized and the director seemed nice. I did ask about the juice and she said I could put my preference down. I''m just going to say to give her water, but if she realizes the difference and wants the juice, she can have it. It''s 3oz of juice in a small dixie cup. I''ll live.

She starts tomorrow...and wouldn''t you know it, she has an icky diaper rash because she pooed a little sometime in the night and I didn''t catch it (thanks snlee for sending over that little bit of fun, hahaha, although I do think it also may have been before she fell asleep and it didn''t smell bad, which has happened before). Right when you think you have a kid figured out, they run that one by you. Love it...always learning, always adjusting - that''s parenting for ya. I''ll have to tell them tomorrow to not change her diaper unless she poos....otherwise they are going to have a maniac freaking out kid on their hands. I''ll have to load her up with diaper cream and see how she goes. I don''t want her to get scared and angry on her first day of school. Hopefully it will clear up today.

 

[mrssalvo]

tgal-It''s funny b/c I let all of my kids have a little juice and none of them like now. Jake won''t even drink any apple juice anymore, he just wants "cow''s milk" (thanks to the picture of the cow on the carton) or water. I''m fine with that. I don''t like juice and don''t drink it either and agree it''s extra sugar and not a substitute for real fruit. all that to say, A might not even like it if she does end up getting some. Most pre-school''s I''ve been to are really good about going with the parents wishes and if a parent wants no juice or something they abide by it. I think MC''s or whomever that was who had the problem was the exception more than the rule. sorry about her diaper rash. I think you''re smart to tell them not to change her since she''s only there a few hours.

tacori-glad you''re going to go for a few summer classes. Like I said, I always really liked them. teachers seemed a little more laid back, the classes seemed shorter and sometimes easier

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/4/2010 10:38:02 PM
Author: mrssalvo
tgal-It''s funny b/c I let all of my kids have a little juice and none of them like now. Jake won''t even drink any apple juice anymore, he just wants ''cow''s milk'' (thanks to the picture of the cow on the carton) or water. I''m fine with that. I don''t like juice and don''t drink it either and agree it''s extra sugar and not a substitute for real fruit. all that to say, A might not even like it if she does end up getting some. Most pre-school''s I''ve been to are really good about going with the parents wishes and if a parent wants no juice or something they abide by it. I think MC''s or whomever that was who had the problem was the exception more than the rule. sorry about her diaper rash. I think you''re smart to tell them not to change her since she''s only there a few hours.

tacori-glad you''re going to go for a few summer classes. Like I said, I always really liked them. teachers seemed a little more laid back, the classes seemed shorter and sometimes easier

That''s good to know MrsS...I hope that is the case for Amelia. Really, it''s just my own personal bias because of my experience. I distinctly remember loving juice as a kid and HATING milk. Would not drink it and still to this day am not into it. The only time I did crave milk was when I was pregnant. Since Amelia has my genes, I worry that is going to be the case. I would hate for her to be like and and absolutely detest and refuse milk. At this age, I''m not really opposed to juice in moderation, although I still don''t see why I need to give it to her since she eats a ton of fruit.

And I think Amelia will like it because I give her once in awhile as a treat those canned mandarines in juice. She loves the juice part. If I knew for sure she''d continue to love water and milk like cutey pie Jake (cow''s milk, lol!), I''d give her juice from time to time when other kids are having it.

I''m not going to worry about it. I am not sure they will be great about it, but I think I should really worry about more important things about her preschool.

I''m excited though. They seem to have a great program...even bringing our local aquarium to the kids so they can check out oceanlife. Feels way more posh than the preschool of our day, that''s for sure.

 

[janinegirly]

Wishing Amelia a wonderful first day at school! (well preschool)!! Look forward to pics on FB with a teary TGAL .

She''s going to have a blast!

 

[snlee]

Happy Birthday Lily!

Happy first day of preschool Amelia! Have fun! Enjoy your empty house TGal!

TGal, sorry to hear about A''s poop and diaper rash. Hopefully it didn''t happen again. I don''t think D poops right before he falls asleep, we never smell anything. And the one time DH did check, there wasn''t anything. What do you know, after I post about it we haven''t had any poop in the middle of the night. Looks like it''s back to day time.

