It seems like over night my little baby is no longer a baby but a full blow toddler. Let me first start with the advantages so I will not seem so negative. (1) She can definately entertain herself and in most cases that is what she prefers. I was able to sit outside Saturday for over an hour reading while she played at my feet. (2) She is able to communicate much more. She will let us know when she wants to "eat" or go "byeee." She is starting to talk more rather than use sounds that we cannot understand. (3) Potty training is the future--we will start that this summer so if anyone has any suggestions of what has worked for your kids in the past please send them my way. She is not motivated by things. This child would be just as happy with the dirt and rocks in the driveway as she would with any toy in her room. (4) She is so easily entertained. As I just mentioned she could play in dirt and rocks for hours. She does not need nor prefer the bells and whistle type toys.
On to what has generated this post. She has always had a big attitude, but now it has really developed. The other night I was trying to get her into her pajamas (btw she is no longer into the footed ones, so they have been taken out of her wardrobe). She kicked and screamed the entire time I changed her. She continued to have this fit for 30 minutes, never breaking. Then she went into her room and got the shirt she had worn all day out of her laundry basket and brought it to me, all the while screaming. I had such a headache and Bob was not home so I caved and put it back on. Then she tried the same thing last night. She did not get her way this time and would not talk to either Bob or me for a while. She just stayed in her room.
Now that it has gotten warm we have been spending a lot of time outside. She loves this, but many times we have to carry her in kicking and screaming because she does not want to go in. She is fine once we find something for her to do inside, but it is such an ordeal to get her in.
The only time she really gets in trouble and earns a time-out is when she bothers Chloe. The only place in the entire house that is just Chloe's is her kennel. That is her safe place away from everyone. Ellie loves to lock Chloe in her kennel. The other day Ellie kept messing with Chloe's kennel, and I kept telling her to stay away. That worked for a while. Then she got really quiet. I went in search of her and found her playing in Chloe's water bowl "washing her hair." The floor was soaked as was her hair and clothes.
What an adventure we are going to have with this opionated self-willed toddler. :)
1 comment:
the best advice we ever received was "Never let them win..." Because if they win once, they know they can. You have to pick your battles of course and It's sooo hard.
Stickers were great for us and potty. Nothing else motivated her, but we did a potty dance and ran for stickers and put them on the refrigerator chart. :-)
Post a Comment