Friday was a pretty crappy day. Monkey had to undergo anesthesia to get a CT scan done, for an upcoming surgery. Anesthesia is never fun for a kid or a parent, and the anxiety is always high. The worst part of all, is that as they get older, they know what's coming. They do not want anything to do with the 'room' or the mask they put on you to knock you out. It's hard enough for a parent to have to deal with their kid being sick, or needing medical procedures, but when you add in seeing the sheer terror on your sweet little guy's face, it's unbearable.
I was a little surprised that the doctor and the nurse were impressed that I wanted to be involved. When the nurse told the doctor I'd be coming into the room with them to help see Monkey off to sleep, he had a look on his face. He explained to me that most parents don't like to 'see that', and I should be prepared in case they need to restrain him to get the mask on. I kindly explained to him that after everything we've been through (112 days in the NICU, over 10 surgeries, countless 'procedures', etc), sadly, this was nothing new. And I would prefer it if I could help get the mask on Monkey, because restraining an anxious 4 year old, is only going to terrify him more and make future procedures more difficult. They never seem to care much about the down the road stuff though, do they? They only want to get their thing done.
We walked together to the room, much better than riding on a bed, and I tried to distract Monkey by asking him to count all the fish on the CT machine. Once everyone was ready, I picked him up and we sat together on the bed. I held the mask and sung him a song. He clearly was still a little freaked out, but at least I was able to comfort him more than some stranger pinning him down. He was out pretty quick and the medical team was all astonished at how 'brave' of a mom I was. I have to scoff a little bit, because in my mind, I'm not brave at all. I'm just doing the best I can to reassure my baby. He's the brave one.
If anything, I'm just emotionally checked out. As bad as that probably sounds, I just have to turn it off and not think about it. I can't fall apart in front of him. I'll wait until I'm out of sight to have my quick cry. Or maybe I'll bottle it all up and break down later over something completely unrelated. Definitely nothing brave about it.
So until our next adventure, a nasal endoscopy next week, that I'm absolutely dreading, I'll make sure everything is as normal as can be for my little Monkey. And when the time comes, he'll be the brave one again. I'm just there to hold his hand.
Hugs,
-J
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parenting. Show all posts
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sick kids, tired mommy
Anyone with kids knows the dread of that first sniffle. No, please don't be sick, please! Hoping against hope, that maybe it's just allergies. With the first kid, it's definite anxiety. When you add a second (or third or sixth), it becomes level 5 panic. Maybe if you keep them apart, disinfect everything, wash hands every five seconds, it won't spread. Yeah, good luck with that, because inevitably, the older kid will sneeze right into the baby's face and then wipe the extra snot on you.
I hate colds, regardless of the severity. What bothers me even more is the parents that send their sick kids out unnecessarily to infect the rest of us. They say, "oh, but it's just a cold", or "little johnny just has allergies", what's the big deal?
Well, the big deal is that some of us have kids that have compromised immune systems. Maybe they were born early, or have a medical condition that makes common illnesses take a bigger toll on them. Little Bear spent 5 days in the hospital last March for RSV, brought home no doubt from Monkey's preschool.
But your kid is healthy and so you don't see it as a big deal. Take your kids to the playground, the mall, the library. Send them to school snotting everywhere. Who cares? Well, I'm that weird mom that leaves the playground when there's a kid hacking up a lung all over the slide. I keep my son home from preschool when he has so much as a sniffle, let alone a runny nose.
Don't get me wrong, we definitely don't live in a bubble. My kids play in the dirt, we visit plenty of playgrounds, restaurants, hospitals, etc that are literally crawling with germs. I just get frustrated when it seems like things are all running smoothly and then I hear that first sneeze. Nooooooo! That, compounded with not getting any sleep for the past 3 nights have probably contributed to this whiny post. So, on that note, good health to all and goodnight!
Hugs (and sneezes),
-J
Friday, October 26, 2012
Peaceful Parenting Miracles
My sister-in-law is what I would consider a full hippie mama. She is the real deal, and I look to her when I need some hippie tips. She runs a free school in Virginia that follows the unschooling model. She is always sharing tips and articles she finds on 'peaceful parenting'. Of course I read them, but never bookmark or save anything. So, while I get the general idea of it all, I will by no means try to portray myself any kind of expert.
Now that the disclaimer is out there, I can share my experience. :)
One of the general ideas is that we, as adults, need to control our tempers and our emotions as we are responding to 'behavior issues' in our children. If we can react to situations calmly and with empathy, our children will usually respond better than when we get wound up as well.