 

[TravelingGal]

snlee, glad to hear the poop routine is back to normal!

Thanks for the well wishes for preschool. Apparently the first day is perfect, in terms of kids crying because they don''t know what''s up. It''s the 2nd and 3rd day that''s bad. So Amelia followed protocol and didn''t even care we were there. They opened the door for her to the playroom (from 8-9 it''s free play as class starts at 9) and she just strode right in. TGuy went to say goodbye and she didn''t turn around. He said bye again and without looking up, she just said bye. Hmph. We''ll see how she does when he drops her off Friday.

I stayed for a bit and watched the transition to 9 o clock class. I saw her and told her bye, that I would come back later and she waved bye and went into the class. I was worried that once she saw me, she''d freak out but she was fine there too.

She is not the tallest girl in her class, not by a long shot because most of the kids are on the late side of 2, almost three. You can easily tell the developmental differences. The school moves the kids up in "grade" over the summer, so most of these kids will move classes. The director said it was a great time to be putting Amelia in because she will be seasoned by the time a large group of 2 year olds come in. Part of me kind of likes it because she was getting a lot of individual attention today as they taught her how to sit still, watch, dance, etc. But another part of me felt sad because she clearly was the only kid who just didn''t quite know what was going on.

It''s a lot of sensory overload on the first day. Kind of funny that all the kids were on the floor sitting looking at the teacher reading a book...and my kid was facing the opposite way, staring at all the kids.

All in all, I think it''s going to be OK. I like the teacher, and it was cool to observe behind mirrored glass. And I''m really glad I put her in at 2 vs 3 (at least so far)...it might have been easier in that she would understand more, but I think teachers are more understanding of unschooled 2 year olds and seem to have a lot of patience.

Still, I''m just sad! My big kid looked like SUCH the little kid in school.

 

[jas]

Happy birthday Lily!
Congrats to A. on a great first day of preschool!
Good luck, TGal on Days 2&3.

Nothing new here other than Mother''s Day turning into a giant fiasco (in my family? I know. Big surprise). Hello Mommies!!!!

 

[mrssalvo]

tgal, I hope A ended up having a good day. sounds like drop off went smoothly. I cried the first day I dropped of my girls. It was both of them on the same day. I didn''t start my oldest until 3 and Lily did MDO. I was fine in the building but admit to totally having a break down in the car. I got over it quickly though when i realized how quick the time flies when they are there and before you know it you are back in the car heading to pick them up. I''ll also admit that I didn''t cry on Jake''s first day. I think 3 kids 24/7 all summer long was enough to make me so happy for the break

I think it''s awesome A will still eat a lot of fruit. jake has suddenly become very picky and won''t eat much any more. I do make smoothies with yogurt and fresh fruit and he will drink that but it''s still not the same as eating an digesting a whole banana or something. hoping this phase passes quickly and he''ll go back to eating more of it again.

Jas-hope you are the boys are doing well. Your stories and family always crack me up, but I''m sure it''s not always so funny to you

not much new here other than our city trying to clean up after the massive flood. We had water in our basement and have to replace the floor but that seems minor compared to what some are going through. Jake''s school (which is a church) was flooded so I''m not sure when they will re-open for him to go back. On top of that, jake is running a fever today and totally mellow child. He''s sitting with his head resting on my shoulder watching Sesame Street as I type. I have to leave in a bit to go to work and although my hubby is very capable I hate leaving on of my kids when they are sick

 

[TravelingGal]

MrsS, I think kids go through phases. I fully anticipate Amelia will start to like sweeter things, especially since they give them stuff like cupcakes on special days at the preschool.

Amelia had a great day…teachers liked her and Amelia was smiling and giving everyone hugs when she left. She saw me and ran to give me a hug. And then told me it was "that way"…BACK into the room. She did not want to leave!!! She kept pointing back to the school when she left!

I could not be more pleased. For anyone who is thinking of putting their kids in preschool at this age, here''s what I think helped to "prepare" her, and here''s what I think I could have done better.

