I'm nearly at the end of my third day of truly being tested as a stay-home mom; prior to Monday, E was around the whole time helping with the cooking and cleaning so it can't count.
I'm surprised by how quickly the day passes. Because Dylan takes a long time to finish his meals, it isn't long after breakfast that I have to start working on lunch already, and I wonder sometimes if he is hungry with meals so close after each other.
This morning, I tried finger-painting with him for the first time. First lesson to finger paiting: it is vital, before you get the cap off even one of the paint tubes, to have within arm's reach plenty of tissue paper and wet wipes on hand to deal with very likely messes, including when the tyke decides the glob of dark blue gunk on his hand is food and hair gel!
There are moments in the day when time slows down - especially when I wrestling with a grumpy toddler to try to get him to take a nap - but other than these awful will-testing moments I'm cherishing every minute. Still, it isn't easy, and I really take my hat off to SAHMs who are coping with more than 1 kid!
Right now, I have a few questions and I welcome anyone to offer suggestions for this inexperienced SAHM:
1) Dylan is starting to throw some serious tantrums. I'm talking about hour-long hair-raising body-stiffening screaming fits, refusing to stop so that mommy or daddy can have a word in edgewise type of tantrum. So we naturally are starting to wonder what the best way of disciplining him is. We tried putting him in a naughty-corner ala Supernanny style, but the tyke just gets right up crying his guts out and runs to me again.
2) How do you do to start introducing the potty? We bought a really basic one for $11, and I've been trying to get Dylan just to sit there when he is doing No.2 with his pants on. He doesn't seem to see the need though, and would just get up from the seat again.
3) At bedtime: is it alright for mommy to climb into the toddler bed with him to soothe him to sleep? What's the best way to wean a young toddler off cosying up to mommy and daddy at bedtime?
Ok.
Now that I have all of 3 days of cooking experience under my belt - I believe that the 2 boys in this house will soon start to appreciate my ever-improving culinary experiment! Will talk more about that later.
hihi! so nice to see your beautiful pics and starting a wonderful chapter of your life there.
ReplyDeletethe Qs you asked are not easily answered. they're Qs i asked for the 1st boy, and then again, the 2nd boy. i realised too, that every child is different and different styles suit different personalities.
You can try a few methods and see what is best.
This is just what I have to share:
1. I think the "stand in a corner" method works only when the child is 2.5 yrs and above, when he can understand and reflect on what he has done wrong and actually stay still in the corner? For my younger one, he still wants to rush towards me when i make him stand, and he's already 3!
For the younger one, when he is in a tantrum, picking him up and carrying him around works. He'll stop. Then I can explain to him what was wrong.
For the older one, I had no choice but to let him cry it out, to finish up his tantrum, cos picking him up would make him angrier, and he'd struggle and cry even more. So I let him cry till he's just whimpering, and calmer, then I talk to him.
And if this is comforting to you, somehow, someday, it will just stop. After the terrible twos and with both of you weathering over the storms, you will see the adorable and totally logical, reasonable and intelligent boy emerge. And the tantrums don't return anymore. I have learnt to console myself with every difficult phase, with this "it will pass, let's hope it's a short one".
2. For me, both boys are similar on this one. Keeping them diaper free in the day when I am at home. After a few accidents, they just want to do it the less-messy way. They themselves feel uncomfortable when they wet their pants or soil it.
I sat them on the toilet bowl with a kid seat. They liked to see the stuff disappear with the flush, so if they do it in the toilet bowl (no.2 kind), I let them do the flushing. It's a kind of incentive, I guess.
3. This one I am bad. Not someone to advise you. :-) They still sleep with me, so... argh..
Hope it helps. Anyway from what I read, you are doing a fantastic job!