As a parent, I’m all about asking other parents for advice. I’m not proud, I’m not pompous, and I’m certainly not perfect. If other parents have tried something and have been successful with it, why reinvent the wheel? Especially when it comes to something as timeless as potty training.
When we decided it was time to ease our oldest out of diapers and into big-boy pants, I was clueless. I didn’t really know where to begin; I just knew where I wanted us to end up. So, I started my research. I asked every mother I could find. I was going to compile a database full of the most effective techniques known to motherhood so that I could get this business taken care of, pronto.
Surprisingly enough, I got an overwhelming number of mothers who had tried and been successful using the same approach: the ole “Sink the Cheerio” technique. It was as easy as tossing a few Cheerios into the toilet and telling the kid, “Sink em!” Now, I’m not one to question those who are experts in their field, but come on. Were they serious? However, I vowed to try it.
The first order of business was finding a way to get the kid high enough so he could actually stand over the toilet to make aim. This meant we would need extra gear: step stool, hand rail, splash guard. Once these were all in place, we were ready to start shooting. Unfortunately—for us anyway—this highly acclaimed technique was a huge bust.
Since then, we’ve tried everything from stickers to candy to a potty chair that sings when the kid makes a deposit. But my boy would still rather go find a hiding place. That got me thinking, “Why not create a place to hide around the potty chair?” So that’s exactly what we did. We placed the potty right next to the tub so the shower curtain could serve as a “tent”. When he sat down on the potty, he could pull the curtain around him, hide, and of course TCB. Well, as creative and inexpensive as this idea was, what it wasn’t was effective. It was good for one deposit. But that was it.
For a while I had him convinced that he could not get into the bathtub at night until he had pee pee’d in his potty. This tactic was working perfectly…until we took an excursion to gramma’s house for a few nights. You see, gramma didn’t have a singing potty, and he didn’t have to use it before he got into the tub. The kid had outsmarted us again.
I suppose there are some things that you just can’t force a kid to do. Brush his teeth, take a bath, pick up his toys—those are things a child can be physically compelled to do, by one means or another. However, some things are apparently left up to nature—and a kid’s stubborn will. I know in his own time, he’ll start to take an interest—when he’s ready. After all, I’ve never seen a 15-year old show up to school in a diaper…well, not yet.
And that’s All in a day’s work!
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Boy Genius
It’s amazing what kids are born knowing how to do: breathe, eat (sometimes), sleep (if you’re lucky). But my kid, he was born with amazing talents far beyond the basic skills necessary for sustaining life. My kid was born with what we like to call a “passion for order”.
At the fresh age of 12 months, my little genius began showing signs of giftedness by maneuvering around the house (and closets) to “give order” to the shoes. I know. Many skeptics may be hesitant to call this a true gift. Odd? Yes. Interesting? Maybe. But gifted? Let me continue.
Not only could my son put the shoes in order, but he did so heel to toe, left to right, in matching pairs, with perfect alignment! It was as if he had been trained by Al Bundy himself!
However, our shoes were not his only target in his quest for bringing order and organization to our world. My son had a brilliance for shutting cabinet doors. Not only could he shut them properly and with ease, but he could do so without bringing injury to himself or others. And if that weren’t amazing enough, he was compelled to instill this same passion in the rest of his family. He had determined that he simply would not allow a meal to continue if there was a single cabinet door open in the kitchen. Our meal would be put on hold until someone rectified the messy situation.
I guess we should have known early on that the little guy was something of a savant when he began stacking the cottage cheese tubs on top of one another. Sounds like an easy task, but lidless cottage cheese tubs will only stack in a certain direction, especially when you get past three feet high.
Some parents might fear a child who can spend hours organizing his trucks bumper to bumper—in lines, in circles, in ovals. They might seek psychological attention for the toddler who wants to make color patterns out of his alphabet letters rather than use them for teething rings. Not me. I believe in letting a child explore his environment—choose his own interests and hobbies. Of course we passed on buying him a tutu for his second birthday in lieu of a new bat and a T.
