Toddler and Preschooler Check-in (2/7-8)

[eliz77]

Age: 2 years

Milestones: No real milestones, loves playing memory games and puzzles on his iPad. It amazes me considering I probably couldn't even do as much on an iPad at like 15 years old.

Challenges: The Terrible Two's are sort of making an appearance...LO has realized he can throw tantrums when told "no." Doesn't last long and he seems more perplexed that we ignore his fake crying than the fact he doesn't get what he wants.He's such a laid back, easy kid that I hope ignoring his antics makes him realize such antics are not a good idea.

Funny/cute stories: He's obsessed with Thomas and everything trains so we read the same Thomas book 5x overnight about taking the judge to the train show. The other day he was acting out the entire scene for Grandma, complete with a cow being on the track and the judge's (Grandma apparently) hat falling off.

How are you? Current state-SORE. I've been doing boot camp at 6am and then spinning at home. Today was all about squats and now I'm feeling it!

Anything else? Still not pregnant...I have an gyn appointment at end of the month and plan to discuss even though H just wants to try and see what happens and not get outside advice/help.

QOTW: Any plans for Valentines Day? Do you plan on getting your little one a gift? I'm sure I'll get him something, not sure what! I'm hoping to have him decorate some craft activity for his grandmas and babysitters since it's going to snow tomorrow!

[eliz77]

@enchanted I remember when D was 11 months old I left the baby gate open to move some boxes out of my kitchen, and turned around to see he made it to the top of the stairs, pop up and run down the hallway. I never told H about that!

I've heard sometimes 3-4 years old can be more challenging than two as far as the tantrums and listening go, more so at home than away. Has this been the case?

[oldbaylover1024]

@enchanted - Glad to hear DS had a great week at school! And the stairs... OMG. Similar to eliz77 , when J was about 1.5 she followed me up (snuck through the gate) and when I turned around she fell. It was terrifying - I still have nightmares about it. She was fine, but it scared the sh!t out of me.

eliz77 - I will say for us 3 has been a bit more challenging than 2, mainly because she tries to reason and discuss her way out of stuff. The girl is a mini-lawyer if I ever saw one!

Age: 3.75

Milestones: Cleaning! It's been full-on cleaning mode at our house the last two weekends and this girl BEGGED to help. So I had her dusting, polishing, and sweeping floors. She loved it. I need to get her a mini-broom and dust pan.

Challenges: Waking up so damn early. She's been getting up around 5, 5:30 these days and it's exhausting. She'll go to the bathroom and then come get MH or me. After she woke me up at 5 a.m. this morning, I bought an Okay to Wake clock.

Funny/cute stories: Yesterday was my birthday and MH asked J what she wanted to get me. This was the conversation:

J: I want to get Mommy gift cards to all the places she makes lists for and takes me to [read: Target, BJ's, and the grocery store]!
MH: Well, what about something Mommy can spend on herself?
J: Oh! How about your work?!
MH: My work? (he works at a major bank)
J: Yeah! The coffee store! (his office is next to a grocery store with a Starbucks inside)

So my daughter is convinced that MH works at Starbucks and is not, in fact, a personal banker LOL She's apparently told everyone at school that Daddy makes coffee for a living LMAO

How are you? Exhausted and excited to get through today and tomorrow!

Anything else? ::: current PG mentioned ::: C-section is on Friday morning! Eek!

QOTW: Uh, no LOL We'll probably order Chinese or something and drink champagne at home. I'll get J some candy and a card or something small. Maybe a box of Lucky Charms. The girl loves some Lucky Charms!

[shandorfml2]

eliz77, my LO, almost 2, is starting to throw tantrums when I say no, or he has to put pants on, or go to school, or leave school, or wake up etc.. haha. Sometimes he even throws one over nothing because he is cranky (will place himself carefully on the floor, then whine)
@enchanted,sexy time toys yay! Glad your LO is doing better at school, sorry for misbehavior at home. my LO is getting 3 teeth at once, not fun.

[shandorfml2]

Age: 22.5 months

Milestones: Lots of words, walking to his room at night when he's ready for bed, he actually followed a direction I have last night (go get your milk)

Challenges: getting two or three teeth right now. Also throwing tantrums,mostly at home. Doesn't like his pants, yet constantly wants his shoes on

Funny/cute stories: He is currently obsessed with owls. He likes winnie the pooh, and his favorite (aside from pooh) is owl. We also have a snowy owl book that he will want us to read over and over and over again. He pronounces it "owly"

How are you? Good. Tired. Not happy about managing a toddler, pregnancy and winter ;p

Anything else? Planning his 2nd bday party..cars theme!

QOTW: Any plans for Valentines Day? Do you plan on getting your little one a gift? Probably a balloon...he loves "boons".

