Item #1: Good books on parenting, disciplining, raising toddlers, feeding toddlers, sleep habits, etc.
So far, people have suggested: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child; Siblings Without Rivalry; How to Talk So Your Kids Will Listen and Listen So Your Kids Will Talk. What has helped you?
Brief scenario for you:
Sunday
Scene 1: Abby and Isaac empty their tupperware drawer.
Scene 2: Abby climbs INTO the drawer to play.
Scene 3: Isaac tries to PUSH Abby OUT of the drawer. Abby cries, Mom intervenes by removing BOTH children and closing the drawer.
Scene 4: 10 minutes later, mom hears babies crying and goes to investigate just in time to see Isaac fall backwards, hit his head on the floor, and start to cry. Abby pushed Isaac OUT of the drawer.
Yes, people, they are ONE -- just one!
Item #2:
A good garbage can for my kitchen that will hold my kitchen garbage and also KEEP MY BABIES OUT OF IT!!! They are determined, independent problem-solvers, so it HAS to ACTUALLY be child-proof. Why? Cuz I'm tired of them pulling food and garbage out of it (I think they're bored with what we already have, so I need to be more creative in toys/things to keep them entertained); and I'm REALLY tired of them dumping things INTO it -- yes, my friends: sippy cups, unopened cans of tuna, unopened bottles of juice, toys, you name it! Dump and pour stage, anyone? Well - it needs limits, and mommy saying no just isn't cutting it.
On Monday I was so sick of them pulling things out and putting things in while I was trying to make dinner and do dishes that I moved them into the living room to play and put our camping trunk in the passageway between the living room and dining room/kitchen area. I went down the hall to the bathroom only to have Isaac outside the door a few minutes later, talking to me -- VICTORIOUS over the trunk (did I mention they are determined, independent problem-solvers?). Abby was -- oh, yes, IN THE GARBAGE!!!!! I moved them back into the living room, replaced the trunk and put something heavier behind it, only to have Abby RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY FACE, look at Isaac and jibber something that LOOKED and SOUNDED like, "C'mon, Isaac, let's get rid of this thing again!"
Yes, they are ONE - just one.
6 comments:
Item 1: The best thing we found we already had - the scriptures. Everyone seemed to either be contradicting each other or telling us how our children will be delinquents if we didn't use their method, or both! When we started focusing on how Heavenly Father parents things went better. It's a longer method, since things aren't exactly spelled out, but it works well for us.
Item 2: I wonder if there's a toilet lid locking devise that you could use on the garbage can? Or you may have to get a smaller one that will fit behind a baby locked cabinet door.
Good luck!
My mom sent me the Love and Logic CDs -- there are books, too. My sister swears by them. I've only casually listened, but so far I really like it.
you know what I found helpful? some good one on two time. lol. just spending time with them, helping them work out the little bumbs in the road. teach them things to help them with the situations. Say, abby, you need to ask tell her what to say or what to do. A lot of the time I have found that my children just didn't know what to do so I promp them in their verbage and in their actions. "lauryn say, may I please have a turn." or "lauryn say, that made me upset" then I would talk to brooklyn. "brooklyn, that made lauryn upset when you did that. please say, sorry lauryn."
anyway I hope that makes sense. and I hope it helps in some way.
I found that after I had spend some good time doing this, I could back off and let them try what I had taught them.
They are one, and with two they have some one to compete with trouble. Go online to walmart.com and look for the big gate. I don't know the actual name, but it's big and it works a lot better than boxes. Sara bought one for Lance and it stretches all the way across the kitchen entry in our apartment. Plus... Walmart has free site to store shipping.
Thanks, everyone! Great ideas -- I'm on it!
Very fun. I mean, for those of us merely reading about it
I don't have any suggestions to add, expressing my entertainment. :-)
Post a Comment