I suppose all children have amusing quirks and idiosyncrasies that make them aspiring little phenoms, even if to no one other than their parents. Who knows, maybe he will be the next Martha Stewart, Frank Lloyd Wright, or John Nash. Of course all I really want him to do is throw a left-handed fast ball for an inning or two, three or four times a week. Maybe then he’ll be able to repay us for enduring all the obsessive compulsive tendencies of his childhood—and we can retire in style.
And that’s "All in a day’s work."
At the fresh age of 12 months, my little genius began showing signs of giftedness by maneuvering around the house (and closets) to “give order” to the shoes. I know. Many skeptics may be hesitant to call this a true gift. Odd? Yes. Interesting? Maybe. But gifted? Let me continue.
Not only could my son put the shoes in order, but he did so heel to toe, left to right, in matching pairs, with perfect alignment! It was as if he had been trained by Al Bundy himself!
However, our shoes were not his only target in his quest for bringing order and organization to our world. My son had a brilliance for shutting cabinet doors. Not only could he shut them properly and with ease, but he could do so without bringing injury to himself or others. And if that weren’t amazing enough, he was compelled to instill this same passion in the rest of his family. He had determined that he simply would not allow a meal to continue if there was a single cabinet door open in the kitchen. Our meal would be put on hold until someone rectified the messy situation.
I guess we should have known early on that the little guy was something of a savant when he began stacking the cottage cheese tubs on top of one another. Sounds like an easy task, but lidless cottage cheese tubs will only stack in a certain direction, especially when you get past three feet high.
Some parents might fear a child who can spend hours organizing his trucks bumper to bumper—in lines, in circles, in ovals. They might seek psychological attention for the toddler who wants to make color patterns out of his alphabet letters rather than use them for teething rings. Not me. I believe in letting a child explore his environment—choose his own interests and hobbies. Of course we passed on buying him a tutu for his second birthday in lieu of a new bat and a T.
I suppose all children have amusing quirks and idiosyncrasies that make them aspiring little phenoms, even if to no one other than their parents. Who knows, maybe he will be the next Martha Stewart, Frank Lloyd Wright, or John Nash. Of course all I really want him to do is throw a left-handed fast ball for an inning or two, three or four times a week. Maybe then he’ll be able to repay us for enduring all the obsessive compulsive tendencies of his childhood—and we can retire in style.
And that’s "All in a day’s work."
Monday, May 14, 2007
Enjoying the crust
I’ve made it a priority to try to instill in my kids the value of good nutrition. Of course to this point, they are oblivious of the idea, but they do know what foods are good and what is good for them.
Most of the time I plan the menu, but other times, I give them a choice. And it is amazing to me what my kids will choose to eat, given the right guidance.
I can remember when our oldest was starting out on table food. I came home from work one day and his sitter told me that he had eaten all the crust off of her sandwich. He didn’t want the center; just the crust. I thought, “All the good stuff is in the middle. Why would he want that tough old crust?” Whatever his reason or motivation, he was a great example for his little brother, and we now have two kids who choose the crust, without question.
Just the other day as I was feeding the baby, he began to get antsy as he often does when the food doesn’t come fast enough. I started tossing him little bits of bread—like a duck on a pond. He has no teeth to speak of, so bread is as good a choice as any for the kid when he needs something to do with his hands during meal time. I noticed that as I tossed the bread onto his tray, he was trying something new. The little guy began picking up his bread by smushing his finger on top of it, and (since the bread was fresh) it stuck. He was able to get that bread right into his mouth and entertain us both in the process.
It was a “first”. Not a first step or a first word, but a first just the same. It was a clear indication that my little guy was learning to test his creative skills and think outside the box, even at 14 months old. And while on the surface this may not appear to be a huge milestone, to a mother, it is the beginning of little hands and minds learning to be independent and self sufficient.
With kids graduating almost daily this time of year, I cannot count the number of moms and dads who have looked at my children longingly for the days when their six foot senior was toddling around with a mouth full of dirt or a finger up his nose. I will certainly be one of those mothers in just a few short years.