[shandorfml2]

@boxerific, ugh 3 is worse than 2 and 4 is worse than 3? oh boy.

[oldbaylover1024]

Feb 8, 2017 10:58:11 GMT -5 @boxerific said:

Feb 8, 2017 10:52:46 GMT -5 @enchanted said:

eliz77 For us, it has been worse. The Boy never really had a terrible two phase except for about six weeks a few months after Little Miss was born and he figured out she wasn't leaving. That's not to say there weren't tantrums, but two wasn't nearly as bad as I was warned it would be.

Three is hard. He's bigger, he's stronger, and he's more verbal.

I also think kids act up more at home if it's their safe place. They know Mom and Dad love them and aren't leaving.

This. Exactly. Even my oldest has near perfect behavior at school, but has major meltdowns at home on the reg. Every teacher he's had says that they hear this from parents all.the.time. So at least it seems normal.

I'll third the bolded. J rarely melts down at school. If she's gonna do it, she's gonna do it on her home turf.*

*I should also say we're pretty lucky that she rarely has tantrums. But my god when they happen... look out.

Unrelated: I think my kid is going to end up with a broom-and-dustpan set for Valentine's Day. Is that the equivalent of, like, a husband getting his wife a treadmill for Christmas? Because I'm suddenly having some guilt about my gift choices LOL

[2redtulips]

Age: 2.5 on Friday!!

Milestones: Oh, he's changing so fast right now. He looks older, his language is getting clearer, he runs faster, he falls down less.

Challenges: Hitting me. Sigh. He hates being told no, and that results in him smacking me (lightly, but still). We're working on it.

Funny/cute stories: One of the other moms stopped me at daycare pickup and told me she changed her DD's schedule there. That meant that R. and her DD weren't in class together one day, and her DD said to her, sadly: "R. best friend. R. home." Melted my heart!!

How are you? Oh, boy. Mind if I whine? My mom had back surgery last month, so the whole family has been taking shifts sitting with her to make sure she's safe during recovery. I am so happy to help (I can't even begin to list all my folks have done for me, and I am so glad to return a bit of the favor), but it has added a new layer of stress. On top of that, my sister and I seem to be feuding right now -- which seemed to come completely out of the blue. I am close with this sister, so it hurts a lot.

So, in a nutshell, I am not great. I am trying to focus on what I am doing well, trying to cut myself a little slack, etc. One day at a time.

Anything else? Is February over yet? February is historically my worst month, and this year is no different.

QOTW: Any plans for Valentines Day? Do you plan on getting your little one a gift? I will give DH a card and chocolates, I think. I am not sure I'll be home from Mom's in time for dinner, so maybe I will make him a dessert and have a wine date by the TV later in the evening?
I am not sure if I will do anything for R. Maybe a new book or something? I am happy his VDay party at school falls on a day when he'll be there. I think he will enjoy that.

[Smootiepie]

DS is 16 months

He's really getting into using utensils. He's not the best at it, so we've been putting the food on the fork/spoon for him so he can shovel it into his mouth.

Tantrums (what's new). Like if he can't stab something w/ the fork, or something falls off the spoon, it's the end of the world. And God forbid you serve him food a way he doesn't want it. Like last night, I was giving him banana. I decided to break it into quarters, and that was not acceptable to him (apparently he wanted me to hand it to him whole). So he didn't want to eat it. But he was hangry. So we went round and round until he finally realized that eating the banana, albeit in it's lesser state, was better than not eating the banana.

He got a Po.wer Whee.ls for his b-day, and he loves to hit the button just long enough for the truck to lurch forward. He giggles every time he gets it to move.

I'm meh. Work sucks, and is only going to get worse (busier). So that's not good.

QOTW: No gift for DS. I think the adults are going to order take-out and watch a movie at home.

[2redtulips]

oldbaylover1024, Eek! I will be thinking of you on Friday!!

@enchanted, @boxerific, oldbaylover1024, This 2<3<4 discussion has me intrigued. We definitely have had some terrible twos moments, but I am bracing for worse at 3-4, from everything I have heard from other moms.

I also completely agree about home being their safe space to express their emotions. I just finished a great book called "Rest, Play, Grow" that details preschooler development and talks about how important it is to help young children "find their tears" and express emotion. After reading that, R's tears and meltdowns have been a lot easier for me to handle.

[2redtulips]

Smootiepie, Oh, we have the whole banana meltdown often around here. Then he started to melt down if I peeled it for him. Then if I even started the peel. So, now he gets half an unpeeled banana and he's happy. Of course, you are supposed to read their minds about what they want!

[shandorfml2]

2redtulips, sorry you are having a hard time. Yes, Feb can suck it.