Example- After asking Monkey for the 5th time to please sit his butt in his car seat so that we can get to the appt that we're already running late for, I'm likely to get frustrated and react negatively. Whether it's barking, "GET IN YOUR SEAT, RIGHT NOW", or threatening some sort of punishment, "If you don't get in that seat, we're not going to the park later", I'm not helping the situation. Monkey doesn't magically listen. In fact, if I have taken the barking orders route, it usually just results in tears (for both of us). Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often.
Solution- What has amazingly worked, is just talking to him about why he doesn't want to do (or is currently doing) desired/undesired behavior. I say amazingly because I was 100% skeptical that a 3-4 year old would have the attention span and communication skills for a meaningful conversation when they are clearly upset.
In the example above, I take a deep breath and 9 times out of 10, we have a conversation like this-
Me- "Hey, what's going on? Can you talk to me for a sec?"
Him- "I don't want to go to X."
Me- "Why not?"
Him- "I was playing with my train." or "I'm hungry", "I have to go potty", "We were just in the car 15 min ago", etc
Me- "Well, I know it's fun playing with your train, and I'm sorry you had to stop. But we have an appt with X, and we need to leave now so we're not late. I promise when we get back you can play with your train."
Or- if he is especially hysterical about it, I may even suggest we bring the train, or whatever the item is.
Him- "Ok." *climbs into car seat nicely*
*Angels sing!* It's a miracle. I'm telling you though, it works, just try it.
Now, I know to a lot of parents, this may seem like spoiling or catering to their kid's every whim and creating a monster. But I'll tell you, I've seen the exact opposite. Instead of turning into a demanding brat, I've noticed Monkey's eyes sparkle when he sees that I'm genuinely concerned with what's bothering him. He becomes calmer, more willing to cooperate, and I am by no means bribing him. Although, I still think there's a time and a place for the bribe. ;)
In many situations, he just wants to express his frustration and is having trouble using his words. Think about us as adults. How many times are we frustrated with someone, like a boss, spouse or parent asking us to do something we didn't want to do. Do we always have a nice discussion with them about it? No. Many times we bottle it up, pretend like nothing is wrong, take it out on someone else later. Or maybe we send a nasty email, slam a door, you get the picture. We're not perfect at controlling our emotions, so why should a preschooler have it mastered? Now in the same scenario, what if the offender sensed your frustration, and talked to you about it? Doesn't that usually make you feel better? Like your feelings are validated? It's the same with our kids. They want to feel validated, appreciated, RESPECTED. Just like we do.
What reminded me of this today, and believe me, I use this strategy daily, is that today I was really tested. Monkey has a little bit of a cold, and he was in a FOUL mood today. I know you've all been there before. Everything was setting him off. He wanted yogurt, but not with that spoon! He was trying to stack kitchen items, but they kept falling (end of the world). We rented a video (that he picked out), but on the way home it's the wrong video. And on and on and on, all day.
Today, it took every ounce of control to keep reminding myself, he's sick, cut him some slack. Usually, I can anticipate and diffuse meltdowns, and there are only 1 or 2 minor occurrences a day. Today was full tilt. The above technique, worked to some degree, but when a kiddo is sick, all bets are off. I think what saved my sanity though, was truly understanding what he was going through. He just doesn't feel good. Simple as that.
I hope this story can help my fellow moms out there, who are struggling with their own negative reactions and looking for other alternatives.
Hugs,
-J
Now that the disclaimer is out there, I can share my experience. :)
One of the general ideas is that we, as adults, need to control our tempers and our emotions as we are responding to 'behavior issues' in our children. If we can react to situations calmly and with empathy, our children will usually respond better than when we get wound up as well.
Example- After asking Monkey for the 5th time to please sit his butt in his car seat so that we can get to the appt that we're already running late for, I'm likely to get frustrated and react negatively. Whether it's barking, "GET IN YOUR SEAT, RIGHT NOW", or threatening some sort of punishment, "If you don't get in that seat, we're not going to the park later", I'm not helping the situation. Monkey doesn't magically listen. In fact, if I have taken the barking orders route, it usually just results in tears (for both of us). Fortunately, that doesn't happen very often.
Solution- What has amazingly worked, is just talking to him about why he doesn't want to do (or is currently doing) desired/undesired behavior. I say amazingly because I was 100% skeptical that a 3-4 year old would have the attention span and communication skills for a meaningful conversation when they are clearly upset.
