Parenting VS the Internet Mob

Parenting isn’t always easy. Sure, there are moments of absolute bliss. There are also days when a parent is exhausted, a child is especially cranky, and the whole thing turns into a big scene. It can be frustrating and embarrassing when this happens. Even worse, there is the potential that a stranger will take a photo or video of the “meltdown”, or write about it on social media. Chances are, you probably had at least one temper-tantrum in public when you were a toddler or young child. It’s part of being a toddler. Your mom was probably embarrassed by your … Continue reading →

Things to Consider About Toddlers and Tablets

Do you let your toddler play with your tablet? It is easy to see why toddlers are attracted to them. They make sounds, and have colors, and stuff moves around when you poke at it. Some have started to wonder if the combination of toddlers and tablets is a good idea. How much screen time is too much? There are both positives and negatives to allowing your toddler to play with your iPad (or other tablet). That’s exactly what makes it so difficult for parents. If there were only good results, or only negative results, the choice would be simple! … Continue reading →

I Am Toddler, Hear Me Roar

Sometimes, one or both of my boys have a rough day. Today seemed unusually difficult for Blake, and to make matters worse, whenever I tried to help him through an upset, disappointment, or other situation, he seemed to just get more upset. One time, he even got so worked up that he nearly made himself sick. When one of the boys has a rough day, I feel bad for both of them. Of course, whomever is freaking out must be attended to, and if there are only small amounts of time in between freak outs, the other guy gets only … Continue reading →

Why Does My Toddler Rip His Clothes Off?

I know that it’s summer and all, but even on the hottest days around here, everyone is usually wearing at least some clothing. Well, almost everyone. Blake has decided that he does not like wearing clothes – or diapers, for that matter. Toddlers are notorious for their penchant for running around naked, much to their parents’ chagrin. Of course, not all toddlers go through a phase where they resist clothing and diapers. I do not remember Dylan doing that at all. I mean, he may have ripped his diaper off once or twice, but that was about it. He was … Continue reading →

Monkey See, Monkey Do

If you have more than one child, it can be very interesting to see just how much you toddler learns from his or her older brother or sister. Younger siblings often reach developmental milestones sooner than their peers who have no older siblings in their homes. The reason for this can probably be boiled down into a simple concept – monkey see, monkey do. Of course, we, as parents, think that much of our little ones’ learning comes from watching us do our thing. This is true, but when there is an older sibling in the home, a toddler sees … Continue reading →

It Must Be Tough to be a Toddler

It must be very difficult to be a toddler. If you think about it, there are so many contradictions in the life of a toddler that must make things very, very confusing. This is what I repeatedly tell myself as I try to remain calm and compassionate with Blake as he navigates toddler territory. It has been only a little while since Dylan transitioned from being a toddler to being a preschooler, but apparently enough time has passed since the beginning of Dylan’s toddlerhood that I sort of forgot just how confusing life can be during that time. If it is … Continue reading →

Could Your Toddler be Teething?

One of the most difficult things about life with a young toddler is that because his vocabulary is so limited, he can’t always tell you in words what is wrong. Blake is almost sixteen months old, and he makes a ton of sounds but he says very few actual words. He’s got the basics – “Mama”, “Dada”, “uh oh”, “ball”, and “mm-mm” accompanied by a head shake to indicate “no”, but not much else. For the past four to five days, my usually energetic and bubbly little guy has been rather fussy and clingy, he has not been eating much, and … Continue reading →

It’s Not Their Fault, It’s Mine

Today, our septic system backed up into the basement and there was yucky water all over the floor. I discovered the mess when I was getting the kids ready to go to the park. I went downstairs to get a pair of pants that I knew were in the dryer from a few days ago, and as soon as I opened the door to the basement and saw water at the bottom of the stairs, my heart sank. As my heart sank, I realized that I had two options for what to do next. One option was to tell the … Continue reading →

Should You Can Bathroom Humor Or Let It Rip?

Yesterday, I was driving in the car with the kids when something hilarious happened. Dylan had made up a game where he would choose a letter and we would go back and forth naming words that start with that letter. The first letter that he chose happened to be the letter “f”. This humble letter which starts off fabulous words like fun, football, and fruit had me in stitches when I caught myself asking Dylan if he “had any other f – words for me”. Fortunately, despite the fact that I nearly wet my pants while laughing about that, Dylan … Continue reading →

Learning The Hard Lessons

The lives of toddlers and young children are full of learning experiences. Sometimes, the learning is fun and positive, other times the lessons learned are of a more serious yet no less important nature. Today while we were at the park, Dylan, my three year old, learned a few things about playing fair and how to be a good friend. Since it was a holiday, there were quite a few kids at the playground. Most of them were older, but there was one boy who looked to be about Dylan’s age. As I closely supervised Blake, Dylan went to play with … Continue reading →