Growing : Plant Pansies

Did you know Pansies are great winter flowers?

The best part is that they are cheap!

So, if they die (early)...no biggie!

Hehehe.

We took advantage of our last nice afternoon before we start hitting 50 degrees.

It is amazing how much children love to be outside and touch real living things.

My kids jump at the chance to plant, get dirty and make/do.

Even the babies love it.

We chose halloween colors. :)

Children are curious, they learn by doing, and most of them love playing in dirt.

Working, cultivating, and experiencing what comes with gardening, helps children learn about the satisfaction that comes from caring for something over time.

Gardening gives kids a chance to learn important life skills and teaches environmental awareness by exploration.

It is so fun, and anything outside is worth the time, in my book. :)

Date Night : Picnic Dinner at the Lake

My kids always get jealous when we have our date nights. 

They love their sitter, but love to go out too!

Each kid in our house gets one night a month with Daddy to go somewhere special.

The next month it is a night with Mommy.

We do silly things like go out for an ice cream cone, or ride bikes, or play a game.

This was one of our family resolutions to strengthen our relationships with each other.

So far it has been EXCELLENT!

Tonight's Family Fun Activity was a Family Date!

We packed sandwiches and went to the lake.

It was so nice to be "unplugged."

We enjoyed listening to the sounds of the outdoors.

 Then my husband took the kids to the other side of the lake to teach them how to skip rocks.

Quiet, Fun, Peaceful.

Just what the family needed.

Free Field Trip : Pet Store/Pound

My kids (minus one) love animals. Since we will never have a pet, visiting the pet store was a better option for us. I called ahead and when we got there, the owner taught my kids all about pet safety, pet care, and about all the animals she had in her shop.

She then let the kids pick one to take out and pet.

All of the cages were at their level, and the kids were able to play and enjoy the dogs, cats, birds, guinea pigs, and rats.

She said all of the playing was good for the animals and good for the kids too. I would agree.

The total cost of this field trip was $0.  We were there for 2 hours and my kids wouldn't stop talking about it at dinner time.

I'd say success! 

Dramatic Play: Costumes Box

Every year, on September 30th I pull out the Halloween decorations (because my hubs won't let me do it earlier) and I pull out the old costumes and let the kids play with them for the whole month.

They are in great condition and a great change from the normal princess and police dress ups my kids play with all year.  This is also the time I go through the regular day dress ups and repair and wash them.

We went in the back yard and let the kids enjoy the first day of their Halloween Costume Box.

This also gave me just enough time to put everything out while they were busy "playing."

Even my 9 month old had some fun!

Happy Fall everyone!

Regression

My kid has been completely potty trained for over 6months and NOW he starts having accidents and

 intentionally peeing in his undies!! Suggestions??

Well, I just recently dealt with this in my own house.

I later found out that my 3 year old had a bladder infection, so after some AZO and Cranberry Juice we

 cleared up the bladder infection and moved on. 

Here's how I did it!

I basically re-trained my daughter, and you can too! (for your son)

1. Validate your child. Tell him and show him you know he can do it!
2. Be consistent. Make sure that you continue the "potty training methods" you used before.
3. Positive Reinforcement. Stickers, Jelly Beans, etc. - For staying dry
4. Stop Negative Attention. This was hard, because you are frustrated - but it is important to only give positive attention. If they wet, just clean it up and move on.
5. Remind Often.Don't ask them if they need to go, remind them to go. They will say no if you ask! :)
6. Hold them Accountable. If they mess their pants, they need to clean it up. Not as a punishment, but to help. It reminds them how much work it is to be messy. 
7. Be consistent.  This truly is the most important thing, that is why its on here twice!
8. Keep it Short. Don't lecture about the accidents. The kids are little and lose attention quickly. Just remind them how awesome it is to be a big kid and to be potty trained and leave it at that. Lecture to a 3 year old = in trouble. Keep up the Praise on the staying dry!
9. Do not turn this into a disciplinary matter, because it's not one. It is just part of being a toddler.

Please remember to not freak out and I beg of you...do not put them back in diapers!!!

Remember this is a process, sometimes we need to reboot and start again.

Experts identify the following reasons for regression:

1. stress (new sibling, divorce, move, new school, any change in schedule)
2. medical reasons
3. natural regression that occurs with the mastery of a any new skill
4. ignoring the body’s message

Emily Geizir from Parenting Solutions wrote this perfectly:

"Keep in mind that recently trained children need reminders to go to the bathroom. This is how you can help your child to feel successful. Help her get to the bathroom on time.

Do not take “no” for an answer if you feel it has been too long between bathroom breaks. Honor what the child is focused on at the time, while also imparting the importance of listening to one’s own body (an important life message). For example (please extrapolate to your own circumstance), “I see that you are very focused on your activity, but it is time to take a break to sit on the toilet and then you can return to your activity.”  This is not a question.  This does not need an apology. This is a directive. Directives can be said in loving and assertive ways.

Your child will be inspired by your renewed faith in her abilities.  Maximize this momentum!"

I couldn't agree more!

Good Luck, and if you need more help, please email me! Or leave a comment and we all can talk it out together!

Bird Day!

We had some friends over for a play date.

Here is what we had for lunch:

Here is what we did for an activity:

Birdhouses can be made at Home Depot on Saturdays, or purchased for $2.24 at Walmart in their kid craft area. :)

Night Time Potty Training - PART 1

I have had several emails and comments about night time toilet training.

So, lets address it!

image from Googleimages

Kids are potty trained during the day waaaaaaay before they are potty trained at night.

It is a lot easier for kids (and parents) to identify their body signals when they are awake. Usually because they are in the middle of something when they get the urge to do the dance or "hold it."

Toddlers sleep very soundly and usually wet the bed for months after they have been day trained because their brain and their (potty) muscle aren't in sync yet.  Statistics show that 60% of toddlers are both day and night trained by the time they are 3 - BUT - even by age 6, 15% are STILL having wet accidents.

What is the question? How do I night time train?

I do it a couple of different ways. When I am teaching classes to parents I tell them to wait till they are day trained before tackling the night training because we want to emphasise the success of the day training.

The biggest issue with night training is that they don't know they are wetting or eliminating as they are doing it, it is only after (sometimes) when they are still wet that we all realize it has happened.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

ONE

Do you have a mattress pad?

Do you have thick training pants?

If not, do that first. Pee stinks!

Also, doing this lets your child know you are serious about night time training.

TWO

Do not let your potty trainee drink a lot of liquids after dinner. If this is a habit, break it right away.

Once they are night time trained, you can slowly ease back into it.

I have a lot of parents who rely on a night time milk or sippy to get their child to bed, that is setting them up to fail. "here, fill your bladder, then go to bed!" uh, no!

THREE

I do several bathroom trips before bed.

One after dinner, one after teeth brushing, one last one after books and then they will go to bed.

That is three tries before they hit the sack!

Now, if this doesn't work I would go ahead and wake them up before YOU (the trainer) go to bed.

It stinks at first, but until they can "hold it" it is just a part of their routine.

I would only wake them up if:

1) they haven't eliminated at ALL in step three

2) they did go in step three, but still manage to wet at night

3) had a "good night drink"

FOUR

Most kids after going thorugh this rigamaroll for a few weeks will go through the night fully trained.

If not, do not make them feel guilty or punished if they wake up wet.

I would enlist them in helping with the clean up.

If you think they are too little to do that, then take a breather from night time training for a few weeks and try again.

Please remember that putting your child in underwear at night won't speed up the process.

They are ready when they are ready. :)