- Lots of reading time at home. Both the nanny and I read to her, with her sitting down at us facing her with the book. She likes to point at things. As evidenced by the video I posted on FB. However, at home, we don''t MAKE her sit down when she wants to get up, so this is something she is going to have to learn at preschool...that there is an agenda and it is NOT hers.

- Lots of song and dance time at home. This is something they do at preschool it seems, and she was right at home with this.

- Understanding the concept of time out. I think this is helpful because this is what they use in preschool. She knows what it is. However, she doesn''t know to sit in a corner by herself without her cage, so hopefully she won''t have to learn that in preschool.

And what I really could have done better: teaching her to eat on her own. We''ve struggled with her eating for ages and she is STILL not good at putting food in her mouth if she''s not really and truly wanting to eat. She doesn''t bite into sandwiches or hotdogs while holding them herself. At preschool, it''s every kid for herself, and since most normal children are great at shoving stuff into their mouths, it''s even harder to stick a kid into preschool who doesn''t have this skill. She did not eat one single morsel off her plate. She just watched the other kids. I told the teachers to not worry about it and explained a little bit of her history. Her naptime is at 1pm so I have plenty of time to have her come home and eat, and we''ll work on it here. But I think even watching other kids eat is very helpful for her. Hopefuly something will click.

I''m very happy that I started taking her to the church toddler room when she was 19 or so months old. She had her freak out there, with only 3 kids in the room and 2 teachers. They were able to lovingly hold her and calm her down, whereas I think a larger preschool would have struggled to give her the attention needed to calm her. After 5 months of the church toddler room, preschool didn''t seem too foreign to her, I think.

Oh, and I''m REALLY happy she goes to bed early and is an early riser. I normally go into the room at 7:30 but she wakes up around 6:45-7. So we started the day today at 7am fairly easily and even then, it took us to 8:10 to get us out of the house after changing her and preparing a full breakfast. Drop off was to be at 8:30 am.

As for me, I have yet to cry leaving her. I think I''ve slowly trained myself. First leaving her with the nanny at 4.5 months and giving up control there. Then the second nanny. Then the church room, and now preschool. I can see why people who have never left their kids with anyone else just lose it on the first day of preschool or Kindergarten. Time just flies so fast! I think I may cry on the first day of Kindergarten since that''s a big milestone, but most likely I''ll be fine. My heartstrings sure got tugged bigtime today though, but it really helped that I think I did my best to make it an easy transition for her and me.

I really want to THANK YOU ladies for your support. I didn''t even share this with my real life friends. For me, this was a big deal, and I was just anxious and nervous, but all your kind words and examples of how your kids love their preschools/daycares made me think I am doing the right thing. You really have no idea how you encouraged me and I didn''t feel like I had to go through this "alone."

Geez...NOW I am going to cry!

 

[TravelingGal]

MrsS, wanted to say I hope things aren''t too bad after the flood. Yikes!

 

[puffy]

tgal YAY for amelia having a great first day!!

mrsS hope jake feels better. i guess it''s good you guys only have to replace the flooring. hope things are getting better.

qt hope the kids are doing well! is J sleeping longer? how many kids does your MIL watch? she must have her hands full!!

tacori your summer sounds busy! hope you take those 11 days to just relax.

i just booked a short trip for us for disneyland. B''s been asking to go so i decided what the heck, why not. and i know he really enjoys it. so we''re going for 2 nights and i am really excited about going. hopefully it''ll still be easy to travel with N.

have a great day mommies!!

 

[Tacori E-ring]

T''s preschool had a little mother''s day party today. It was pretty cute even though T was so happy to see me she wouldn''t sing the "I love mommy" song with the other kids. I dropped off her forms and the first check to her new daycare

That check is going to hurt this summer. Gotta be done though.

TGal, I don''t get her obsession for juice. It is pretty annoying. I am not sure what about NO JUICE does she not get. T does get some juice, don''t get me wrong. She gets it at school with the other kids at snack time only b/c I felt like it would be mean now that she understands what juice is NOT to let her have it. All other times it is white milk or water. She is obsess with ice water right now. I don''t need MIL to give her extra juice. She already gives her ice cream ALL THE TIME.

