Thursday, October 7, 2010
Social Hour with a two-year-old
Is it sad that I love having a social schedule for my two-year-old son? Is it sad that I look forward to Thursdays because it's storytime days, Fridays because we sometimes have playdates and the occasional Mondays when we get all the boy cousins together? I love having a toddler whose schedule runs around playing with friends and song time at church rather then breast milk feedings and two naps! Trust me, I still keep a scheduled single nap, but I love this new social age! Toddlers are exhausting to say the least. He loves his friendss but the next thing you know he's "tackling" them and not understanding why they are bawling. But I totally look foward to the "playdate email" that let's me know when and where playgoup is that week... my two year old can name all of his friends (which he does almost every night in his nighttime prayers) and he loves to talk about what they do together... lately his buddy and he have started an annoying mealtime tradition of seeing who can spill the most or drop their cup the loudest; extremely annoying to me but those two get laughing so hard sometimes I have to surpress my own giggle. God made us to build relationships with one another. My two year old needs friends and relationships... I just can't believe how much I enjoy his social calendar... sadly, I count down the minutes until storytime starts... but I m also learning to enjoy every last minute in this stage because I know it won't last but a few more months... I'm just hoping the next stage doesn't involve introvert behaviors or else I might have to fill up our calendar with adult social events and I'm not so good at those:)
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Run Fast!
I wish I knew what was happening in a two-year-old's mind...
Why did he just dump his drink on his waffle? Why did he just push his friend down? Why does he love chicken nuggets one day and refuse to eat them for entire month? Why does he wake up in the middle of the night asking for pancakes? Why does he chase the dog around the yard? Why does he make you fix something just so he can knock it down again? All of these questions constantly flip through my mind throughout the day.
Sometimes, however he makes it easy for me and the rest of the world.
My favorite behavior of my two-year-old is when he announces what he is doing to the rest of the world. He will walk into the room after playing quietly by himself and yell to anyone "Big Poop!" It is especially fun when we are in a resteraunt and everyone stares at thier plates wondering if they want to continue to eat after that announcement.
Yesterday we were at the beach with one of my friends and Dylan comes up to us and says "Run Fast!" He had to tell us that he was about to run really fast and his announcement was by proceeded just that; him running fast in the sand. I'm not sure why running fast warrents an announcement, but somewhere in his brain, he has decided, maybe if I announce this, people will watch and listen and I will get the needed attention.
The other announcement that is very embarrassing for a mother is when my two-year-old decides every baby should be my baby and I need to be hold every baby. We will be in Target (and of course he has to be independent and walk around on his own) and he will go up to any baby and say "Mommy Up!" He thinks that I need to hold every baby that exists on this earth. I am not sure why this is or if in his little mind he thinks "if my mommy holds a baby, maybe she will give me a little brother or sister to play with." Or is he thinking "if my mommy holds this baby in the store, maybe she won't bring a baby sister or brother home." I am not sure which one it is, but somewhere in his brain, he thinks that every baby needs to be held by his mommy. It is very sweet until he goes up to the baby's true mother and tells her that I need to be holding the baby instead of her... a few awkward moments have followed these encounters.
How you explain a two-year-old's announcement to the rest of the world? I have no idea. You do lots of shushing and smiling innocently with a sholder shrug... hopefully the rest of the world understands that you don't really understand mind and his announcements are just a small statement of the entire story going on in his brain!
Why did he just dump his drink on his waffle? Why did he just push his friend down? Why does he love chicken nuggets one day and refuse to eat them for entire month? Why does he wake up in the middle of the night asking for pancakes? Why does he chase the dog around the yard? Why does he make you fix something just so he can knock it down again? All of these questions constantly flip through my mind throughout the day.
Sometimes, however he makes it easy for me and the rest of the world.
My favorite behavior of my two-year-old is when he announces what he is doing to the rest of the world. He will walk into the room after playing quietly by himself and yell to anyone "Big Poop!" It is especially fun when we are in a resteraunt and everyone stares at thier plates wondering if they want to continue to eat after that announcement.