So, even amidst of the daily insanities of dirty diapers and mud-covered feet, I am determined to teach our boys to look for the things in life that are good, and good for them. I’m glad they’re not afraid to try the things that to others seem crusty and tough. The “good stuff” will be their reward.
I know these days will be gone before I can clean the poop off the bottom of one kid’s shoes or wipe the snot from his brother’s face. There’s much work to be done to prepare them for independence and self-sufficiency. But for now we’re trying really hard to take things one day at a time and doing our best to enjoy the crust.
And that’s “All in a day’s work!”
Most of the time I plan the menu, but other times, I give them a choice. And it is amazing to me what my kids will choose to eat, given the right guidance.
I can remember when our oldest was starting out on table food. I came home from work one day and his sitter told me that he had eaten all the crust off of her sandwich. He didn’t want the center; just the crust. I thought, “All the good stuff is in the middle. Why would he want that tough old crust?” Whatever his reason or motivation, he was a great example for his little brother, and we now have two kids who choose the crust, without question.
Just the other day as I was feeding the baby, he began to get antsy as he often does when the food doesn’t come fast enough. I started tossing him little bits of bread—like a duck on a pond. He has no teeth to speak of, so bread is as good a choice as any for the kid when he needs something to do with his hands during meal time. I noticed that as I tossed the bread onto his tray, he was trying something new. The little guy began picking up his bread by smushing his finger on top of it, and (since the bread was fresh) it stuck. He was able to get that bread right into his mouth and entertain us both in the process.
It was a “first”. Not a first step or a first word, but a first just the same. It was a clear indication that my little guy was learning to test his creative skills and think outside the box, even at 14 months old. And while on the surface this may not appear to be a huge milestone, to a mother, it is the beginning of little hands and minds learning to be independent and self sufficient.
With kids graduating almost daily this time of year, I cannot count the number of moms and dads who have looked at my children longingly for the days when their six foot senior was toddling around with a mouth full of dirt or a finger up his nose. I will certainly be one of those mothers in just a few short years.
So, even amidst of the daily insanities of dirty diapers and mud-covered feet, I am determined to teach our boys to look for the things in life that are good, and good for them. I’m glad they’re not afraid to try the things that to others seem crusty and tough. The “good stuff” will be their reward.
I know these days will be gone before I can clean the poop off the bottom of one kid’s shoes or wipe the snot from his brother’s face. There’s much work to be done to prepare them for independence and self-sufficiency. But for now we’re trying really hard to take things one day at a time and doing our best to enjoy the crust.
And that’s “All in a day’s work!”
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Be ye imitators
I once heard a wise woman say that human beings are by nature imitators. At no other time in life is that more obvious than when you are raising children.
When babies are first born, everyone wants to know who they look like. For weeks it’s the biggest debate in the house. You half expect to turn on Fox News and hear Hannity and Colmes discussing whether your child has big ears like you do or a huge head like your husband. But after the excitement of a new baby has worn off, and real life starts to kick in, nobody really cares who the kid looks like. It’s all about how he acts.
As time passes, the “sleeping, eating, and pooping machine” (as my 12 year-old sister-in-law calls it) starts to develop into a real person. This is when we really start to see who the child resembles. Does he sit quietly for hours, perfectly content to play by himself? Or does he become easily frustrated when he can’t make his toys do what he wants them to do? From the way he raises his eyebrows when he is excited, to the wrinkling of his nose when he laughs, so many of our kids’ mannerisms can be traced back to us.
The older the child gets, the more we begin to see ourselves—or our spouses—in our kids’ actions. Children so often will give a surprisingly accurate reflection of the things we say, the things we don’t say, and the way we spend our time.
I’ve discovered the favored place for my kids to mimic these fun, family traits is during church services. When the baby picks up the checkbook at holds it to his ear like a telephone, or rummages through my purse to discover a calculator—which he instantly points to the pulpit in an attempt to mute the preacher—it is then that I know the kid has been watching our every move. Whether he is growling or grunting, I can tell by his inflected tone that he is trying to repeat exactly whatever it is that he has just heard. Of course we see this much more clearly in our oldest, who is extremely verbal. On a recent Sunday morning during the serving of the Lord’s Supper, for no apparent reason at all, he shouted in a deep, devilish voice, “Dadgumit!” (It’s at times like these, that a mother understands the real reason they call it a “cry room”.)
