I knew the day would come, and it’s here before I’m ready. Travis is definitely starting to give up his naps. He’s had several days recently where he hasn’t fallen asleep at naptime but conks out in the car when we go to get Hallie. On the days he does take a real nap, he might “pop out” a dozen or more times at bedtime. He’s almost three, and I know some kids quit napping at 18 mos. I got spoiled by Hallie, and now I’m just going to have to start adjusting. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve been reading a lot of parenting books lately that have several themes in common: the negative impact of praise and of the traditional reward/punishment model; the practice of letting kids come up with their own solutions; and the benefits of using “I” messages instead of “you” messages. For those interested, the most recent books I’ve read along these lines are Between Parent and Child by Haim Ginott and Parent Effectiveness Training by Thomas Gordon (both books gratefully received from Gum and Gup). Next on my list is Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve been thinking for some time about starting Hallie with an allowance. She’s been seeing things she desperately wants and it seemed a good opportunity to have her start saving for them and making some money choices. So, now she gets $1.25 every Sunday. Read the rest of this entry »
This morning I had the kids while Kelly finished up some work. We were all on the floor of the playroom when Travis announced matter-of-factly that he had to use the bathroom. To my amazement, he hopped himself up, walked into the bathroom, did his thing, washed his hands, and strolled nonchalantly back to the playroom to continue playing!
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I’m almost afraid to post positive things, for fear it all turns topsy turvy again. But we had a very happy weekend with almost no whining, especially today, and cooperative, happy kids. It’s amazing how much I could feel my stress level drop when I didn’t feel on edge for a crisis every time I turned around! When Hallie’s on an even keel, the whole house runs more smoothly. Read the rest of this entry »
Travis is at a terrific age. His language skills have really taken off, and so has his imagination. This results in many-minutes-long stream-of-consciousness ramblings that are often hysterical to listen to. We’ll be playing together (usually with his trucks) and I’ll find I don’t have to say anything for big chunks of time. And in fact, I’d be hard pressed to get a word in edgewise if I wanted to. Read the rest of this entry »
We washed the cars today (using only “reclaimed water” from Mark’s gargantuan tank, of course!). Afterwards, Travis was semi-dressed when he needed to use the bathroom. He trotted in in only his underpants, pulled them completely off, and did everything by himself — stark-naked, with the door wide open. Then it came time to wash his hands. “I need a little privacy,” he declared indignantly as he strutted out, in the buff, to close the door.
Travis has gotten attached to a song on my “Louisiana Gumbo” cd. He has me set the car cd player on repeat and we must listen to it 10 or more times in a row before he’s ready to move on. Read the rest of this entry »
I hate to jinx it, but I’m starting to see signs that my Hallie is back at last. Though she’s had spurts of happiness and even-temperedness, I’d say she hasn’t been herself since we got back from vacation and quit letting her nap. It’s been the opposite of “you don’t know what you’ve lost ’til it’s gone.” In this case, the full picture of what’s been missing is becoming clear now that I see some of it coming back. Read the rest of this entry »
This afternoon I really thought we were out of the woods! Hallie was in a great mood when I picked her up. She and Travis got along better than they have in weeks, and I really enjoyed watching them play together. After a moment or too of negativism, Hallie launched into her homework. She did the two Monday night activities and asked for more. She was finishing the second Tuesday activity when her friend Madison came by. Who knows how many more she’d have done? Read the rest of this entry »