Yesterday we were at the beach with one of my friends and Dylan comes up to us and says "Run Fast!" He had to tell us that he was about to run really fast and his announcement was by proceeded just that; him running fast in the sand. I'm not sure why running fast warrents an announcement, but somewhere in his brain, he has decided, maybe if I announce this, people will watch and listen and I will get the needed attention.
The other announcement that is very embarrassing for a mother is when my two-year-old decides every baby should be my baby and I need to be hold every baby. We will be in Target (and of course he has to be independent and walk around on his own) and he will go up to any baby and say "Mommy Up!" He thinks that I need to hold every baby that exists on this earth. I am not sure why this is or if in his little mind he thinks "if my mommy holds a baby, maybe she will give me a little brother or sister to play with." Or is he thinking "if my mommy holds this baby in the store, maybe she won't bring a baby sister or brother home." I am not sure which one it is, but somewhere in his brain, he thinks that every baby needs to be held by his mommy. It is very sweet until he goes up to the baby's true mother and tells her that I need to be holding the baby instead of her... a few awkward moments have followed these encounters.
How you explain a two-year-old's announcement to the rest of the world? I have no idea. You do lots of shushing and smiling innocently with a sholder shrug... hopefully the rest of the world understands that you don't really understand mind and his announcements are just a small statement of the entire story going on in his brain!
Not a Very Good Blogger
I have not done a very good job of keeping up with my blog this summer... I got a new part-time job and it has taken up all of my free time. I am hoping to get back into the blogging world and keep my blog a little more updated. My last blog: water, somehow the content was lost. I was trying to tell the story of how water played an important role in our summer. We did not have air conditioning all summer in our house and so water was a intregal part of our everyday life. The sprinkler, the community pool, the backyard blow-up pool, playing in the sink to cool off, spraying each other (even my husband and I) with the hose, drinking lots of it, playing with it constantly. A two year old can do so many things with water it is amazing... he would dump it, squirt it, dip in it, stomp in it, run in it (he was and is obsessed with puddles), and find every type of experiement to try with water. My water post was better written then that, but that is a quick overview of what my water post was about.
I will do my best to come up with a new post for today, but because the day is new, my child has yet to inspire me into writing mode... I'm sure it will happen shortly. Once fall is over and I am done coaching, I will be back in the blogger world much more consistently. For now, I will post when I can and hopefully they won't take my blog off again like they did during the summer.
I will do my best to come up with a new post for today, but because the day is new, my child has yet to inspire me into writing mode... I'm sure it will happen shortly. Once fall is over and I am done coaching, I will be back in the blogger world much more consistently. For now, I will post when I can and hopefully they won't take my blog off again like they did during the summer.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Rough Days...
It has been one of those days... rainy, everyone is crabby (even the dog), the boys are just destroying the house because I can't take them outside, timeouts and tantrums are numerous, runny noses everywhere, even snack time is a disaster (a screaming match between the two boys). It is on days like today that I wish that I was in a cubicle with only a computer to answer to. All I want to do is curl up so small I that can fit into my pillow case and stay there all day unnoticed. Days like these make me question what the heck I am doing as a stay-at-home mom and do I really have the perseverance and patience it takes to do this kind of work. I start seeing all the negatives and it really wears on me physically and emotionally.
But then there is that bright moment. A hug from my son after a timeout. The hysterical laughs of two almost-two-year-olds at something so ordinary but hilarious to them. The dog laying down on my cold feet giving me that loyal, loving look. These are the moments I have to focus on. Not the tantrums, the runny noses, the rain outside. But the smiles, the hugs, the little moments that make being a mom worth it. These are the moments that I have to soak up to make it through the rough days.