Children learn what they see; that’s a fact. The evidence is apparent from the time they are babes in our arms until the day they leave our homes, the respectable individuals we hope we have raised. And while some aspects of their personalities may be innate, it is clear that others are simply learned. Now there’s a lesson for us all.
And that’s "All in a day’s work. "
When babies are first born, everyone wants to know who they look like. For weeks it’s the biggest debate in the house. You half expect to turn on Fox News and hear Hannity and Colmes discussing whether your child has big ears like you do or a huge head like your husband. But after the excitement of a new baby has worn off, and real life starts to kick in, nobody really cares who the kid looks like. It’s all about how he acts.
As time passes, the “sleeping, eating, and pooping machine” (as my 12 year-old sister-in-law calls it) starts to develop into a real person. This is when we really start to see who the child resembles. Does he sit quietly for hours, perfectly content to play by himself? Or does he become easily frustrated when he can’t make his toys do what he wants them to do? From the way he raises his eyebrows when he is excited, to the wrinkling of his nose when he laughs, so many of our kids’ mannerisms can be traced back to us.
The older the child gets, the more we begin to see ourselves—or our spouses—in our kids’ actions. Children so often will give a surprisingly accurate reflection of the things we say, the things we don’t say, and the way we spend our time.
I’ve discovered the favored place for my kids to mimic these fun, family traits is during church services. When the baby picks up the checkbook at holds it to his ear like a telephone, or rummages through my purse to discover a calculator—which he instantly points to the pulpit in an attempt to mute the preacher—it is then that I know the kid has been watching our every move. Whether he is growling or grunting, I can tell by his inflected tone that he is trying to repeat exactly whatever it is that he has just heard. Of course we see this much more clearly in our oldest, who is extremely verbal. On a recent Sunday morning during the serving of the Lord’s Supper, for no apparent reason at all, he shouted in a deep, devilish voice, “Dadgumit!” (It’s at times like these, that a mother understands the real reason they call it a “cry room”.)
Children learn what they see; that’s a fact. The evidence is apparent from the time they are babes in our arms until the day they leave our homes, the respectable individuals we hope we have raised. And while some aspects of their personalities may be innate, it is clear that others are simply learned. Now there’s a lesson for us all.
And that’s "All in a day’s work. "
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Birthday News
Well, the big First Birthday Party is over and was a great success. Both boys had so much fun getting to see you all. Cooper woke up on Sunday asking, "Where did all the cousins go?" And even though it wasn't his birthday, he did a really good job of understanding that it was Brisco's birthday and Brisco's cake and Brisco's presents...of course Brisco hasn't done much playing with Brisco's new toys! But he doesn't seem to care, and that's the way I like it.
I've almost got the house back in order, but I'm really in no hurry. With the weather wet and dreary outside, everything I get put away gets dragged right back out, so they may as well have easy access to it all. By the way...someone left a couple of lawn chairs out back.
For those of you who were unable to come, we understand, but we missed you. Thanks to everyone who was here. I know it may not be anyone's idea of a "fun Saturday"...attending a little kid's birthday, but it sure meant a lot that you all were able to come. Wish I had more time to visit with each of you; I"ll do better next time!
Check out the fun pictures of the birthday boy below.
Love to all
I've almost got the house back in order, but I'm really in no hurry. With the weather wet and dreary outside, everything I get put away gets dragged right back out, so they may as well have easy access to it all. By the way...someone left a couple of lawn chairs out back.
For those of you who were unable to come, we understand, but we missed you. Thanks to everyone who was here. I know it may not be anyone's idea of a "fun Saturday"...attending a little kid's birthday, but it sure meant a lot that you all were able to come. Wish I had more time to visit with each of you; I"ll do better next time!
Check out the fun pictures of the birthday boy below.
Love to all
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