In the example above, I take a deep breath and 9 times out of 10, we have a conversation like this-
Me- "Hey, what's going on? Can you talk to me for a sec?"
Him- "I don't want to go to X."
Me- "Why not?"
Him- "I was playing with my train." or "I'm hungry", "I have to go potty", "We were just in the car 15 min ago", etc
Me- "Well, I know it's fun playing with your train, and I'm sorry you had to stop. But we have an appt with X, and we need to leave now so we're not late. I promise when we get back you can play with your train."
Or- if he is especially hysterical about it, I may even suggest we bring the train, or whatever the item is.
Him- "Ok." *climbs into car seat nicely*
*Angels sing!* It's a miracle. I'm telling you though, it works, just try it.
Now, I know to a lot of parents, this may seem like spoiling or catering to their kid's every whim and creating a monster. But I'll tell you, I've seen the exact opposite. Instead of turning into a demanding brat, I've noticed Monkey's eyes sparkle when he sees that I'm genuinely concerned with what's bothering him. He becomes calmer, more willing to cooperate, and I am by no means bribing him. Although, I still think there's a time and a place for the bribe. ;)
In many situations, he just wants to express his frustration and is having trouble using his words. Think about us as adults. How many times are we frustrated with someone, like a boss, spouse or parent asking us to do something we didn't want to do. Do we always have a nice discussion with them about it? No. Many times we bottle it up, pretend like nothing is wrong, take it out on someone else later. Or maybe we send a nasty email, slam a door, you get the picture. We're not perfect at controlling our emotions, so why should a preschooler have it mastered? Now in the same scenario, what if the offender sensed your frustration, and talked to you about it? Doesn't that usually make you feel better? Like your feelings are validated? It's the same with our kids. They want to feel validated, appreciated, RESPECTED. Just like we do.
What reminded me of this today, and believe me, I use this strategy daily, is that today I was really tested. Monkey has a little bit of a cold, and he was in a FOUL mood today. I know you've all been there before. Everything was setting him off. He wanted yogurt, but not with that spoon! He was trying to stack kitchen items, but they kept falling (end of the world). We rented a video (that he picked out), but on the way home it's the wrong video. And on and on and on, all day.
Today, it took every ounce of control to keep reminding myself, he's sick, cut him some slack. Usually, I can anticipate and diffuse meltdowns, and there are only 1 or 2 minor occurrences a day. Today was full tilt. The above technique, worked to some degree, but when a kiddo is sick, all bets are off. I think what saved my sanity though, was truly understanding what he was going through. He just doesn't feel good. Simple as that.
I hope this story can help my fellow moms out there, who are struggling with their own negative reactions and looking for other alternatives.
Hugs,
-J
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Struggles with Baby 'Food'
Little Bear is really starting to take off with his eating. For the most part, we practice 'baby-led weaning', which is essentially letting him eat whatever we're eating, but I am mixing in some purees as well. He loves just gnawing on a chunk of broccoli, and does get little bits off that he actually eats.
As a matter of fact, this kid loves to eat pretty much anything you put within his reach. His appetite is growing, and I'm starting to run into some problems.
Problem #1: Snacks
When we're out and about, which is a lot, I struggle with what to give him. Most parents give their tots 'puffs', the ridiculous snack that for some reason, includes sugar. I have searched high and low for an alternative to these, and found the Happy Baby and Plum Organic brand, but even those have cane syrup.
Why the sweetener? What is the deal with putting sugar in baby foods? I mean, really, is it necessary? Does a baby's brand new palate only accept sweet foods? NO.
Problem #2: Allergies
Aside from having difficulty finding appropriate snack items for baby, I also struggle with allergy issues. Hubby and I have no food allergies. None. My sister and his dad have severe allergies, food and otherwise. So there is a family pre-disposition, and boy was it ever passed on.
Unfortunately, Monkey is allergic to bananas, avocado, kiwi, mango, eggs and latex. We also are avoiding nuts until age 5 because of the family history. So far, it looks like little Bear is allergic to sweet potatoes, but I'm also avoiding all the other foods that Monkey is allergic to just in case. I also have a suspicion about apricots, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.
Now guess what are the easiest/most nutritious foods to start baby out on? Bananas, avocado, sweet potato. Some of hubby and my favorites as well. Ugh.
Best part- the main flavors of the 'puffs'? Banana, sweet potato, and strawberry, (which is a high allergen and should be avoided until age 2 in allergy prone families).
