The World Beyond BetterMost > Anything Goes

parents, kids, and people who used to be kids

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serious crayons:

--- Quote ---  Or are we giving him choices too often to begin with?
--- End quote ---

Giving choices is one of those parenting magazine solutions I was referring to earlier, that sound good on paper but I've found rarely work in practice. Like the one about how if your kid is headed for a meltdown, just plunk him into nice warm soothing bath -- which is really helpful when you're standing in the checkout line at Target. Or if the meltdown is about taking a bath in the first place.  :laugh:

Barb, Will's quote sounds about whining like something my son said when he was about 2. My husband told him that if he didn't stop whatever it was he was doing he (my husband) would put him (my son) in time out. My son -- three-foot-tall elf wearing footie pajamas, hands on hips, chest puffed out -- shoots back, "No! I will put YOU in time out!"

ednbarby:

--- Quote from: latjoreme on October 05, 2006, 02:56:41 pm ---Giving choices is one of those parenting magazine solutions I was referring to earlier, that sound good on paper but I've found rarely work in practice. Like the one about how if your kid is headed for a meltdown, just plunk him into nice warm soothing bath -- which is really helpful when you're standing in the checkout line at Target. Or if the meltdown is about taking a bath in the first place.  :laugh:

Barb, Will's quote sounds about whining like something my son said when he was about 2. My husband told him that if he didn't stop whatever it was he was doing he (my husband) would put him (my son) in time out. My son -- three-foot-tall elf wearing footie pajamas, hands on hips, chest puffed out -- shoots back, "No! I will put YOU in time out!"
--- End quote ---

Well, I'm glad I'm not alone in my disgruntlement about the choices thing.  Screw "Parents" magazine - here's what *really* works.  "Will - dinner time."  "What are we having?"  "Fish sticks."  "But I want a cheeseburger."  "Well, we're having fish sticks tonight.  We'll have cheeseburgers some other time."  "Can we please have cheeseburgers tomorrow night?"  "Since you just asked so nicely, sure, I don't see why not."  The End.

And Jeff, funny how that works.  I think I'm on the brink of having Will convinced that he'll have just as many bad dreams in our bedroom as he'll have in his own - that the sleep location has nothing to do with it.  Unfortunately, many times the truth is the hardest thing to sell to little kids.  I have to resist breaking down and telling him that the monster lives in *my* closet, not his (which is true to some extent if you think of monsters in abstract terms - I'm hiding more than a few skeletons in there, not to mention all the excess baggage).

cmr107:

--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on October 05, 2006, 08:59:32 am ---Growing older chronologically is mandatory. Growing up is optional.  ;D

--- End quote ---

So true. I'm not expecting to ever really grow up. It's more fun this way!  ;D

cmr107:

--- Quote from: ednbarby on October 05, 2006, 02:03:35 pm ---And I may *never* let him watch Bambi.  Or The Yearling.  Or :shudder: Old Yeller.  Good God, I still feel a chill when I think of any of those.
--- End quote ---

I don't think I've ever seen any of those. Wow.

Ellemeno:
Glad I found this thread!

Halloween costume: Thank you, O universe, that M wants to be a black kitty cat.  She already has a black turtleneck, black leggings, and I miraculously HAPPENED on little black and orang kitty ears on a headband at Walgreen's the other day, that she miraculously actually finds comfortable to wear.  She's been practicing (and practicing and practicing) her tiny, high-pitched kitty mew, and pretending to scratch the furniture with her tiny kitty claws.   If I get it together by the time she needs it, I may make a tail, but I don't think it will occur to her first to want one.  And we'll use black marker right on her face (whoo-hoo!) to make whiskers and the tiny kitty nose.  She loves drawing all over herself with marker, so that'll be a thrill.  

BTW, her first Halloween, when she was 7 months old, she was a little purple cowgirl, with some purple cowgirl boots I happened on in Old Navy.  

Birthday efforts:  For the last two years, we have made it a specia adventure to go to the local megamarket, for her to choose her own birthday cake for them to make, and then more fun to go pick it up the day of the party.  She knows that her Aunt D makes all her own birthday cakes, but so far does not judge her own Mommy as a slacker who does things the easiest way possible.

Food, Pickiness around:  M is pretty good about eating a pretty wide variety of fruits and vegs.  (Katherine, I was thrilled to hear you have a vegetarian, Miranda is too.)  And doesn't really know a whole lot about candy yet, just that it happens at some special events we go to.  She still accepts what I told her once, that all the candy displays in the grocery store are "big kid" candy.  I can't believe she hasn't argued that one yet.  She also knows that at dinner, if she wants more mac & cheese, I will say, "Sure, have two more broccolis while I get it for you."  And she eats the brocs.  She's not at all compliant in some regards, but the food thing is usually okay.

We have a family coming over tonight to join us for dinner, and when I called the mom to ask what would make a successful meal, I found out that their little 3 year old will only eat spaghetti with butter and cheese, and that cauliflower is her only vegetable.  So that's what I'm serving (with sauce and other things on the side).

MY cringe:  M started preschool a month ago, and the teachers tell me she sometimes doesn't act like she hears them when they direct her to do something.  "Have you had her hearing checked?" they asked.  Um, no, I'm pretty sure she has the ears of a bat, considering she yells, "Siren!  Siren!" about 30 seconds before I can hear it approaching.  It's just that her Mommy and Daddy aren't always very, you know, consistent with followthrough when we ask her to do something.  So she's not used to being as cooperative as a preschool full of kids might require her to be.  So we are working on that.

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