Play the Fool.
We could all learn a little something from Elmo’s friend Mr. Noodle. He is an adult who needs a lot of help from little kids to figure out how to do everyday things. This helplessness gives kids confidence because they feel really smart when they know more than an adult! For example, when trying to wash his hands he would do something like put his elbows in, then splash water on his face, or put his foot in the sink. Every time he does it wrong the little kids tell him the right way to do it until he finally gets it.
Find little ways to do this with your child everyday. Like forget how to put his shirt on in the morning. Or how to brush your/her teeth. How about what kind of utensil she needs to eat her cereal with? I’m sure there are a million things you can think of to “play the fool”.
*By the way this idea came from the Dr. Harvey Karp book The Happiest Toddler on the Block
Have a picnic!
It’s springtime and the weather here in Arizona is perfect. I am extremely lucky to live right across the street from a big park. I literally walk out my front door cross the street and find myself in the middle of a large sports field with a small playground a short walk away.
Yesterday DD and I packed up some snacks, a blanket, bubbles, a spray bottle of water, a bucket of water, and some paint brushes. We had a delightful time sitting on our blanket eating strawberries and cheese and afterward we had even more bonding time while we played. Nature really is the best classroom. I talked to her about the world around us, she worked on her hand/eye coordination by blowing bubbles, and using the spray bottle to “clean the tree”, we did math by counting our fingers and toes, and she learned the names of new body parts like ankles and elbows. The best part was we were steps away from our front door so we could get as messy as we wanted and not worry about having to drive or walk home.
I wish I had brought my camera because it was really a special day. (This picture was taken last November.)
I once learned a communication technique for spouses that goes like this.
At the end of every day each spouse tells the other one:
-something good that happened to them that day
-something bad that happened to them that day
-something the other spouse did to make them mad
-I love you because ______________________
If something comes up in this very short discussion you can choose to explore that further or you could just leave it at that. For us it usually turns into a bigger discussion, most of the time it is about good things.
Parenting toddlers can be such a challenge and often times cause fights between you and your spouse. I know for me I thought we had this parenting thing all figured out and that we were on the same page with everything. ObviouslyI was naive. There are a lot of times where we disagree with what the other person is doing in regards to parenting. I think this communication technique can be very effective if you use it to talk about your parenting experiences that day. Especially through those really challenging stages in childhood. I find that when I am having a rough day just talking it over with my dh makes me feel better. Especially when we are able to communicate in a way that is respectful to eachother.
Today’s tip isn’t really about child development or anything of that nature but it is about keeping a clean house which in itself is more challenging once you have children.
One word VINEGAR. Vinegar is pretty much my best friend when it comes to cleaning my house. I walk around with a little spray bottle with 50% vinegar and 50% water and use it on everything. Kitchen counter tops, dinning table, wood blinds, the floor (wood or tile), all my wood furniture, bathroom, glass, stainless steel. I love using it to clean my stainless steel appliances because it doesn’t leave those ugly water streaks. It makes everything beautiful and shiny. You can use it on any wood surface, the vinegar dries quickly so it doesn’t ruin your wood. I spray a little on go over with a damp sponge or rag and then go over it again with a dry towel.
My other little friend that I just discovered recently is lemon juice. We have glass doors on our shower and I detest those water spots that are soooo hard to get off. So this is what I do. Squeeze the juice of about 5 or 6 lemons into a bowl, take some newspaper and dip it into the juice and then rub the spots off the door, spray with plain water and voila spotless shower doors! I hate using harsh chemicals especially in the shower because it always gives me a headache. This way your shower is clean and the bathroom smells nice too!
I haven’t done one of these in a while and the reason for that is well because I have been completely overwhelmed with this new stage DD is going through. I’m guessing it’s normal two year old behavior. It’s funny because I have always been determined never to call it the “terrible twos” because it seems like such a negative term but man no matter how many times I have heard that term and I still wasn’t prepared for this. Anyway she has definitely been challenging me and leaving me feeling like the worlds most incompetent mom so I just haven’t really had the heart to come on here and tell you all how I have it all figured out. Sarcasm? Yes! I have never thought that I’ve had it all figured out but lately I have been feeling like a fish out of water. Like I have no idea what I’m doing.
Soooo…my tip of the day is….Have a sense of humor!!! When your last button has been pushed and you feel like your gonna snap find the HUMOR in the situation! I’m not advising that you break out hysterically laughing at your toddling two year old who has just figured out a way to climb on top of the refrigerator. But when she is refusing to brush her teeth for the umpteenth time and it is getting on your last nerve just try to find the humor in it. Having a good laugh with your child will likely lighten the situation and if nothing else you will turn that frown upside down.