Solutions?
Here's where I'm hoping for some help from all the moms out in the blogger/twitterverse. Fortunately, this kiddo gets plenty of breastmilk and is growing great, so I'm not overly concerned about nutrition yet. In the long run though, I need to figure out some alternatives to the generic/processed/sugary crap that's out there now.
Thanks in advance for any tips/tricks.
Hugs,
-J
As a matter of fact, this kid loves to eat pretty much anything you put within his reach. His appetite is growing, and I'm starting to run into some problems.
Problem #1: Snacks
When we're out and about, which is a lot, I struggle with what to give him. Most parents give their tots 'puffs', the ridiculous snack that for some reason, includes sugar. I have searched high and low for an alternative to these, and found the Happy Baby and Plum Organic brand, but even those have cane syrup.
Why the sweetener? What is the deal with putting sugar in baby foods? I mean, really, is it necessary? Does a baby's brand new palate only accept sweet foods? NO.
Problem #2: Allergies
Aside from having difficulty finding appropriate snack items for baby, I also struggle with allergy issues. Hubby and I have no food allergies. None. My sister and his dad have severe allergies, food and otherwise. So there is a family pre-disposition, and boy was it ever passed on.
Unfortunately, Monkey is allergic to bananas, avocado, kiwi, mango, eggs and latex. We also are avoiding nuts until age 5 because of the family history. So far, it looks like little Bear is allergic to sweet potatoes, but I'm also avoiding all the other foods that Monkey is allergic to just in case. I also have a suspicion about apricots, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.
Now guess what are the easiest/most nutritious foods to start baby out on? Bananas, avocado, sweet potato. Some of hubby and my favorites as well. Ugh.
Best part- the main flavors of the 'puffs'? Banana, sweet potato, and strawberry, (which is a high allergen and should be avoided until age 2 in allergy prone families).
Solutions?
Here's where I'm hoping for some help from all the moms out in the blogger/twitterverse. Fortunately, this kiddo gets plenty of breastmilk and is growing great, so I'm not overly concerned about nutrition yet. In the long run though, I need to figure out some alternatives to the generic/processed/sugary crap that's out there now.
Thanks in advance for any tips/tricks.
Hugs,
-J
Monday, October 22, 2012
Learning about money from a giant elephant
On a recent trip to Costco we came across a display with giant stuffed animals. Monkeys, lions, giraffes, elephants, etc. Another little tyke was holding one of the giraffes and my Monkey asked to look at the elephant. Normally, I'm ok with this, because he usually looks at or holds said toy, but happily gives it back when I tell him it's time to move on. This time was different. He insisted on keeping a tight grasp on the elephant throughout our shopping trip, and I expected his interest to wane before we left.
I was very wrong. He kept a tight grip on this thing, 'showing it' various items throughout the store. Towards the end I started preparing him for letting go of elephant. I finally convinced him to put it down, but he wasn't happy about it. Realizing that he was intent on buying this elephant, I offered a solution. How about we use some of that birthday money he just received and he could buy the elephant? He thought this was a "great idea!" as he likes to say. Unfortunately, his wallet was at home, so I promised him we'd come back another day.
Here's the thing about this wallet. He's never really used it, although we've talked about it, and how things cost money, and how daddy works to make money. At my mention of his wallet and using his money, he became very excited. Attention diverted. In the back of my mind, I thought he'd forget about the elephant before we made it back to Costco.
Wrong, again. This morning I pick him up from preschool, and on the way home he talks about how much fun he had. We pull in the driveway and BAM, out of nowhere, he declares, "I miss my elephant!", with tears. He mentioned it a couple times over the weekend, so I knew he was still slightly interested, and I was planning on bringing his wallet with us on the next trip to Costco, but seriously?
Fortunately, Costco is only a couple miles away, and I needed to get some pictures printed anyway. We headed up there and he was bouncing with energy about his purchase. He picked out the elephant, we made our way to the cashier, and I tried explaining the process to him. "Wait for the cashier to ring up your elephant. Then, he'll tell you how much it costs and you give him the money."
I had explained in advance that the elephant cost $13, so that he'd be prepared. Funny enough, he had a $20 bill in his wallet, and tried to wrap his head around it being 'twenty' dollars. "This is only one." I wished I had thought ahead and exchanged his $20 for ones, so that he could count the $13 out, but maybe next time.