I doubt she realizes she was the only kid that didn''t know the school routine. T also came in late to the game but I don''t think she noticed. If anything she acted like she was in charge. T never cried at school. One day (I think she was getting sick) the teachers said she seemed sad but that''s it. I wish her school had mirrored glass! Of course maybe not b/c I would never get my errands done! Sounds like you BOTH had successful days! You are never alone.

MrsS, two of them are "difficult" or at least that is the rumor. I want to get them over with. I am really excited to be a student and study something I truly feel is my "calling." Hope Jake feels better soon! Sorry to hear about the flooding!

Happy Birthday Lily!

Puffy, we will be traveling those 11 days so I am not sure how relaxing they will be. Haha. Have a great time in disneyland.

 

[janinegirly]

Aww TGAL, what a great post. And thank you for the tips for easing A into pre-school. She really did phenomenally, I don''t think I''ve ever heard of such a smooth transition on day#1! I think another thing you did is surround her with other kids on lots of playdates (screamer and all). I''m nervous for C as I haven''t done as great a job with that. She is very quiet with strangers (not clingy to me, just more aloof with others). She also has only been watched by family (same 2-3 people) and is used to being the main focus. So I''m so nervous for the day and will come to you and others here for reassurance I''m sure! I loved the video on FB, she doesn''t look that small to me compared to the others! And if so, C will be an itsy bitsy little thing! Anyway, A already shows signs of composure and independence so well done Mama!

 

[curlygirl]

TGal, just wanted to pop in and say YAY for Amelia''s successful first day of preschool!!! Sounds like she''s going to really love it and thrive there and you''ve done an amazing job preparing her for it. I''m sure you will be very impressed with what she learns there and you''ll soon amass a huge collection of priceless "artwork"!! I have a hard time throwing away anything the girls make at school--even if it''s just scribble on a piece of paper!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes for Lily. She had a fabulous day. I''m a mean mommy and made her go to the doctor in the morning for her well visit. She weighs 35 lbs. and is 38" tall, very healthy. She talked to the doctor quite a bit about her birthday, all of her friends at school, foods she eats, etc. I got a big kick out of seeing her interacting with an adult who is not a family member or teacher. She was very mature! She had her blood pressure checked for the first time and also had to do a vision test with me holding my hand over each eye as she named the objects on the chart that the doctor pointed at (heart, circle, etc.). She has perfect vision. She also got her first shot in her arm, all the other ones had always been in her thighs but now that she''s a big girl, she gets the arm treatment. She was great and I think the fact that she got to pick her own band-aid definitely helped!

In the afternoon, she had her party at school in her class with all of her friends and of course Lucy came in to join the festivities. It was so cute to see all the kids sitting calmly at the table waiting for their cake to be served, with my girl sitting at the head wearing a bday crown and being super patient. I''m telling you, daycare/preschool works wonders for these kids. I''m constantly fascinated by all the stuff they do there and how polite they act to their teachers before coming home and being little hellions! DH and I stuck around for about an hour and watched all the kids playing and dancing together. And Lucy thinks she''s one of the big kids and refused to go back to her own class so they all had a great time together. In the evening, my MIL came over with a giant Minnie Mouse (one for Lucy as well!) and a new dress for Lily since she only wears dresses now, such a girly girl. We got her this LeapFrog Scribble and Write thingy and she loves it since she''s learning to trace lines at school and working on writing the letters of the alphabet. http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-19139-Scribble-and-Write/dp/B001W2WKS0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1273158710&sr=1-2 We had another cake and candles and then DH and I went out to celebrate on our own since it was date night!

Sorry for the self-centered post once again! Hope everyone is doing great!!

 

[Burk]

Hey mommies! Really quick hello.... I'm back at work today

so I need to get things in order. My sub was unable to stay until the end of the week so here I am. House is still a mess (well, actually the garage is a disaster area) but we're officially living in the new house and actually really like it and the neighborhood. Tayva had a rough first night in the new surroundings but since then has done great. She LOVES her playroom! I tend to have more PS time when at work so hopefully I'll be able to get caught up tomorrow.

