I look back and see what I've written and it's like a wake up call to myself. I'm really grateful God spoke through me, and am thinking huh-what the heck, I don't feel any big things that seem good and thought provoking to talk about. So, maybe I'll just attempt to either do a mixture of what's up in our world--or ramble over topics even if they seem more mundane.
Our youngest sweet thang is at that harder stage between one and two where he's wanting to be more independent but unable to in many areas and still pretty needy. He also has a strong personality and already fights back when we tell him 'no'. Even a simple 'no' towards not biting led him to tug at me and my clothes in anger and throw whatever toy was around him. SO. He's just another story and a whole new area of navigating parent wise.
BUT. What has me really re-evaluating our norm is our oldest. I hit up Walmart after we first brought Reid home to gather some entertainment things for Caden and most of them worked well--but that has been over a year now and boy has he changed.
I tried a behavior chart, with rewards for it and it worked well. That helped, and I would encourage it for anyone. I got the idea from this one blog in particular, but did not put as much effort into the looks of it all and have ours taped to our fridge with a magnet as his moving piece.
It would work more if I kept up with it, well, that and maybe if he didn't argue everything even when we're trying to let him move up towards a reward. rolling my eyes.
Now it's been on my mind, and all over my Pinterest, looking for ideas specifically for him entertainment, structure and learning wise. Two simple and easy ones have worked out well thus far. The first, making dinosaurs out of shapes. The second, matching alphabet letters written on circle stickers to ones written on an empty paper towel roll.
Learning and entertainment which he really did like-so these two are keepers! He took the second one as if he was decorating his spy glass...if there's an empty roll in this house then playing pirates is right around the corner matey.
Coming soon-a letter a week, encouraging writing, working on higher numbers. All great, all not necessarily a rush but good to learn, all in his interest, all learning and adding needed structure...BUT most of all, all kind of scaring the shiz out of me.
I mean, just being honest here. It's all simple things and I just need to prep and get it together and start-luckily along some other mom friends in the same boat-but man. Is this really where I'm at? Are we already here? Should I be pre-ordering college supplies while I'm at it?
Okay, simmer down, simmer down.
But for real. This past year was full of adjustments from one kid to two, full time work to part time, budget changes...we had a crazy busy year when it comes to life changes and growing in many areas personally, as a family, and spiritually.
I adjusted to the change of being home with the boys and found different ways to be interactive and entertain them. We had it pretty good. Then winter came, sucked half the entertainment options away, made my toddler transform into a preschooler and my baby into a toddler all overnight, and left me wondering if we really even celebrated the holidays or if I'm still trying to see through the fog that some call cabin fever...which takes on a whole heck of a lot more meaning when the cabin has a fever and small children inside.
Now as the weather is coming back around, I'm cleaning out the winter clothes, and clothes outgrown, and I'm realizing more than just clothing adjustments need to be had as we come into this new season.
It's no longer a simple choice between the park or zoo for the day, but decisions which impacts hold longer than a few hours.
And that's where I'm stuck in the mud. It's just the beginning, I know. As they get older comes more of the above. Worrying if a decision you made for them will play out to their benefit or not. Second guessing, weighing out the options...I may know my child well, but I don't know how he'll act or respond to new situations that aren't what we've been through before.
A whole new world for us to figure out, a whole new chapter to kick off this never ending game of feeling like you've got a good grip on things just for them to change on you. Get all cozy in one stage just in time for you to realize you have to readjust and reinvent.
Oy vey.
Cheers to the challenge...and by that I mean kind of literally...it'd be nice to have something cold to cheers to right now. And curry. I could use some good curry right about now...
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