Comments on: Losing

By: Meg

Meg — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 19:00:22 +0000

I have a 20 month old, and all I can say is “Glad I’m not the only one!”. But really, some days are more of a struggle than others, and I try really hard to let some things slide (as long as it isn’t a safety issue) because I know she really doesn’t understand my reasoning behind “No.” But one day she will, and when that day comes she won’t have much choice but to listen or deal with the consequences.
I have a 5 yr old stepson whose life I’ve been involved in since he was this age. He was nowhere near a defiant as my daughter. So you think you know what you’re doing, or how you will handle things with the new child, but really most of that just doesn’t work with her. She has my strong-will for sure!
Here’s to hoping that when they are 4 and we’ve been through the terrible 1’s, 2’s & 3’s that we come out on the other side with most of our hair & our sanity intact!

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 18:33:10 +0000

My only advice is to try have as few rules as necessary. Childproof as much as you can so that he is in a safe environment that he can explore without a whole lot of “no’s”.

I have a 14 year old now and I could have written your entire post about him. Teenagers act a lot like toddlers – except they can talk. And I will eventually have 4 at the same time, Lord help me!

By: Kacie

Kacie — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:57:00 +0000

I hear you! I’m there with you. Trite, but true: it gets better! I have Johnny as proof. So that’s what’s getting me through this stage with Vivid.

By: jonathanwthomas

jonathanwthomas — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 03:21:05 +0000

We go through the same things every day. William constantly does things he shouldn’t, we discipline and he does them again. I’m trying a new strategy of outsmarting him. For example, he loves finding the switches for the power strips and flicking them on/off hundreds of times. Rather than continuing to discipline him which doesn’t work, I fashioned covers for the switches. Problem solved.

Still trying to come up with a solution for him constantly opening the dishwasher.

My morning routine is to work on the laptop in the living room while he watches Sprout and mom sleeps in. This routine worked for the last 16 months. But now he loves the computer. Loves closing it on me. Loves banging the keys. Loves trying to take it away from me. If I stop him, he screams at me. It’s to the point where I can no longer sit on the couch and work. I knew it would never last. My solution? I sit at the kitchen table now. That will work until he learns how to climb on the table…

Little things aside, I hear what you’re saying. There’s so much that’s awesome about him and child rearing. But then there’s so much that’s not and is miserable. And if you ask me to weigh the misery vs. the awesome and answer if I want more kids, I say hell no this sucks.

But then he sits on my lap and watches Thomas the Tank Engine with his blankie and I reconsider.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 02:52:36 +0000

In reply to April. Ha! I do find that reassuring. Unfortunately, most "normal" behaviors at this age are also very obnoxious. Thanks for the encouraging words. :)

By: April

April — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 01:24:30 +0000

I have absolutely no advice to give about this because I’m not a mother and I’m not a fan of meddling know it all-ism. But I worked on a child development matrix for the last week or so for my educational psych class and apparently taking off pants at Judah’s age is an appropriate milestone. So look at the bright side–he’s right on target with his motor skills and self help behavior! Of course, saying no to mom and dad and testing boundaries is also an age appropriate milestone so yeah…good luck. ;)