Tgal~So happy to hear that A had such a great experience at preschool!! Can't wait to hear how day 2 went!!

Happy birthday Lily!

 

[puffy]

tacori awwww, the mother''s day party sounds cute. we''re not going to disneyland until july, so it''s still awhile away but B can''t wait. he''s even starting to tell N all about the disney characters. pretty funny.

curly Lily''s party at school sounds like it went very well.

burk how are the kids? hope K is sleeping well. good to hear T loves her playroom. some days, i take B over to the new house and let him run all around since it is empty and he absolutely loves it. and he loves his playroom there also...he''s already got a bunch of toys there.

the preschool we wanted B to go to *might* let him start in august even though he doesn''t meet the age requirement. they may let him in earlier since he is 100% PTed. we have to go meet with some of the teachers and other staff to see if B will be able to keep up with their program.


have a wonderful day mommies!!

 

[lili]

TGal

for a good first day at preschool.
I''m not surprised that A fits right in and enjoy their routines

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/6/2010 3:53:04 PM
Author: puffy
tacori awwww, the mother''s day party sounds cute. we''re not going to disneyland until july, so it''s still awhile away but B can''t wait. he''s even starting to tell N all about the disney characters. pretty funny.

curly Lily''s party at school sounds like it went very well.

burk how are the kids? hope K is sleeping well. good to hear T loves her playroom. some days, i take B over to the new house and let him run all around since it is empty and he absolutely loves it. and he loves his playroom there also...he''s already got a bunch of toys there.

the preschool we wanted B to go to *might* let him start in august even though he doesn''t meet the age requirement. they may let him in earlier since he is 100% PTed. we have to go meet with some of the teachers and other staff to see if B will be able to keep up with their program.


have a wonderful day mommies!!

Puffy, this made me laugh out loud! First, B is one of the brightest kids here, and will probably be the smartest in the incoming group in that school whether he meets the age reqiurement or not. And second (and I say this only because I''ve seen now at least our local preschool), what kind of program does a preschool have for a three year old where the average kid in that age wouldn''t be able to keep up? It''s is academic? Social? I''m actually really curious. Do they get graded in preschool? Are 3 year old programs harder than 2 year old ones? Because Amelia''s 2 year old program seems to be listening to stories, dancing, playtime and arts. I guess there must be some preschools out there that actually teach things with more structure?

Curly, I initially read that Lucy was 35 lbs and 38 inches tall and I was like, wow! But it''s Lily! Happy Birthday to her...I am really glad to hear she has perfect vision. And I agree about preschool...I was impressed at how orderly things were, and how the kids cleaned up after their lunches, etc. I did see one boy who was a bit of a rebel and didn''t do anything the teachers wanted him to, and I thought, boy if he''s like that in preschool, I wonder what he''s like a home. Somehow all the kids seem to be good about sitting down and listening because others were, etc.

Janine, C will be fine. Plus there is no rule that she was to start as early as I put Amelia in. 2 is still early IMHO, but I just thought it would be nice for her to have the social time.

Burk, good to see you woman! I''m glad things are going smoothly in the new house. I can''t believe you moved in already!

Thanks all for the good words on Amelia and preschool. We''ll see how tomorrow goes.

 

[puffy]

tgal YES, i was thinking the exact same thing when they called to let me know. i even asked what they meant by it. i''ve seen their ''program'' and i assume that they mean listening, following directions, playing well with others. i thought they meant academically so i proceeded to tell her about what B is able to do (counting, alphabets, writing, etc) but apparently she did not mean that. the lady i talked to wasn''t the director or anything, she said she was just an assistant and was relaying a message. who knows. but we are meeting with them tomorrow to see if B is a good fit. i''m hoping that they will let him in early.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/6/2010 11:37:31 PM
Author: puffy
tgal YES, i was thinking the exact same thing when they called to let me know. i even asked what they meant by it. i''ve seen their ''program'' and i assume that they mean listening, following directions, playing well with others. i thought they meant academically so i proceeded to tell her about what B is able to do (counting, alphabets, writing, etc) but apparently she did not mean that. the lady i talked to wasn''t the director or anything, she said she was just an assistant and was relaying a message. who knows. but we are meeting with them tomorrow to see if B is a good fit. i''m hoping that they will let him in early.