But then there is that bright moment. A hug from my son after a timeout. The hysterical laughs of two almost-two-year-olds at something so ordinary but hilarious to them. The dog laying down on my cold feet giving me that loyal, loving look. These are the moments I have to focus on. Not the tantrums, the runny noses, the rain outside. But the smiles, the hugs, the little moments that make being a mom worth it. These are the moments that I have to soak up to make it through the rough days.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Sometimes I tire of the endless list of do's and don'ts I have to teach my child.
It is not ok to pick your nose even though you feel like there is something stuck up there.
It is not ok to strip in public even though it is so hot I'd like to do the same thing.
It is not ok to kick and scream even though that is exactly how you are feeling.
Sometimes I love being home and letting my child be who he wants to be: which may be the nose picker, clothes stripper, tantrum thrower kids that he is. But as soon as we walk out that door or someone walks through my door, I have to morph him into the perfect child everyone expects him to be. It must be so confusing and frstrating for kids; they feel and want to be and do one thing, but their parents and caregivers are constantly trying to make them into the "proper" child they want them to be. And are we doing this for the child? Well yes, by the time they reach school our children need to learn a certain amount of what is wrong vs. what is right to do in public. They need to learn a sense of self-control and know how to manage their emotions. But sometimes I think it is for the adults more than the kids. How my child acts in front of others and out in public is a reflection on how I am doing as a parent and how well my child is going to do in this society. We, as parents are judged alone at how well our child(ren) has formed into the well-behaved, clothes-wearing child the society expects him to be.
Before I had children, I was constantly saying "my child will NEVER act that way" and "I will never allow my child to be anything like that". I am now realizing that kids are kids. They are trying to figure out thier bodies. They are trying to make connections of what the heck is going on in thier world. They are trying to figure out who they are as a person. They are trying to make sense of the do's and don'ts we are constantly telling them.
I never realized that sometimes a child will throw a tantrum no matter how much training you have done or how well you do at disciplining at home. My child does not understand everytime I say no and if that no comes at Target where there are toys all around him and he doesn't understand yet that in this crazy, mixed-up world you have to pay for toys before taking them out of the box, then he is going to throw a fit because it does not make sense in his mind and he is MAD! It is so hard as a mother to have others see your child meltdown, but there is nothing you can do about it at that moment accept take them out of the store and let them throw their fit.
I am not saying discipline is bad or that I won't teach my child the do's and don'ts of society, I am just saying, I hope my child fights them when he doesn't understand them and they don't make sense to him. I hope he tries to figure things out on his own. And when we are at home he can pick his nose and take off his pants becaues he is a kid and he needs to act like one!
It is not ok to pick your nose even though you feel like there is something stuck up there.
It is not ok to strip in public even though it is so hot I'd like to do the same thing.
It is not ok to kick and scream even though that is exactly how you are feeling.
Sometimes I love being home and letting my child be who he wants to be: which may be the nose picker, clothes stripper, tantrum thrower kids that he is. But as soon as we walk out that door or someone walks through my door, I have to morph him into the perfect child everyone expects him to be. It must be so confusing and frstrating for kids; they feel and want to be and do one thing, but their parents and caregivers are constantly trying to make them into the "proper" child they want them to be. And are we doing this for the child? Well yes, by the time they reach school our children need to learn a certain amount of what is wrong vs. what is right to do in public. They need to learn a sense of self-control and know how to manage their emotions. But sometimes I think it is for the adults more than the kids. How my child acts in front of others and out in public is a reflection on how I am doing as a parent and how well my child is going to do in this society. We, as parents are judged alone at how well our child(ren) has formed into the well-behaved, clothes-wearing child the society expects him to be.
Before I had children, I was constantly saying "my child will NEVER act that way" and "I will never allow my child to be anything like that". I am now realizing that kids are kids. They are trying to figure out thier bodies. They are trying to make connections of what the heck is going on in thier world. They are trying to figure out who they are as a person. They are trying to make sense of the do's and don'ts we are constantly telling them.
