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Kids/Parenting

Get on the potty train

Yeah, that’s how Hayden understood the phrase “potty training”—something about trains? And potties?

But he did a lot better with understanding the actual potty training. I saw this book in the library and although I was skeptical, I picked up Toilet Training in Less Than A Day. It took about two hours to read, and it still sounded too good to be true.

book-coverSo with a grain of salt, we sat down in the kitchen to learn about this potty train. Following the procedures of the book, Hayden taught a doll how to go potty, answered endless quizzes on potty procedures, regularly spent 10 minutes on his potty, and checked to see if his pants were wet.

And, um, it worked. He didn’t even really have an accident that first day, though it did take three hours before he went to the bathroom the first time, no matter how much drink I forced down his throat.

And then there was the next day. No accidents. And none the next day. And other than one bedwetting incident, no accidents the next week. This week, we’ve had one bed wetting incident.

Hayden now knows how to use his little potty, empty it into the big potty, flush, replace the bowl and wash his hands all by himself (though he does seem to like an audience still). When he’s in nursery or day care at the gym, he knows to ask his teachers for help. He still needs a little help with wiping, and we have to turn the light on for him (and really, he does like an audience), but often I don’t even know he’s gone until he shouts, “Mommy, I peed!”

So yeah. I can’t promise Toilet Training in Less Than A Day will work for everyone, but much to my surprise, it worked for us!

More WFMW

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Kids/Parenting

I am such a good mom

I said this to one of my friends this week. Obviously, I was being at least partially facetious, since #1, I was chatting online instead of playing with my kids (a major problem for me, sadly) and #2, the full transcript of that moment is as follows:

I’m such a good mom
I just fed Rebecca a cheeto

Oddly enough, however, I really did feel like a good mom. Not for feeding Rebecca a cheeto (I’m not a fan myself, even though they are “guaranteed fresh” and “made with all natural oil,” as the package states), or for neglecting my kids, but for allowing myself to be an imperfect mother for a minute.

So much of the time, we mothers are quick to judge ourselves. Every time we don’t give our children what they want (even when we know it’s for the best) or aren’t 157% attentive to their needs, we feel as though we’re mean, bad, and ten kinds of terrible. If we don’t keep up on the latest trends—from Baby Gap to Baby Einstein, from Gerber brain-friendly organic finger foods to gerbera daisy hairclips to match every single outfit she owns—we’re bad mothers.

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Speaking of hairclips, Rebecca wore one in her hair for the first time this month! Stinkin adorable.

So you know what? I’m going to let my baby have one cheeto. Odds are pretty low that either of our immortal souls hang in the balance, so I think I’m going to forgive myself for letting her consume 14 mg of sodium.

What have you learned to forgive yourself for? What do you struggle with forgiving yourself for? Do you consider yourself a good mother?

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Kids/Parenting

All quiet on the MamaBlogga front

A quick update: We’ve been working on toilet training Hayden this week, so most other things have taken a back burner. Don’t worry, things are going fantastic so far! Keep your fingers crossed for us.

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Kids/Parenting

I’m so mean

I do this to my kids:

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“I hate you.”

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“Mommy . . .”

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“. . .”

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“That’s silly.”

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“That’s better!”

Categories
Fulfillment Kids/Parenting

Finding that sweet moment

kids-feb-mar-2009-036smallAs of yesterday, I’ve been a mother of two for nine months. It hasn’t been everything I expected—or maybe I should say feared. Yes, at times it has been very stressful (especially lately with both children suddenly thinking they need to make sure I wake at least every hour during the night).

But, as I always seem to find, enjoying motherhood is less about what my kids do and more about who they are. Of course, that’s also manifest in their actions, but their little personalities are some of the biggest joys of this life.

Especially when their little personalities get along so well.

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Naturally, Rebecca is fascinated with Hayden. She can’t keep her eyes off him when he’s in the room. She laughs easiest at his antics. Even his mere presence can be enough to elicit a giggle.

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And for his part, Hayden loves his little sister “Werbecca” very much. His favorite things to do seem to be helping to sing a lullaby before her naps and bedtime (“Baby Beluga”) and being there to wake her up after her naps. (Of course, since she finds him so interesting and entertaining, sometimes his efforts to help put her down aren’t so helpful after all, but it’s still sweet.)

A recent comment here really struck me. Mom on the Go said:

Don’t wait for the day that you can say it’s worth it. Wait for the moment. Grace comes in all lengths of time. The short ones seem to come with the small kids.

A few weeks ago, I let Hayden go in to talk to Rebecca after she woke up from a nap, while I was finishing up something on the computer. I came in to get my giggling children and I found one of those moments just waiting for me:

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What moments have you found lately?

Categories
Kids/Parenting

Evolution works! (Or: Five reasons why babies are cute)

I’m not really going to get into a theory of evolution debate here—really, the more appropriate headline would be “Natural selection works.” I totally believe that and I see evidence of it in my everyday life (“natural selection” is just a lot longer than “evolution”).

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Genetics at work: my mother and my daughter

As a mother of very young children, I can tell you exactly how demanding and frustrating babies and toddlers can be—but I’ve come to believe that a babies’ cuteness is, in fact, an inherited defense mechanism against some of their most motherly-frustration-inducing behaviors. My evidence:

  1. Cuddling: Although waking me for the eighth time in six hours is decidedly not a good way into my good graces, a quiet, sweet, snuggling baby is pretty tough to stay angry at.
  2. Gurgling giggles: It’s five AM and the infant thinks it’s time to get up for the day. But before I can burst into tears, she sees my face and wham—instant gales of excited laughter. Even if I’m not quite as happy to see her at that hour, it’s hard not to forgive her when she’s just so happy to see me.
  3. Nap time: When I reach my wits’ end, I know it’s time for a nap (for me and/or the kids 😉 ). This can be a double whammy, especially if the baby or toddler is obviously tired but still averse to said nap, and spends half an hour screaming—because when they finally succumb to the much-needed sleep, it’s all the sweeter to peek in on the peacefully slumbering angel (and pray it lasts!).
  4. Baby talk: Sure, you can argue their articulatory muscles aren’t fully developed enough to appreciate the nuances of the lateral approximate, but let’s face it: somewhere in his DNA, my son knows that “I yub you!” melts even an annoyed heart faster than plain old “I love you.”
  5. Stoic tears: Okay, this one might not be entirely genetic, but who wouldn’t forgive a tantrum from tiny child who bravely insists that he must wipe his own tears?

What other naturally cute behaviors have you seen that totally take the wind out of your frustration?