Puffy, that totally makes sense. My friend''s son is 2.5 years old and I don''t know if he has the social ability right now to cope right away in the 2 year old class. He can''t sit still, follow directions (that he doesn''t want to follow) and doesn''t care to play with others much. That is SO funny that you thought it meant academically like I did. I was thinking, boy, Amelia would never make it in ANYWHERE if she had to be able to keep up on par developmentally with others her age. I''m totally curious as to what they mean. I hope it goes well and if you decide it''s the right school for B, that they make an exception. I honestly can''t imagine that he wouldn''t be ready for whatever thrown his way. He''s such a bright boy!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Wow, so I am trying to "catch up" but it ain't gonna happen since I have not been here for a long time. Too obsessed with my upgrade I guess

Some things that caught my eye:

Tacori You will love school. Using your brain again!

Don't feel a big rush to finish, at the end of the day it won't matter how long it takes you and you might as well enjoy the ride, ya know?

Blen Yah for steps! Hunter started walking at 13mo, I guess George is close to that too, right? Hunter's first steps were also when he was distracted. You are in for it now! Walking means so many more things for them to get into!

TGal I am glad that Amelia seems to be doing well in her new preschool! And I am glad that you survived. I am now a big believer in the whole "creche" model of raising kids, where groups of kids are together with multiple caregivers, ever since starting Hunter in daycare. Whever I see a gaggle of little kiddies they somehow seem so happy. (not meant to knock other parenting choices, just my personal view

)

SNlee Two boys! Yah!

Jas12 I like the name Mira and pronounce it "Meerah" like "Miriam"

*********

As for us, things are going great. Man does life get busy when you have a kid, eh? Hunter grew like a weed this last month and has suddenly developed all sorts of funny and strange new habits.

He is now a more picky eater and will only really eat when he is hungry, whereas before in the more "oral" phase it was all food all the time! When he is done he will throw things on the floor. Any tips on this one??

He has become positively OBSESSED with books! And let me tell you, we did not create that love. We have lots of books around but by no means did we read to him. Then one day about 3 weeks ago that was all he wanted to do! I drop him off at daycare and he runs for a book and grabs a caregiver and sits in her lap and wants to read. No "bye mom" or anything!

He is showing his will a lot more which is great to see but also presents challenges. We are trying to let him explore while at the same time maintaining some boundaries. We have a few rules in the house: No banging things on the walls and windows, no playing in the toilet bowl, and no eating or drinking the bottle while wandering around. We are trying to enforce these things really consistently and he seems to be getting it. But he *really* likes to test us

He has some words now which is really cute. "Doggie" ("Dodgie" has been a favourite for a month now and was his first word. He also says "duck: ("Duh") and "ball" ("buh"). I am trying to keep a list of his words because I am always curious about how language develops.

Anyways, anyone with tips on "discipline" for a 14 month old would be great. I think we are doing well so far, but there are always new challenges.

 

[TravelingGal]

Hey Dreamer, nice to see ya here. Sounds like Hunter is doing great! And I think you''re right...kids in groups, they seem so happy.

Re: throwing food on the ground, Amelia did that too for a short while but stopped. I think I just gave her the No and finger wag and disapproving stare. Amelia got that whole look and no thing early on, so I think the throwing just stopped. It never was too bad to begin with.

It''s great he loves books. He''ll probably always love them! I think Amelia fell in love with them at the same age, although we did read to hear earlier. But she didn''t seem to care as much, and then one day, book madness! It''s wonderful because it''s an easy "toy" to bring out and about too. Makes for easy gift giving for people who know Hunter too...just buy him books!

At 14 months, we just redirected a lot, with a lot of no and finger wagging. Nothing you don''t already know...just consistency. No matter how much she wanted what she wanted, if it wasn''t good for her, we redirected, over and over with the no''s. Eventually she understood that when mommy and daddy decided something, that was it, so it took a lot less energy to deflect her.

But speaking of new challenges...