I never realized that sometimes a child will throw a tantrum no matter how much training you have done or how well you do at disciplining at home. My child does not understand everytime I say no and if that no comes at Target where there are toys all around him and he doesn't understand yet that in this crazy, mixed-up world you have to pay for toys before taking them out of the box, then he is going to throw a fit because it does not make sense in his mind and he is MAD! It is so hard as a mother to have others see your child meltdown, but there is nothing you can do about it at that moment accept take them out of the store and let them throw their fit.
I am not saying discipline is bad or that I won't teach my child the do's and don'ts of society, I am just saying, I hope my child fights them when he doesn't understand them and they don't make sense to him. I hope he tries to figure things out on his own. And when we are at home he can pick his nose and take off his pants becaues he is a kid and he needs to act like one!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The Art of Getting Out the Door
Ever wonder why you are late for everything? Ever wonder why you write down everything on the calendar fifteen minutes before the actual start time? As a parent, you may have often wondered why in the world it takes you so long to get out the door. I have wondered this since my child was three days old and we tried to take him for a simple walk around the block... I have often thought there should be a class dedicated to simply "how to get your child(ren) out the door without killing yourself, your significant other, or your child".
Sometimes I truly believe that it takes more time, energy and planning to get children out of the door than it takes the Secret Service to take the President cross-country. Before you even try to get yourself or your child ready, you have to pack. Snacks for the hunger=crabby child. Extra clothes for the, spills-everytime-child. Extra diapers for the baby. And your own purse so you can pay for everything. Then you begin the process of getting your child(ren) ready. First you have to start with the changing discussion; which outfit is acceptable for the weather that day. Next you realize you didn't do a surveillance job so now you have to check the weather forecast but your computer decides to shut down. Next comes the potty/diaper drill. Depending on the season, you have the battle of the sunscreen and sunglasses; the battle of hat and mittens; or the dreaded battle of the snowsuit. Finally, right when you think you are ready to take the troops into the vehicle of choice, something is bound to go wrong. You forgot to feed the dog, you forgot to switch the carseat into the correct car, your friend calls with an emergency, or if you're like me, you forgot to put shoes on your toddler and he's walking around the yard in stocking feet. By this time everyone is whining about something and the dog is running in circles around you because she doesn't want to be left home. And before you can sneak out the door, you forgot to look at your own face in the mirror and send a prayer to God asking Him to please not let there be any peanut butter in viewable places.
I will never master the art of getting out of the door, but I do know God has been watching out for me because I have had many near disasters with peanut butter in just the right place:) I guess it's just part of being a parent. Although I think have some good tricks and tips for those Secret Service men....
Sometimes I truly believe that it takes more time, energy and planning to get children out of the door than it takes the Secret Service to take the President cross-country. Before you even try to get yourself or your child ready, you have to pack. Snacks for the hunger=crabby child. Extra clothes for the, spills-everytime-child. Extra diapers for the baby. And your own purse so you can pay for everything. Then you begin the process of getting your child(ren) ready. First you have to start with the changing discussion; which outfit is acceptable for the weather that day. Next you realize you didn't do a surveillance job so now you have to check the weather forecast but your computer decides to shut down. Next comes the potty/diaper drill. Depending on the season, you have the battle of the sunscreen and sunglasses; the battle of hat and mittens; or the dreaded battle of the snowsuit. Finally, right when you think you are ready to take the troops into the vehicle of choice, something is bound to go wrong. You forgot to feed the dog, you forgot to switch the carseat into the correct car, your friend calls with an emergency, or if you're like me, you forgot to put shoes on your toddler and he's walking around the yard in stocking feet. By this time everyone is whining about something and the dog is running in circles around you because she doesn't want to be left home. And before you can sneak out the door, you forgot to look at your own face in the mirror and send a prayer to God asking Him to please not let there be any peanut butter in viewable places.
I will never master the art of getting out of the door, but I do know God has been watching out for me because I have had many near disasters with peanut butter in just the right place:) I guess it's just part of being a parent. Although I think have some good tricks and tips for those Secret Service men....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)