He couldn't wait for the cashier to ring it up. As the bagger was pulling the cart up, he yells, "Here!", and shoves the $20 at the bagger, who can't help but smile. After the cashier rings it up, he proceeds to give Monkey the change, all in ones. We were suddenly in a music video. Monkey is fanning and flashing his cash all over the place. Of course, being 4, he's also dropping it in the cart, so I'm trying to explain that if we lose it, it will be gone forever.
I finally get him to put it in the wallet, which then goes into Bear's diaper bag for safe keeping. On the car ride home, he holds this giant elephant in his lap, and seems as content as could be. His little head is currently snuggling on the elephant, now named Kayla, after the elephant in Curious George.
So for a mere $13 of birthday money, we got a giant elephant, and a lesson in money. Totally worth it, in my opinion.
Hugs,
-J
I was very wrong. He kept a tight grip on this thing, 'showing it' various items throughout the store. Towards the end I started preparing him for letting go of elephant. I finally convinced him to put it down, but he wasn't happy about it. Realizing that he was intent on buying this elephant, I offered a solution. How about we use some of that birthday money he just received and he could buy the elephant? He thought this was a "great idea!" as he likes to say. Unfortunately, his wallet was at home, so I promised him we'd come back another day.
Here's the thing about this wallet. He's never really used it, although we've talked about it, and how things cost money, and how daddy works to make money. At my mention of his wallet and using his money, he became very excited. Attention diverted. In the back of my mind, I thought he'd forget about the elephant before we made it back to Costco.
Wrong, again. This morning I pick him up from preschool, and on the way home he talks about how much fun he had. We pull in the driveway and BAM, out of nowhere, he declares, "I miss my elephant!", with tears. He mentioned it a couple times over the weekend, so I knew he was still slightly interested, and I was planning on bringing his wallet with us on the next trip to Costco, but seriously?
Fortunately, Costco is only a couple miles away, and I needed to get some pictures printed anyway. We headed up there and he was bouncing with energy about his purchase. He picked out the elephant, we made our way to the cashier, and I tried explaining the process to him. "Wait for the cashier to ring up your elephant. Then, he'll tell you how much it costs and you give him the money."
I had explained in advance that the elephant cost $13, so that he'd be prepared. Funny enough, he had a $20 bill in his wallet, and tried to wrap his head around it being 'twenty' dollars. "This is only one." I wished I had thought ahead and exchanged his $20 for ones, so that he could count the $13 out, but maybe next time.
He couldn't wait for the cashier to ring it up. As the bagger was pulling the cart up, he yells, "Here!", and shoves the $20 at the bagger, who can't help but smile. After the cashier rings it up, he proceeds to give Monkey the change, all in ones. We were suddenly in a music video. Monkey is fanning and flashing his cash all over the place. Of course, being 4, he's also dropping it in the cart, so I'm trying to explain that if we lose it, it will be gone forever.
I finally get him to put it in the wallet, which then goes into Bear's diaper bag for safe keeping. On the car ride home, he holds this giant elephant in his lap, and seems as content as could be. His little head is currently snuggling on the elephant, now named Kayla, after the elephant in Curious George.
So for a mere $13 of birthday money, we got a giant elephant, and a lesson in money. Totally worth it, in my opinion.
Hugs,
-J
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Cuddle Time
Monkey loves to cuddle. Especially since Bear (little brother) was born and started cutting into his one on one time with mommy. Since he no longer naps, sometimes he'll ask to cuddle when he's tired and just curl up to rest. It's one of my absolute favorite things.
Lately, he's been wanting to cuddle when it's time for Bear's afternoon feeding/nap. So we'll throw a blanket on my legs, and Monkey will curl up on my legs while I'm nursing Bear. Apparently, I was running behind schedule today, because he informed me, "Mommy, I think brother needs to eat now. Can we cuddle?"
I love how little minds connect things like that. Instead of just saying, 'I'm tired'. So, we had a nice cuddle for a few minutes until Bear decided he wasn't sleepy and instead wanted to spit up on our blanket. Monkey reassured me and said, "It's ok, mommy. We can clean it." Something about these moments that I just love.
Take every opportunity to cuddle your little ones while you can. I have a feeling that before too long, they'll be 'too big' to cuddle.
Hugs,
-J
Lately, he's been wanting to cuddle when it's time for Bear's afternoon feeding/nap. So we'll throw a blanket on my legs, and Monkey will curl up on my legs while I'm nursing Bear. Apparently, I was running behind schedule today, because he informed me, "Mommy, I think brother needs to eat now. Can we cuddle?"