To mom''s who use Time Out: We haven''t had to use it all that much...I say since we started using it at 20 months, she''s been in it about 7-10 times in the last 5 months. However, the last two times, she is not fussed at all. She knows time out, points to it and says it, and just sits in there twiddling her thumbs until we get her. I know that some of you say your kids are like that...they will go into a corner themselves with time out, etc. But I''m wondering...do you think it stays effective if they don''t care? I never had time out as a kid, so this is a totally new form of discipline for me and I have no real experience or point of reference on it.

She''s getting to the point where I can use reality based parenting a little bit. Because she wants something usually immediately after doing something I don''t want her to do, I can say, "No Amelia, Amelia throw, Amelia no ride bike." We''ll see if she gets this, but I''m starting to experiment a little in this.


Good report from TGuy this morning on the drop off for day two of preschool, but he didn''t stay to observe so hopefully things go well today. I''ll still nervous.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 5/7/2010 12:56:16 PM
Author: TravelingGal

At 14 months, we just redirected a lot, with a lot of no and finger wagging. Nothing you don''t already know...just consistency. No matter how much she wanted what she wanted, if it wasn''t good for her, we redirected, over and over with the no''s. Eventually she understood that when mommy and daddy decided something, that was it, so it took a lot less energy to deflect her.

Yes, repeated deflection is what we do. I suppose eventually it will sink in

I can see why consistency is so important, and why it is so hard. It takes a lot of mental energy to be 100% consistent. That is why we chose to have not too many rules

Good report from TGuy this morning on the drop off for day two of preschool, but he didn''t stay to observe so hopefully things go well today. I''ll still nervous.

Even if she is upset a little today, or later this week, just remind yourself that it is ok for her to learn that sometimes she is away from mommy and daddy and then they come back again! And also it is a really good thing for her to learn that she can trust other caregivers, that nothing bad will happen when her parents are not there. Overcoming fears for a child is a really important part of their development. And ours

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 5/7/2010 2:41:11 PM
Author: dreamer_d

Date: 5/7/2010 12:56:16 PM
Author: TravelingGal

At 14 months, we just redirected a lot, with a lot of no and finger wagging. Nothing you don''t already know...just consistency. No matter how much she wanted what she wanted, if it wasn''t good for her, we redirected, over and over with the no''s. Eventually she understood that when mommy and daddy decided something, that was it, so it took a lot less energy to deflect her.

Yes, repeated deflection is what we do. I suppose eventually it will sink in

I can see why consistency is so important, and why it is so hard. It takes a lot of mental energy to be 100% consistent. That is why we chose to have not too many rules

Good report from TGuy this morning on the drop off for day two of preschool, but he didn''t stay to observe so hopefully things go well today. I''ll still nervous.

Even if she is upset a little today, or later this week, just remind yourself that it is ok for her to learn that sometimes she is away from mommy and daddy and then they come back again! And also it is a really good thing for her to learn that she can trust other caregivers, that nothing bad will happen when her parents are not there. Overcoming fears for a child is a really important part of their development. And ours

I totally agree on not too many rules. It is exhausting to be consistent. TGuy and I discuss what to pick and what not. Dork wants to pick more battles than I do because (hello), he''s not here as much to have to enforce it!!

Thanks for the reminder on Amelia...very true and I think it will be good to for her know that all will be OK as you said. I''m actually fairly proud of myself on how well I''ve done, so I''m taking the point I''ve given myself. Hmph!

But it IS hard, that''s for sure.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Date: 5/7/2010 2:46:22 PM
Author: TravelingGal
I totally agree on not too many rules. It is exhausting to be consistent. TGuy and I discuss what to pick and what not. Dork wants to pick more battles than I do because (hello), he''s not here as much to have to enforce it!!

Thanks for the reminder on Amelia...very true and I think it will be good to for her know that all will be OK as you said. I''m actually fairly proud of myself on how well I''ve done, so I''m taking the point I''ve given myself. Hmph!

But it IS hard, that''s for sure.

You should be proud! It is very hard to do things that we *know* are right but make us worry or afraid. Sighhh... it never ends, does it? As a parent we are here to guide and protect our children''s growth and development but who will guide us?