I would like to backtrack to September 11th. Although I wanted to recognize this day my post was not the first on my mind. It was my daughter’s birthday! That’s right, September 11th,2001 is my daughter’s birthday. She was born at 4:40 in the morning before the towers were hit. As they wheeled me into …
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Potty Training
Oh the dreaded potty training! I must admit, after being a nanny and child care worker for 5 years before having my own, I really did not look forward to potty training. We first tried Dr. Phil’s potty training in a day…… HA HA HA! Ok, no disrespect to Dr. Phil because I love him, and I am sure it has worked for some, but my daughter was not falling for it.
Here are a few tips I have learned along the way:
* Do not start until you are absolutely positively ready and commited. They will be ready when you are, but any inconsistency will make it much harder on you and your child.
* Pull Ups…..Don’t do it! Two reasons. One, What is the pay off of stopping what they are doing to go to the potty. Discomfort brings a change. (This is true with adults too) 🙂 If it they feel wet and icky they will stop to go to the potty. Two, no offense, but what is your pay off to stop what you are doing and make them go to the potty? My Pediatrician says the best way is the hardest on the parents, sorry I didn’t like it either. When you are at home set your timer for 15-20 minutes and make them sit on the potty. (If they actually go you may set the timer a little longer the next time) And when you are out you take them potty before they leave the house, when you arrive at your destination take them again, and before you leave your destination, yep you guessed it, take them again. Repeat as necessary for wherever you go. Now as hard as this sounds, why when you are in a hurry would you not say,”oh well he has a pull up on and if he has an accident, no biggy”. But without a pull up you will take the time to go potty so you don’t have to take the time to clean up an accident, right? And remember they need consistency! (Thus the reason for tip #1) ( The only exception is bedtime, and on extremely long trips. But every time you stop make them go)
Setting Goals For Your Family Time
1SmartMom.com is all about “Creative Ideas, Tips, and Resources for Smart Moms Everywhere”. Well, once a week I feature another site that I have found inspiring, and think can help us all as moms, and women. This week I want to introduce Jill Koenig. I have heard her name many times, but never really knew …
5 ways to boost your child’s self esteem
On August 22nd, I wrote a post titled “I am the mirror my daughter looks into“. It was about your child’s self esteem and self-worth stemming from how you view yourself. Today on another site I was visiting, I saw “Ways to Boost Your Child’s Self Esteem,” and the first one was to model good …
Thanks to a supportive husband
I have had my site up for a whole 3 weeks now, and it is very exciting to see something that has been on my heart actually happen. So many thoughts and ideas run through my head that result in much of nothing, but not this. This idea, this desire, has really happened. And I …
What a Child CAN do with the Love of a Parent.
I know that as parents we worry about our children having the best in life. We worry about them being smart enough, being able to fit in at school, and being able to do all that they want to do in life. I know that this fear is even stronger in parents who have children …
Continue reading “What a Child CAN do with the Love of a Parent.”
Saving money on Diapers and Formula!
No matter how much, or little, money we have, it is something we can always use a little more of, right? So I wanted to share a couple of money saving tips that every mom should know. I hope these help: ~ Sam’s Club, Publix, and Target Brand Diapers are all the same, and just …
Creating Healthy Eaters
My 5 year old is a very picky eater. She has a tendency to eat her snacks but not her lunch. Especially at school because no one is standing over her to make sure she eats it. Then when she comes home she is “starving” and wants a snack. It is very frustrating. So while …
The behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated!
The behavior that gets rewarded gets repeated! I was in the store with my daughter yesterday and there was a toddler screaming at her Grandma. Having no choice but to overhear the conversation, I heard the Grandma tell the child she could have a “BRATZ” doll. (Ok, side note, I can not BELIEVE a doll …
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Life’s Toughest Questions
In this society children seem to be growing up faster and faster. I often wonder how our children are really affected by the head knowledge of something they are not emotionally mature enough to handle. But how do we answer a child’s tough questions? Corrie Ten Boom shares this story about her father’s response to …