I love how little minds connect things like that. Instead of just saying, 'I'm tired'. So, we had a nice cuddle for a few minutes until Bear decided he wasn't sleepy and instead wanted to spit up on our blanket. Monkey reassured me and said, "It's ok, mommy. We can clean it." Something about these moments that I just love.
Take every opportunity to cuddle your little ones while you can. I have a feeling that before too long, they'll be 'too big' to cuddle.
Hugs,
-J
Monday, October 15, 2012
Perspective
My eyes are practically bleeding, I'm so exhausted. However, I wanted to leave this one thought for the day.
Today, we went to the zoo (grandpa is still in town). Rode the merry-go-round, safari train, saw a baby zebra, pet the goats, played on the splash pad, watched a family of tree monkeys acting ridiculous, and overall had a fantastic time.
At dinner, we asked Monkey what his favorite thing was today. His response? "Tickling little brother." Which happened this morning, while I was in the other room, getting ready for the zoo. Sometimes the best moments happen when you're getting ready for something else.
Priceless perspective from a four year old.
Hugs,
-J
Today, we went to the zoo (grandpa is still in town). Rode the merry-go-round, safari train, saw a baby zebra, pet the goats, played on the splash pad, watched a family of tree monkeys acting ridiculous, and overall had a fantastic time.
At dinner, we asked Monkey what his favorite thing was today. His response? "Tickling little brother." Which happened this morning, while I was in the other room, getting ready for the zoo. Sometimes the best moments happen when you're getting ready for something else.
Priceless perspective from a four year old.
Hugs,
-J
Friday, October 12, 2012
Limes and Leaves
What a glorious day today. The weather was beyond perfect and Monkey spent the better part of the afternoon exploring our backyard, while I slaved away in the kitchen making Moroccan Meatballs and Spaghetti Squash (recipes to come). Fortunately, the kitchen faces the backyard and I had the door open, so I could monitor Monkey. Even with a secure fence around the pool, I still get nervous.
First, he transported nearly every 'toy' to the backyard. Wheel barrow, baseball tee, jump rope, buckets, shovels, balls. Then he proceeded to play with every non-toy in the yard. He delighted in picking limes off the tree, and seeing how far he could throw them. He also carefully scooped rocks up and put them in an empty trash bin (they were later returned to the yard).
Best of all, he marched into the house, and while I wasn't paying attention dumped a huge pile of 'helicopters' all over the floor. "Look, mommy! Leaves!!" Yes, that's about as close to leaves as we get this time of year. As slightly annoyed as I was at the thought of stopping what I was doing to clean up his leaves, I was able to appreciate the joy on his face at sharing his discovery.
So, I left them on the floor so daddy could see. Something worth sharing.
Next time he started to come in with another pile, I gently said, "oh, why don't we leave those outside? We have plenty in here to show daddy when he gets home." Worked like a charm with no hurt feelings at all. I cringe a little when I think of other kids/parents in the same situation where a harsh, "No!", or scolding for dirtying the house would crush that excited spirit.
Lessons reinforced today-
1. Nature's toys always win over plastic ones
2. A creative and happy child is worth more than an immaculate house
3. Gentle redirection can work wonders
4. Share the little moments that make you smile
Hugs,
-J
First, he transported nearly every 'toy' to the backyard. Wheel barrow, baseball tee, jump rope, buckets, shovels, balls. Then he proceeded to play with every non-toy in the yard. He delighted in picking limes off the tree, and seeing how far he could throw them. He also carefully scooped rocks up and put them in an empty trash bin (they were later returned to the yard).
Best of all, he marched into the house, and while I wasn't paying attention dumped a huge pile of 'helicopters' all over the floor. "Look, mommy! Leaves!!" Yes, that's about as close to leaves as we get this time of year. As slightly annoyed as I was at the thought of stopping what I was doing to clean up his leaves, I was able to appreciate the joy on his face at sharing his discovery.
So, I left them on the floor so daddy could see. Something worth sharing.
Next time he started to come in with another pile, I gently said, "oh, why don't we leave those outside? We have plenty in here to show daddy when he gets home." Worked like a charm with no hurt feelings at all. I cringe a little when I think of other kids/parents in the same situation where a harsh, "No!", or scolding for dirtying the house would crush that excited spirit.
Lessons reinforced today-
1. Nature's toys always win over plastic ones
2. A creative and happy child is worth more than an immaculate house
3. Gentle redirection can work wonders
4. Share the little moments that make you smile
Hugs,
-J
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